Kashmir soldier goes the ‘Sholay way’ for asking leave

In a typical style of Dharmendra in bollywood blockbuster movie Sholay, who climbed atop a structure asking Basanti (Hema Malini) to marry him, an Army soldier climbed atop a water tank Saturday evening and threatened to jump if he was not permitted to go home on leave.
Lance Naik B B Pathak of Signal Regiment climbed atop the tank near an Army area in Birma Pull belt of Udhampur district, officials said.
He was under stress due to some domestic problem, they said.
Stress has been a major factor in suicides or attempts to suicide by security personnel posted in Kashmir, where an armed conflict started 23 years ago.
Major causes of suicides in the army were domestic problems, marital discord, stress and financial problems, according to studies by the Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR).
This is not the first time that a soldier has threatened to commit suicide or actually killed himself over issues pertaining to home leave.

(Free Press Kashmir)