Comparing coverage in two different Newspapers Essay

The incident covered in the two articles I have studied was a train fire in the Austrian ski resort of Kaprun on Saturday 11th November 2000. The first article I looked at was in the tabloid paper the Sunday Express. The second article I looked at was in the broadsheet paper the Observer. The two articles were very similar but had some differences. Both the articles emphasised that British people were among those that had died. The Sunday Express said â€Å"Britons among 170 victims† and The Observer said â€Å"Britons among 170 dead† The Observer also stated that children died â€Å"Children among victims†. Although both articles covered the same subject and seemed to emphasise the greatness of the tragedy, they had different approaches, The Sunday Express’ article was sensationalist and over emotive â€Å"†¦ inferno as it tore through carriages† The Observers article was a calmer and more concise report â€Å"†¦ and, within a few minutes, almost everyone on board was dead. † The articles both contained similar factual information. In the Article in the Sunday Express, facts were intertwined with opinions and emotive language. â€Å"†¦ engulfing tourists in temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Centigrade. † The Observer had some emotive language but seemed to keep the facts separate â€Å"†¦ which reached temperatures of more than 1,000 C† The only discrepancy between the two articles was over the initial cause of the fire. The Sunday Express interviewed a cable car technical expert Klaus Einsenkolb. â€Å"He said†¦ that either a short circuit in the batteries or the possibility that someone had started it with a naked flame was more likely,† This was their only reference to the cause of the fire. The Observer had many different statements about the cause of the fire. â€Å"Yesterday’s fire is believed to have started†¦after one of the cables that pull the train up the mountain snapped, apparently starting the blaze† They also had a statement from the local company Gletscherbahn Kaprun who owned the train. â€Å"†Due to a fire in the tunnel there was a shorting in the electrical circuit, consequently causing the train†¦ to catch fire. â€Å"† They also interviewed Klaus Einsenkolb, but stated nothing about his opinions of what caused the fire as in The Sunday Express. Both articles used similar language, but The Sunday Express used more emotive variations of language to put across the same point. The Sunday Express said â€Å"†¦ the harrowing task today of identifying 170 young skiers burned alive† The Observer stuck to the facts, however, some sensationalist language was used. â€Å"†¦ 170 people were killed yesterday when a fire†¦ engulfed an Austrian funicular train† The Sunday Express sensationalised the incident by using words like â€Å"inferno† and â€Å"disaster† repeatedly throughout their report. This created a mood in the article, expressing how terrible this tragedy was. Despite The Observer being a broadsheet paper, their article also used this type of language, such as â€Å"inferno† and â€Å"tragedy†. I think this also was used to create the mood. The underlying feeling in The Observers report was that this incident could have been prevented or its consequences reduced, had their been adequate safety measures and better maintenance. â€Å"†¦ Manfred Muller, security director for the railway, admitted that there had been no emergency fire fighting equipment in the tunnel, or on the train† The journalist’s use of â€Å"admitted† in this sentence supports his views that safety precautions were inadequate. After reading this article the reader was left with the impression it was just a terrible accident. â€Å"Yesterdays disaster was the second tragedy to hit Kitzsteinhorn this year. † â€Å"†¦ announced a criminal investigation into the tragedy. † No blame seemed to be pointed at anyone in this article. The Sunday Express’ article contained many interviews and comments from people involved with the incident. Most of the people interviewed were officials linked with the accident, like Norbert Karlsboeck, the town mayor of Kaprun, and Franz Schausberger the Salzburg governor. â€Å"Mr Karlsboeck said: â€Å"I did not realise the full extent of the catastrophe†Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Salzburg governor Franz Schausberger said: â€Å"I have declared a day of mourning. We can presume that everyone still on board the train is dead. â€Å"† They were commenting on their feelings about the incident. Klaus Eisenkolb, a cable car technician who worked on the planning of the line was also interviewed and spoke of what he thought about the occurrence of this incident and what could have possibly caused it. One witness and one survivor were also quoted. The Observer had fewer people interviewed, but had interviews with relatives and witnesses. They also had a statement from the company who owned the train, Gletscherbahn Kaprun, who commented on their feelings about this incident. â€Å"In a statement, the company said: ‘We and the whole town of Kaprun are in mourning. ‘† An unidentified man whose son had gone skiing that day, and a deacon were also interviewed. This gave the article a more personal feel, as the reader felt that they could relate to the people who’s lives had been affected by this and so understand the tragedy better. The layout of these reports was very different. Article I had a large bold headline on the front cover saying â€Å"INFERNO† in capital letters, to draw people’s attention. There was also a large illustration of one of the survivors with a caption. There was then a double page spread. On the first side of the double spread was a pull quote in large bold letters â€Å"There’s no hope left, the fumes were just terrible† next to another illustration of a survivor with a caption. This would also get peoples attention; the reader may look at the pictures and then want to read on. Under the title was a diagram of the mountainside with text pointing out where the events took place. This was quite easy to understand and gave the basic information. Inside that diagram was another diagram showing where Kaprun was in context to Austria and then to the rest of Europe. The text was in columns around these illustrations. The double page was split into three blocks of text, an individual report started on the second page written by Greg Swift, a continuance of the first article by David Dillon, and then an additional report: â€Å"Rising tide of Alpine tragedies†. The Observer had a medium sized headline â€Å"Inferno in the Alps† in bold letters. Underneath was a large illustration of a survivor (the same as in article 1) with a caption. The article was started with two large bullet points, which would grab the reader’s attention. There was then a tiny diagram of where in Austria the incident took place, and where it was in relation to Europe. The article was again written in columns. It then too went to a double page. The headline on this double page â€Å"A couple of breaths and they were lost† was also a pull quote, keeping the readers attention. There was a block of pictures with quotes in the top centre of the pages showing the rescue team, survivors and their families, and the train. This was really effective. The block of pictures would really attract the reader’s attention, urging them to read the article. There was a large diagram showing a picture of the mountainside and where the tunnel was, and then a diagram of the actual train, showing in steps what happened and when. This diagram was very clear, showing exactly what happened in an easily understandable way. The double page was again split into sections of text. There was the main report by Denis Staunton, and then two smaller reports. One was by Jason Burke telling how former British Olympic skier Martin Bell feared that some of his friends could have been on the train. This linked the incident back to this country and how it affected people here. The other was by Anthony Browne, talking of worries over how many recent tragic accidents have occurred in the Alps. I think that the article that explained what happened and suggested the full horror of this incident more effectively was the article from The Observer. I felt that the way in which it was written managed to create a balance between putting across the facts but still expressing the horror of the tragedy. I think because the facts were not clouded with opinions, they were easier to understand. I thought that the double page spread was particularly effective. The pictures were clearer and attracted the reader’s attention. The diagram on the double page was very clear and easy to understand. It showed exactly what happened in stages, with information about the mountain and the tunnel. I also thought that the headline â€Å"Inferno in the Alps† on the front page was really effective. It gave enough information for you to know what had happened but was short enough for the reader to read at a glance. I felt that The Sunday Express’ article was more difficult to understand as there were fewer facts and the writing was very opinionated. Also because there were fewer interviews with people who were directly affected by the incident, such as survivors, and relatives of victims, it wasn’t as easy to relate to that article. There was less text in general, as much of the space was taken up by large illustrations and headlines. Although the articles seemed to be similar they had differences which although may not be drastically apparent I felt they made a big difference to the effectiveness and success of the articles.

Memory: Bullying and Life Essay

My earliest memory of my childhood joy was when I was four years old. I was sitting on the kitchen counter next to my mom helping her fix dinner. I do not remember what we cooked but I do remember having fun with my mom, it was the first time she taught me how to prepare food. I remember my mom cutting an onion and the juice squirted into my eye; it hurt so bad I screamed and yelled. To this day I still do not like to use onions when I am cooking, for this reason I have someone else cut the onions for me. I have always loved cooking with my mom and still love how we joke around when we are in the kitchen. I loved that I could tell her anything that is going on with me in my life when we are alone in the kitchen cooking together. Looking back at these moments in the kitchen with my mom, I realized more than ever that I wanted to start learning how to cook when I was four years old. We shared our lives while we were in that kitchen, and she taught me how to use many different types of recipes that I could use with many types of food. I love how we shared things and would tell each other our juicy secrets that we would never share with anyone else. She would also give me advice on problems that I had going on in my life. In the future, I will use this method to develop a relationship when I have my own daughter. I know she will ask me how to cook and show her step by step how prepare delicious food, that’s when I will cleverly ask her about her life. I want her to be able to come and talk to me about any problems that she has and when she needs a solution, I will help her resolve it quickly. Hopefully we will develop the kind of friendship that I have with my mother now and I hope this can be a stronger friendship that can never be broken and thrown away over silly things. My earliest unpleasant memory of school was getting bullied. I started getting bullied when I was starting middle school. Every day when I would go to school, the bullies would be there waiting for me to come so they could bully me until I would cry out in front of the whole school, I was so embarrassed and horrified of what they did to me in those days. Sometimes I am scared to tell my parents because I don’t know how they will react to the situation. I would get bullied because I didn’t have the right clothes that everybody else had on and because I was fat and they would say that people would never hang out with me or become my friend. I hated that my friends would not help me fight the bullies. They would just stand there clueless and not standing up against the bullies because they did not want to become the next target or get picked on. The bullies also picked on me because I had a learning disability. This means that I cannot defend myself because I was slow and could not comprehend what they were doing to me at school. In middle school I was a quiet kid who never bothered anyone, I was kind and I kept to myself. I didn’t know I was different or â€Å"uncool† until I started middle school. Sometimes being bullied makes me feel like I am the only one getting bullied on and I hated that so much. I was verbally and physically bullied every day and I couldn’t take anymore, I was getting harassed so much that they soon had nothing left to bring me down. I even tried to tell a teacher but she would not listen to me or believe my story. I was so scared for my life and nobody would help me; they would just stand there and laugh at me. At one point, I was constantly getting ridiculed by the popular kids and they always called me all sorts of names in the â€Å"bully book†. Getting bullied as a child scarred me for life and sometime I have a hard time forgetting what they did to me and how they did it. Four years later, I think back to all of things the bullies did to me and how I could have prevented it from happening in the first place. To this day, it still makes me cry every time I think about it. I feel like I will never be able to shake off the damage that was done to me. Will I ever be a complete person again? Getting bullied has affected me in so many ways but bullies do not really realized nor do they care how much agony they are causing the kids that they are picking on. I really want to tell the kids that are getting bullied today to realized that they can talk to someone about this. When this was happening to me I felt so alone and it is horrible to have no one you can turn to for help. It is also horrible in having going to school every day knowing those kids are getting enjoyment out of their misery. I hope one day I can talk to kids that are being bullied by other kids at school and encourage them to talk to a counselor or the principal about what’s going on. I have learned that I cannot let people bring me down because that can follow me in life. I have to make sure that I stand up for myself and what I believed in because fighting is not going to solve anything and I need to be stronger against my enemies that tried to bring me down. I can always know that I will have God by my side no matter what because I am not in this alone. My most vivid memory of my adolescent defiance is that I was easily agitated, I had a very explosive temper that I could not control during my adolescents years. I was so resentful, spiteful to my parents, my friends and to others that I treated badly. I would always get in an argument with someone that was getting on my nerves or talking my ears off about nonsense that I didn’t care about. At some point, I was desperate to prove that I was â€Å"an adult† to my parents and friends because they were not acknowledging me as one. Sometimes I often feel like I did not receive the respect and autonomy that I deserve. I would get so mad that I slammed the doors and would yell obscenities at people or my family members that did not deserve to be yelled at in the first place. I would just leave the house so that I can clear my head and think about my behavior and how I was vindictive to my family members and my friends that cared about me and loved me so much. I hated that I was disrespectful to them and that I called them names and cursed at them for no reason at all. As a teenager, it was tough for me to get along with people that did not like me or did not want to hang out with me. In high school, it was hard for me not to curse at the other kids who were saying bad things about me while they did not even know me. I had no idea why would they do that and I guess never will. As I was growing up, I learned that you should never be disrespectful to your elders but I was in that stage where it was funny to do it because other people were doing it too. I could tell that I was changing because of my negative attitude and how I was talking to others that were trying to help me feel better. I did not feel better because I felt like I was still filled with anger, frustration, and depression that I could not control my emotions cause they were all over the place. I didn’t even know how to hide my feelings from people. As I have grown older, I have changed my ways because I prayed to God that I wanted to change and become a different person that people will love and adore. I did not want to be that girl that disrespects people for no apparent reason. I want be a nicer person that will help people with their problems or difficult situations. I want to be able to control my anger and my emotions because I don’t want to do something I will someday regre t doing.

Joyas Voladoras Essay

Brian Doyle Joyas Volardores Analysis Brian Doyle’s work, Joyas Voladoras, is about humming birds, a whale, worms, and a cat dragging itself into the forest to die. He uses a lot of metaphors and anthropomorphism in his style to grab your attention. By describing the life we live and how we love, Doyle compares and contrasts differences and similarities between the Hummingbird, Tortoise, Blue whale, small insects and humans. He talks about love and emotion, insecurities and loneliness, and childhood memories. Doyle emphasizes that life is precious and that there are different ways to live your life. In the beginning of the story Doyle reveals the meaning of â€Å"Joyas Voladoras†, meaning â€Å"Flying Jewels†. He brings to the reader, in vivid detail, the Hummingbird. With each following description, the reader is fed an informative education about this fascinating bird. Doyle describes the humming birds heart by saying that the humming bird has a, â€Å"thunderous wild heart the size of an infants fingernail† (147). Joyas Voladoras Meaning He gradually elongates his ideas, simply giving the reader a moment to reflect before elucidating the humming bird’s many talents. He says that humming birds can fly â€Å"backwards [or] fly more than five hundred miles without pausing to rest.† (147) â€Å"But when they rest they come close to death.† (147) Doyle is grabbing the reader and explaining how fragile life is. You could live every day not knowing that today could be your last. Just like the Hummingbird with, â€Å"their hearts slugging nearly to a halt, barely beating.†(147) Doyle cites the numerous variations of Hummingbirds to our own beating hearts. He says that when a humming bird dies â€Å"each mad heart silent, a brilliant music stilled.†(147) Just as that of our own heart. Joyas Voladoras may seem as if it has no real significance. Yet, given Doyle’s backstory, I came to understand that his son was born with only three out four chambers in his heart. Through this experience, Doyle is writing about how precious life really is. And, by conveying this experience he had with his son, through the hummingbird as a metaphor, it allows us to reflect on our own lives. Doyle suggests that hummingbirds live their lives quickly. He says we each have â€Å"approximately two billion heartbeats to spend in a lifetime† (148). You can live your life many ways. You can live you life like that of a tortoise, â€Å"slowly [and] live to be two hundred years old.† (148) Or, you can life your life like that of  a hummingbird, in the fast lane and live for only two years. Same two billion heartbeats in a lifetime, yet two different pathways of life. â€Å"As big as a room. It is a room, with four chambers. A child could walk around in.†(148) Doyle introduces the blue whale, the biggest heart in the world. I believe that in this metaphor, Doyle wants you to visualize the vast difference in size between the humming birds heart, the size of a pencil eraser and the blue whale’s heart so large a child could walk around in it. A heart is a heart. No matter what animal, it is what keeps us all alive. However, it’s through our different life styles, that we chose the longevity of our own life. â€Å"There are perhaps ten thousand blue whales in the world, living in every ocean on earth, and of the largest mammal who ever lived we know nearly nothing. But we know the animals with the largest hearts in the world generally travel in pairs.† (148) They know how to live life and love. By living and loving together as a pair they take care of each other every day. Something we all want in life, to love and be loved. â€Å"So much held in a heart in a lifetime. So much held in a heart in a day, an hour, a moment.† (148) Here Doyle is saying how important life is. He compares that to a house in which we all live alone. â€Å"We are utterly open with no one.†(148) We choose who comes into our heart, but are always still living alone. We live like this because we are afraid to of a â€Å"constantly harrowed heart†. (148) As we age our hearts become â€Å" bruised and scarred, scorned and torn, repaired by time and will.† (148) As we live our lives we love. We get hurt through all of life’s heartbreaks, but with time we become whole and â€Å"repaired† but we continue to remain fragile. You can continue to let people in your heart, but each person you let in your heart can be loved or be hurt. You can make â€Å"your heart as stout and tight and hard and cold and impregnable as you possibly can and down it comes in an instant.†(148) He brings you in with tantric imagery we can all relate too, as that of â€Å"a child’s apple breath. The word’s I have something to tell you, a cat with a broken spine dragging himself into the woods to die†¦ [or] the memory of your father’s voice early in the morning making pancakes for his children.† (148-149) I personally have an emotional connection with this story. My sister was born with a severe heart condition. Just like Doyle’s son. But instead of three chambers, she has only two. Having seven open-heart surgeries since infancy and Twenty-Six years of worry and heartache, I can say it’s definitely been  a long journey for my sister. To live everyday not knowing what to expect has really enlightened me, and my family. It’s taught me to live everyday graciously and cherish those around you, because you never know what the next minute will bring. Doyle’s work is a beautiful examination of the human heart. He uses an infinite array of metaphors of the heart, explaining the lost passages of life and love. Seeming so insignificant, these memories bring back emotions from past experiences. Through his work he encourages us to see that life is precious and that there are different ways to live your life In general, live every moment of your life. Joyas Voladoras.. â€Å"Flying jewel.† Works Cited DiYanni, Robert. One Hundred Great Essays. New York, Pearson Longman, 2008. Hochstetler, J. M. Native Son. Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan, 2005. â€Å"‘Joyas Voladoras’ by Brian Doyle.† â€Å"Joyas Voladoras† by Brian Doyle – HCC Learning Web, https://theamericanscholar.org/joyas-volardores/#.V7yq-FsrK9I.

America before columbus Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

America before columbus - Research Paper Example The period before the arrival of Christopher Columbus is known as pre-Columbian. Pre-Columbian is a term used to refer to the culture of the â€Å"New World†, as per Columbus description of America, in the era prior to European influence. The indigenous cultures before civilization continued to develop until Europeans challenged it though many centuries after 1492 when Columbus discovered the New World (Wulffson 52). This paper seeks to explore deeply on what America was like before arrival of Columbus. A lot of literature suggests that Columbus was not the first one to discover America as it is perceived and explained by Europeans. According to Mroueh (1) Muslims from Spain and West Africa were before him by about five centuries. They started their journey in the mid-tenth century during the reign of Umayed Caliph Abdul-Rahmna III only to return later from a strange land thought to be America (Mroueh 1). In addition, there are higher chances that Amerigo Vespucci, discovered America. Both of them set out at different times in their navigation ventures. Columbus had planned to go to Asia but without knowing, he headed to the West Indies. Throughout the journey, he believed he was headed for Asia but that was not the case. According to Wulffson (98), Columbus died still thinking that he was headed for Asia while Amerigo Vespucci was so certain that he had found a new land. America is therefore named after Amerigo Vespucci as the person who discovered it. Before Columbus arrived in America, America was sparsely populated due to the nomadic nature of the natives (Mann 465). They lived in highly stratified, complicated and perfectly organized societies. In his new book titled "1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus," Charles C. Mann compiled evidence of the sophistication of pre-Columbian America (Crabtree 1). According to him, the urban revolution took place way before the Europeans settled in America. As a result, there was the growth of ver y refined cities that have existed, grown and spread all through the American continent. As a result, the people practiced agriculture and domesticated crops and animals; this was done 5,000 years prior to arrival of Columbus. Funny enough, with the domestication of plants and animals, the health of the people was on a decline instead of improving. This was attributed to growth of the population as well as government policies that favored urbanization (Crabtree 1). However, there were still big portions of land that were highly underutilized before agriculture was introduced. When it was introduced, the populations exploded as many people sort to make use of the widely unused land. Diseases outbreaks were widespread in America that made the people to consider resettling into large, less complex and disorganized communities. This did not still solve the issue. The re-emergence of industrialization and urbanization led to trade and migration. Incidences of pollution increased from ind ustrial emissions and the population was faced by a challenge of housing due to explosive population numbers. As a result, infections were on the rise as most of the people congregated and squatted in cities, hence the disease outbreak experienced in the 1400s was the highest that has ever been recorded. The death rates increased and hence, the lives of the people became unbearable. All this was a product of pre-Columbian efforts to industrialize and urbanize America. The people suffered from degenerative joint disease, trauma,

Carther in the rye Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Carther in the rye - Essay Example per therefore addresses these age-related psychological states of Holden, how these states alienate him from the society, thereby slowing his psychological development. To begin with, Holden believes that the protection of innocence and especially childhood innocence is a virtue that all must uphold. For instance, he thinks of Jane Gallagher as the little girl he used to play checkers with, and not as a growing woman. He loathes the fact that some men make sexual advances towards women, some of whom, like Jane, he feels are supposed to remain pure. At one instance, Holden says, â€Å"Most guys at Pencey just  talked  about having sexual intercourse with girls all the time – like Ackley, for instance – but old Stradlater really did it,† (Bloom, 2007, 7.32). This statement expresses his disgust towards such behaviors. In chapter 22, a conversation between Phoebe and Holden reveals to us what he terms as the purpose of his life, that of being a catcher in the rye. He pictures children playing in a field of rye next to a cliff, and imagines that he would catch them in the event that they slip. This dream shows us that he has af fection for childhood. Finally, Holden’s obsession with profanity manifests itself when he sees obscene graffiti in school. While on his way to visiting his friend Phoebe, he sees the words ‘fuck you’ (Bloom, 2007, Cap. 25) inscribed on the wall and tries to erase them. This shows his dislike against anything that may corrupt the mind of the children. Holden also shows disgust towards what he terms the ‘phoniness’ of the adult world. Holden uses this phrase to describe such aspects as hypocrisy, pretension and shallowness. One of the things that Holden brands as phony is the movies and anything related to them. However, we observe that he watches movies not because he loves them, but due to the lack of an alternative. He also believes that people are phony because they accept middle class values, for instance, he says, â€Å"Lawyers

Mid - report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mid - - Lab Report Example In order to achieve this, several safe construction procedures were applied. Initially, the layout and planning of the building involved the consideration of the strategic location of the various rooms, walls, openings like doors and windows and also the number of floors to be constructed. Site and foundation aspects were other key considerations that the construction team considered during the initial stages of the construction. As part of initial construction planning activities, steps to furnish the lateral resistance and critical considerations of vulnerable sections, highly stressed areas, pillars and sections which are highly likely to be affected by the earthquake forces with respective reinforcement required laid down. This provided me with an ideal overview of the structural action, structural vulnerabilities and mechanisms of damage to buildings due to earthquakes. As the planning and layout foundations were carried out, there are several key technical lessons that I learnt. In a bid to construct buildings which are safer and able to withstand external forces, instead of structures being brittle and able to collapse suddenly, reinforcements should be included to make them tough and able to deform or deflect a reasonable amount of external force. This we achieved by using resistive elements like shear walls and bracing. These elements were evenly distributed throughout the initial construction procedures in multi-directions. In the initial layout that we constructed, all the elements which include the roof and openings among others were tied together. This was in a bid to reduce the effects accompanying earthquake forces. The technical explanation behind this was that this would make them act more like an integrated unit during the shaking resulting from earthquake and thereby transferring the resultant forces across the pre-created connections. This prevents

Bizland ,inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bizland ,inc - Case Study Example The company is evolving as the firm has added other products to its offering including marketing advice to small businesses, payroll and telephone services. II. Had they compiled an exhaustive list of criteria for their â€Å"must haves†? Had some important qualities been omitted? Were all of the items really necessary? If he and John did make changes, how would the four candidates measure up to the revised list? The firm formulated an exhaustive list of thing they were looking for in the CEO they seek to run the firm. Upon further review of their list I believe Ravi and his management team included a lot of important items needed to perform the job well. Despite their efforts there were some critical things that were left out. First the company did not include having excellent interpersonal and communication skills as part of the list. A CEO is the highest position in a company and this person must interact with a variety of people including employees, shareholders, board of directors, suppliers, and governmental agents. Another flaw in the list is that it did not include the requirement of being an expert negotiator. The CEO during a fiscal year faces numerous business opportunities in various facets of his job in which negotiation skills are vital to the success of the missions. III. Did the four candidates offer any real possibilities? Should they invite any of them for an interview with the entire Board of Directors? Or, even though it would further elongate the process, should Ravi and John begin considering other candidates not previously screened or interviewed? I think that the four candidates have real possibilities. All candidates hold MBA degrees and have over 10 years experience working in the business industry in various positions of importance. I do not think that it is required for the board to invite any more candidates because they already have some excellent

Costco membership policy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Costco membership policy - Term Paper Example One of the key strengths about the brand is the fact that the business has been established with one main goals which was to provide membership to most wholesale buyers. The crucial fact about the business is that is business model is unique. As such, the uniqueness in the business model is a key marketing point that the organization needs to center on. Although, there are few other warehouse clubs in the United States and elsewhere across the globe, evidently, Costco was one of the first and still remains one of the leading organizations in the field (Edleson, 2014). As such, uniqueness is a key selling point for the organization. Another major strength is the brand reputation. Currently, Costco is a key destination for shoppers with large families or people seeking to purchase products in bulk. With a superior reputation as is the case with the organization, it is evident that the marketing of the brand would be much easier. Costco is recurrently mentioned in movies and television programs and hence the proposition that most of the people already know about it. As such, the marketing plan needs not to center on introduction of the brand but rather should be emphatic on maintaining a good reputation about the organization. Although the brand being too big is a focal point of strength, it can also serve as a key weakness for the organization. Arguably, marketing a large brand is hectic. Additionally, it is also very pricey. As such, the budget for marketing such an organization is huge. Likewise, marketing an already reputable brand is a little complicated in that wrong marketing strategies would lead into destroying the brand as opposed to improving its reputation. As such, the marketing developed for this organization needs to be considered keenly and assessed. The marketing team needs to be experienced in handling large brands and marketing them effectively (Bowman & Gatignon, 2010). This weakness

Obama Administration - Israelis and the Palestinians Recently, the Essay

Obama Administration - Israelis and the Palestinians Recently, the Obama Administration has attempted to restart the peace proce - Essay Example Conversely, Palestinians assert that this is impossible. They argue that the only way to attain statehood is through violent attacks rather than non violent negotiations. Israelis are more likely to rate the Obama administration positively by stating that its policies are fair (PEW Research). The Palestinians on the other hand rate the administration negatively as they claim that it favours Israel. This among others is the major issue facing the peace process in the region as a whole. The first issue that involved in the process is concerning territory, settlement and borders. This has remained highly contentious on the Palestinian side. Israel is called upon to state the extent of its territory that is in Gaza, West Bank and the Dead Sea waters (Muasher and Djerejian). Following this transfer territory locations identified by both sides should be established. Finally, proposals should be drawn on both sides to ensure that the swap lands are equal in size and value (Muasher and Djere jian). The question of Jerusalem should be postponed until the final stages of the process as it is controversial and complex (Ibrahim). This issue is highly sensitive and the Obama administration should approach it with caution to ensure successful completion of the process. The second issue affecting the peace keeping process is security. There has been constant fighting between the two sides and this has led to loss of lives, destruction of property and poor rates of economic growth and development (PEW Research). First, it is of great importance to promote Palestine’s internal security abilities. It is imperative to ascertain that a state authority is in power rather than militia groups. Again, Israel should get assurance on their security concerns. Security is the major concern between the two sides and the Obama administration should employ peaceful means to restore peace and calm in the region. The third issue facing the process is economic development. It is important to note that ensuring economic stability of Palestine will be a basis of a finding a peaceful solution to the ancient feud between the two sides. The fourth issue facing the process is that relating to prisoners and refugees. There are numerous refuges particularly living in hazardous conditions. This has created attention world over and amongst humanitarian bodies. It is therefore important to relocate them to safe locations to enhance smooth running of the process. Prisoners are a key issue on the Palestinian side. Releasing prisoners would be a huge step in aiding the peace process. In a nutshell, the core issues are to establish security in Israel and sovereignty in Palestine (Cohen, John and Yellin). The US is coming up with measures to ensure economic stability in the region. In a recent delegation by the Secretary of State Kerry, it was revealed that the US was working with core companies such as Coca- Cola, GE and Cisco to invest in Palestine as a move to boost economic gro wth and development (Ibrahim). Additionally, the 1994 Paris Protocol should be renegotiated to draw the line between relations of the two independent states (Muasher and Djerejian). This is by agreeing to common approaches of sharing of resources and facilitating a tax and customs system that can be managed efficiently by West Bank. Concerning the security problem in Israel, Obama sent the Supreme Commander of the NATO forces, General John Allen to discuss

Introduction to Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Introduction to Management - Case Study Example It is an observation that in midst of such economic chaos, outsourcing is one of the major approaches that has benefited, and still benefiting a huge number of business organizations in terms of reduction of costs. Such characteristic of outsourcing has caused many organizations, especially in the developed parts of the globe to focus on the human resource of developing countries; specifically African and Asian countries that offer reduce costs but same quality except few challenges. However, in order to overcome challenges of outsourcing and benefit extensively from such opportunities, it is very imperative to carry out analysis of its different aspects. For such purpose, this paper will be discussing different issues of outsourcing while analyzing a case study (Hatch, pp. 50, 2006) of an Australian fashion retailer, Leethal Fashion Accessories that will allow a comprehensive and critical understanding of the topic. Discussion †¢ External Environment Factors Besides financial matters and internal processes, business organizations have to confront few external environment issues, and it becomes very imperative for them to resolve them, as it is an observation that avoiding external factors often result in huge losses, as well as deterioration of internal processes. The selected case study (Hatch, pp. 50, 2006) specified that while accessing the Indian manufacturing market, the organization confronted a number of external factors that needed immediate attention.

Correlation and Association Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Correlation and Association - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the correlation coefficient measures the strength and direction of a relationship by utilizing the geometric relationship of the dependent variable Y with the independent variable X. It is defined as â€Å"the measure of association between two interval variables† (Willnat, Manheim and Rich, 2011), also known as the Pearson product-moment correlation. This coefficient predicts the values of Y according to that of the corresponding values of X. Because of its higher accuracy and efficiency in predicting values of association between variables, the correlation coefficient is still reliable even when the samples to be used in the test vary in size. Since the coefficient of association relies mainly on a specific sample size on guessing the measure of association instead of the whole population, the test for statistical significance is stronger using the correlation coefficient. The latter can accurately predict the association between variables based on any subgroups of a population, hence making it a reliable tool in any given statistical data

The production at McDonalds Essay Example for Free

The production at McDonalds Essay I am writing to apply for the position of manager of my local branch of McDonalds in East Croydon. The following report highlights how I would improve the productivity at the McDonalds in East Croydon. In my opinion, I believe that there are three main ways that the production at McDonalds can be improved. Improving production will increase the amount of products made and, more importantly, increase the profit. We could also get our stock at a lower cost as well. The first method I would suggest to improve productivity would be introducing a Total Quality Management system. This method will cut costs by removing errors in the company controlling quality throughout. For example, if a worker were not producing the burgers to a specific level, the management would iron this error out and make him/her increase the quality. More profit will come in as the customers will feel cared for and the products will be better quality. There will be an overall increase in efficiency as well as every aspect in the business having improved quality. A disadvantage of this method is that we will have to spend more money for training and development. Also, TQM only works if there is co-operation and commitment throughout. If we had a rebellious worker then the system would fail. It is also hard to test the quality of the taste; you cannot have a bite out of every burger. Another method for improving productivity would be specialisation. This would mean that till workers would become specialised in manning the till, making the drinks and fetching to food. The Chefs would also make better quality food as they would also be specialised. These skills can also be developed throughout through constant use. This would also mean the till people would not have to fetch chips, as they would already be there for them. Profits would increase as customers would feel respected and the quality increased. The food would also be delivered faster, seeing as everyone knows exactly what to do. Unfortunately, specialisation increases dependency and it will also increase costs for the training. Workers may fell disheartened, as they can only do a narrow range of jobs. Quality circles are the final suggestion I would make for improving productivity. The workers will meet up with the managers to discuss aspects of the business. It brings new ideas into the business so ideas on how the chips could be made more efficiently are shared. It also improves the communication. This will mean the food will be delivered quicker when orders are taking place, the till person and chef will talk better so everything will be done to perfection. The managers will also have a better view on what the views are of the floor staff, therefore they get a better view on what needs changing. On the other hand the company will have to fork out for extra training for the team leaders. Valuable time will be taken up for discussions, and if it is everyones free time then there is a chance people will not participate fully. Disagreement on certain ideas may lead to argument. If it is against peoples views they may try to deliberately make it not work, causing poor productivity. In conclusion, I think the best two improvement methods are TQM and specialisation. However I think specialisation is the one which will increase the productivity the most. Specialisation will increase the quality of the products, the speed of delivery and the workers will also feel important. They will feel like specialists so they will perform to the best of their ability. Customers will feel important; theyll feel respected and pleased by the top quality of the service. The few problems with these methods can also be sorted out. We could teach the workers any skills they desire; this way theyll be good in a wide range of tasks. This training will be done on site, so it will not cost us. Dependency can also be ironed out. Specialisation will encourage our workers to work as a team, and if someone isnt performing for the team then you can help them. Everything will be fine.

Analysis of Child Feeding and Care Practices in Certain Area

Analysis of Child Feeding and Care Practices in Certain Area INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD FEEDING AND CARE PRACTICES OF CAREGIVERS IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBAY, PHILIPPINES Joyce Louise Cruz Ignacio, RND Registered Nutritionist-Dietitian Summary of the present status of the study Description of the status of the research work The study has two basic objectives: 1) To assess the caregivers’ current Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and care practices; and 2) To assess the nutritional status of the 0-24 month-old children in the province of Albay. As stated in the proposal, the study is composed of two phases. phase executed the process to meet the first objective of the study, whereas the second phase involved a carefully-designed capacity-building program for the community health and nutrition workers. The survey component of Phase 1 was conducted in the province of Albay from March 2014 to June 2014. It covered six of Albay’s municipalities Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Oas, Libon, Malilipot, and Tiwi and three of its component cities Legazpi, Ligao and Tabaco – altogether creating a scope of 24 different barangays. 280 caregivers, all of whom were randomly selected via systematic sampling, participated in a two-day survey that used a pretested questionnaire to obtain the household and caregivers’ socio-economic and demographic information. That information included age, educational attainment, occupation, household income, household size and their hygiene and sanitation practices. Also recorded about infants and young children were their participation in health and nutrition programs, their access to health and medical services (e.g. immunization, deworming, micronutrient supplementation), their two non-consecutive 24-hour food recalls, the frequency and duration of their breastfeeding sessions, and their anthropometric measurements that were taken using a calibrated salter weighing scale and head board. Furthermore, six (6) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), three for disaster-prone areas and three for non-disaster-prone areas in Albay, were conducted using a structured set of questions as a guide. Topics included in the FGDs were generally focused on the IYCF and care practices and their coping mechanisms during emergencies. Phase 1 of the study, now in its final component, is undergoing analysis of the following variables: socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the households and caregivers, hygiene and sanitation practices, participation in health and nutrition programs, access to health services, and dietary intake of children. It also evaluated their relationship with each other, and their impact on both existing IYCF and care practices and the nutritional status of 0-24 month-old children in the community. Respondents who either failed to complete the two-day data collection or have incomplete data and/or answers to the questionnaires administered will be excluded from the analysis of the study. The results of Phase 1 will serve as the empirical basis for the planning and implementation of Phase 2. Phase 2, the capacity-building component of the project, will render substantial inputs for the local government of Albay. This will not only aid in their development of appropriate programs, b ut also, through the advocacy of proper IYCF and care practices of caregivers, facilitate interventions on malnutrition in young children. The National Nutrition Council in the Bicol region (NNC-Bicol) and the local government of Albay have expressed great support and enthusiasm in the study. During the development of the study, they provided substantial insights and suggestions, all of which were incorporated in the final design of the study. They also helped in the planning and implementation of the data collection in the field. They directed me in the proper channels which made the facilitation of the data collection more effective and efficient. NNC-Bicol and the local government of Albay are continuously providing all the necessary assistance that will help in better understanding and analyzing gathered data. They have also been very committed all throughout the project and worked closely with me during the capacity building phase of my study. As originally proposed, the capacity building component of this study will supplement the existing guidelines and recommendations of the local government in Albay. Based on the initial communication with the regional and provincial nutrition office, there were several training sessions for the community health and nutrition workers, all of which focused on IYCF. However, there is a high turnover rate of community health and nutrition workers which can be attributed to several factors: 1) Community health and nutrition workers serve as volunteers so they spend a lot of their time with the community; 2) They have no salaries since the source of funds is unsustainable, and the idea of it destroys the spirit of volunteerism; and 3) Community health and nutrition workers, though mandated by law to be non-partisan, tend to be affiliated to specific political parties, which is why their posts may be filled by other volunteers when there are changes in political leadership in the community. Yet despite their selflessness in service, they are often taken for granted and underappreciated which lead them to leave their posts. High turnover rates of community health and nutrition workers often lead to the disruption of the co-worker’s relationships with the community and each other. When these workers leave their posts, the opportunity to build on their experience and further develop their skills through refresher training is lost. Due to these circumstances, the recommended course of action is to have a consultative meeting with the key persons in Albay in order to address the problem in sustaining said workers. However, realigning the concept and purpose of community health and nutrition workers is necessary before conducting any form of training. A strategic and concrete plan of action is also needed to answer questions hindering the sustainability of community health and nutrition workers. These may include about the most efficient way to monitor these workers, how turnover rates can successfully be reduced, and what incentive system should be used to ensure that community health and nutrition workers are properly motivated. Furthermore, training and retraining are recommended for the health and nutrition workers of the barangays covered in Phase 1. Continuous training has been known to be an essential prerequisite in effective community health and nutrition work, and is an important factor in retaining the motivation of workers. This latter part is crucial, especially in light of the short training periods available and the low levels of education of most workers. Retraining allows them to learn and develop new skills, take on new challenges, and interact with peers, keeping the job interesting as well as promoting personal development. Upon completion of Phase 1, strengths and weaknesses of the current IYCF will be identified, and incorporating findings of the study in the capacity building component can further strengthen the technical capacity of health and nutrition workers in the community. Firsthand knowledge and experience on the field will make them more equipped in planning, service delivery, and monitoring of existing IYCF programs. Publications No publication has been published based from this research study. Upon the completion of the project, I intend to submit a scientific journal article to publishers with international reputation for greater reach. Summary of the expenses during the report period Summary of the financial statement from the Administrative Offices of the University / Institution Enclosed in this first intermediary report is the Financial Statement as of August 22, 2014 from the University of the Philippines Los Banos Foundation, Inc. (UPLBFI, Inc.), which is certified corrected by the Accounting Supervisor Ms. Marilou C. Atanante and signed by Dr. Cecilio R. Arboleda, Director of UPLBFI, Inc. Gross salaries Breakdown of positions and salaries for the report period Breakdown of major equipment for the report period Breakdown of operating expenses during the report period 4.6 Breakdown of travel expenses for the report period Cont. 4.6 Breakdown of travel expenses for the report period Summary of budget for the report period (In the preferred currency and US $ for the total) GRAND TOTAL: PhP 425,658.19 / US $ 10,134.71 Intermediary to the Nestlà © Foundationpage 1

Stress Management in Low Intensity Conflict Operations

Stress Management in Low Intensity Conflict Operations CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION â€Å"Life is a long sequence of stressors† Mirza Galib General 1. Stress is an inescapable part of modern life. It is the psychological and physiological reaction that occurs when an individual perceives an imbalance between the level of demand placed upon him and his capability for meeting that demand. Stress affects individuals physiologically, emotionally and behaviourally and is linked to responses which in case of stress overloads, often results in rash or irrational behaviour. However, it is not always negative in fact, stress at optimum levels also produces a positive force or stimuli that is dynamic and often aids in tiding over difficult situations. 2. Officers, Junior Commissioned officers and men in the army are by no means insulated to the phenomenon of stress but in fact exposed to situations which tend to become stressful. Understanding of stress, therefore, plays an important role in management of personnel in the army, both in peace and in operational environments. 3. A rigid organizational structure, peculiar environmental factors, extended deployment in Counter Insurgency Operations and Combat situations often compound stress related problems in the army. These, if not tackled at an early stage results in cumulated stress effects which often surpass acceptable limits. The recent spate of suicides, fragging and fratricides provides an urgency to understand at the earliest, the maladies of stress and its effect on men officers of the army. 4. The Penguin Medical Encyclopaedia defines stress as any influence, which disturbs the natural equilibrium of the body and includes within its reference, physical injury, exposure, deprivation and all kinds of diseases and emotional disturbances. The word stress has been borrowed from Physics and Engineering where it has a precise meaning, a force sufficient enough in magnitude to distort or deform when applied to a system. For our studies the apt definition seems to be the rate of wear and tear of the mind. 5. To quote a formal definition, â€Å"Stress is defined as an adaptive response to an external situation that results in physical, psychological and / or behavioural deviations for organizational participants.[1]† It may also be defined as â€Å"failure to adapt†[2] 6. Most people view stress in a negative way but as mentioned in the previous paragraph it may be positive sometimes as it provides the extra energy to deal with tough or life threatening situations. Experts therefore agree that some stress is not only helpful but essential to keep it going for us without which we would be vegetables. Stress results from a stimulation of environment , the degree of this stimulation on the stress curve is positive to an extent but thereafter prolonged stimulations of the same kind, for example the operational environment experienced by the soldiers in Low Intensity Conflict Operations leads to manifestation of stress in the form of negative effects on the soldiers mind. High stress levels, besides manifesting in below-par performance standards during discharge of duties, are also the cause of incidents like running amok, fratricides and suicides. METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 7. To analyse the causes of stress in soldiers of Indian Army in the backdrop of its prolonged deployment in Low Intensity Conflict Operations, its manifestation in various forms and to suggest possible methods of stress management at the national, army, formation unit levels. HYPOTHESIS 8. Existing op environment in areas where the Indian Army is deployed for Low Intensity Conflict Operations coupled with prolonged deployment of troops in such areas is the main cause of stress in soldiers today which has led to an increased occurrence of stress related incidents amongst the soldiers. JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY 9. India has a 1.1 million-strong army and with 81 suicides[3] in the year 2006 stress has become one of its major worries. s given by The Indian Express show that the number of suicides per lakh personnel in the army stands at 10.8 though this is much lower than 17 for the US Army, 18 for the French and 14 of the Royal Army is still big enough to draw attention. The increasing numbers of suicide cases[4] are a cause of concern (See chart below).This fact has been proven adequately in the research carried out by Dr DS Goel of Ranchi institute of Neuropsychiatry in conjunction with command hospital northern command on â€Å"Psychological Effects of Low Intensity Operations†. Extract of the same is attached as appendix A. 10. Another alarming is the 23 cases of fratricide in 2006[5], of these 09cases were reported from Jammu and Kashmir and remaining 14 from the North East, both are areas where army is involved in Low Intensity Conflict Operations. Similar statistics also can be established in suicide cases. Why these cases did not occur in peace stations if the reasons for stress as propounded by some theories are economic growth and rising financial aspirations of the soldier is a moot question and does point to the operational environment of Low Intensity Conflict Operations as the prime reason of stress in soldiers and thus the prime nemesis to be tamed to get down the worrisome numbers of suicides and fratricides. However the effects of personal problems of the soldier causing such incidents is correct, but again if the soldier was located in a peace area he would have been in a better connected place as far as communication with his family is concerned whether it is a case of land dispute or mar ital discord or his wife not being treated well by her in laws. Most of such cases could be solved merely by the physical presence of the soldier along with his wife or parents as the case may be thus it connects to the prolonged deployment of troops in Low Intensity Conflict Operations which leads to increased domestic problems in a soldiers life. 11. In July 2009 the Honourable RM while answering to a question in the parliament stated that already 48 cases of suicides and one case of fratricide have been reported till June[6], its anybodys guess what the final for 2009 will be, whatever be the it cannot be denied that the Indian Army today is faced with the demon of stress in its soldiers. The good news is that the army has realised that this is a problem and cannot be wished away and a number of steps are being taken to tackle the issue but till such time the bigger demon of Low Intensity Conflict Operations exists and some holistic measures by the government and the army are undertaken, firstly to improve the operational environment and secondly to reduce or decrease the time which a soldier spends continuously in Low Intensity Conflict Operations areas, this demon will continue to feed on the strength of the Indian Army- the Indomitable spirit of the Indian soldier. SCOPE 12. The scope is limited to study the following aspects :- (a) Deployment pattern of Indian Army in Low Intensity Conflict Operations. (b) Operational Environment in Low Intensity Conflict Operations. (c) Manifestation of stress and its inter-relation with behaviour/performance. (d) Management of stress to include present approach its shortcomings and recommendations. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS 13. Some terms used in this dissertation are defined below:- (a) Combat Stress[7]. The stress experienced by the soldier during a combat situation. This is a complex form of stress resulting from all the physical and mental strain caused to the soldier during the combat mission, it is cumulative in nature and the number of times the soldier goes through the same situation it causes stress and is accumulated in the mind of the combatant. (b) Stressors. The factors that cause stress are called stressors; it can be an event or situation which requires a non routine change in the lifestyle or behaviour of a soldier. This causes a felling of conflict with the ideals and values of a person or it may pose a challenge or threat to an individuals sense of wellbeing or self esteem. (c) Eustress[8]. Stress may manifest sometimes in a positive way, this effect is known as Eustress, which is described by experts as a motivator which drives a person to achieve extraordinary feats under situations of pressure. It is obvious that Eustress is not harmful being occasional. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION 14. The research work is mainly based on books, journals available in the library, thesis and dissertation work available on the internet as also the study report of the Defence Institute of Psychological Research on the causes of inter-personal violence in the units deployed in counter insurgency areas and the study report of research carried out by Ranchi Institute of Neurosciences in collaboration with Armed Forces Medical Services, Command Hospital (Northern Command) and Director general Medical Services. Data of twenty units of infantry and artillery was also collected to prove that the existing deployment pattern and troop commitment to Rashtriya Rifles is resulting in prolonged exposure of approximately one percent of soldiers to higher stress prone areas. A detailed bibliography of sources is appended at the end of the dissertation. ORGANISATION OF THE DISSERTATION (CHAPTERISATION) 15. It is proposed to study the subject in the following manner :- (a) Chapter I Introduction. (b) Chapter II Deployment Pattern of Indian Army in Low Intensity Conflict Operations. (c) Chapter III Operational environment in Low Intensity Conflict Operations Areas. (d) Chapter IV Manifestation of Stress. (e) Chapter V Management of Stress. (f) Chapter VI Recommendations and Conclusion. CHAPTER II DEPLOYMENT PATTERN OF INDIAN ARMY IN LOW INTENSITY CONFLICT OPERATIONS â€Å"We live longer than our forefathers, but we suffer more from a thousand artificial anxieties and cares. They fatigued only muscles we exhaust the finer strength of our nerves† -Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1. Infantry Battalions. The infantry battalions are deployed for Low Intensity Conflict Operations typically for a duration of two to three years during what is known as the field tenure, it can either be in the Northern sector (Jammu and Kashmir) or the North Eastern region. After tenure of aforesaid duration when the battalion is de-inducted from such areas to peace locations, a finite number of soldiers are sent to the affiliated Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Battalions to meet the requirement of troop commitment of Indian army to such units (Refer survey in following paragraphs). Thus a number of soldiers who have served for up to two to three years are again posted to operate in a Low Intensity Conflict Operations situation for a duration of two years and furthermore when these soldiers return from this stint it is again time for their battalion to move to field area for Low Intensity Conflict Operations, hence he again undergoes a tenure in high stress environment. In this way some sol diers end up spending up to six to seven years in Low Intensity Conflict Operations which anybody who has been there will agree is a long time. 2. Artillery Units. The case mentioned above is only slightly better for artillery, since the artillery units generally have longer peace tenures than the infantry battalions; hence a soldier after coming back, gets to spend some time in peace locations, however these personnel would have still undergone up to four years of continuous field area tenure. 3. Survey. To establish the facts mentioned in the previous paragraphs, data was collected from ten infantry battalions and ten artillery regiments. The results of the survey are given in succeeding paragraphs. 4. Infantry Battalions. Number of personnel who were dispatched to RR Battalions within one year are given as under, due to security reasons the exact identity of the units is not being revealed:- Serial Number Battalion Number of Personnel Junior Commissioned Officers Other Ranks (i) A Battalion 04 53 (ii) B Battalion 05 52 (iii) C Battalion 03 54 (iv) D Battalion 04 51 (v) E Battalion 04 52 (vi) F Battalion 04 55 (vii) G Battalion 04 52 (viii) H Battalion 04 55 (ix) J Battalion 04 51 (x) K Battalion 04 56 9 5. Artillery Regiments. A similar survey of artillery units revealed the following s:- Serial Number Regiment Number of Personnel Junior Commissioned Officers Other Ranks (i) No 1 Regiment 01 59 (ii) No 2 Regiment 02 58 (iii) No 3 Regiment 02 61 (iv) No 4 Regiment 03 58 (v) No 5 Regiment 01 56 (vi) No 6 Regiment 02 57 (vii) No 7 Regiment 03 59 (viii) No 8 Regiment 03 58 (ix) No 9 Regiment 02 57 (x) No 10 Regiment 01 60 Analysis of Data. 6. An analysis of the survey reveals the following:- (a) In the case of infantry battalions, on an average a total of four junior commissioned officers and fifty three soldiers were found who have had to undergo extended field tenure in excess of six years. (b) In case of artillery units, it can be seen from the data shown in the, table above that number of such personnel on an average is about is about fifty nine other ranks. Though artillery units are relatively better off due to reasons mentioned earlier, still these individuals still undergo an extended tenure in a Low Intensity Conflict Operations situation, and hence are over exposed to the stressful operational environment of Low Intensity Conflict Operations. 7. A further analysis reveals this to be a repetitive affair since each unit or battalion is responsible for providing relief of its personnel in Rashtriya Rifles (RR) thus when these personnel are reverted a set of similar strength is dispatched, therefore the fifty three soldiers in case of infantry battalions who were sent in the second year of the battalions peace tenure also have an extended tenure in Low Intensity Conflict Operations area, extending up to an year with Rashtriya Rifles and up to three years with their respective battalions. 8. One more interesting which emerges from the statistics[9] that the number of suicides and fratricides were much higher in Jammu and Kashmir than in the North-East. Why so? There could be number of reasons for this like intensity of operational environment, troop commitment of Army to Assam Rifles (AR) as compared to RR, better management of Low Intensity Conflict Operations due to longer experience of the Indian Army in the North East etc but the operational environment factor emerges as the singular, most differentiating aspects between the two regions. Report of study of Defence Institute of Psychological Research refers as attached as appendix B[10] also corroborates the same. CHAPTER III OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN LOW INTENSITY CONFLICT OPERATIONS â€Å"It is the man trained to recognize the dangers of the battlefield, understand his fears without surrendering to them and equipped with skills he must have to carryout his task, who can endure the prolonged stress of modern war† -Shelford Bidwell 1. In conventional operations battle lines are clearly drawn, one can identify the enemy easily and thus aggression can be directed unequivocally in his direction. The situation in Low Intensity Conflict Operations is quite the opposite. These are often characterised by limitations of armament being used, Tactics and levels of force applied. They are often protracted and involve military, diplomatic, economic and psychological pressure through terrorism and insurgency. Troops trained in conventional warfare experience significant stress in such operations. Conventional military training makes the soldier think in clear cut extremes of black and white, friend and foe. This tendency often leads to problems in Low Intensity Conflict Operations where the concept of ‘enemy cannot be applied to ones own population. The contributory factors, which increase the stress level on soldiers participating in Low Intensity Conflict Operations, are the product of complex interplay of the three elements involved the terrorist, the local population and the soldier. 2. Low Intensity Conflict Operations are continuous; there are no pauses and no time outs or half times. Frustrations mount when there is no breakthrough for months together and while the expectation to perform and produce results are high. The soldiers are caught in the cross fire moral Vs the immoral and the dividing lines are blurred. In sum, insurgency imposes severe stress and strain on those engaged in it[11]. 3. The operational environment in Low Intensity Conflict Operations is an ideal cauldron for manifestation of stress related problems. Some other factors which affect the soldier in such a situation are discussed in succeeding paragraphs. 4. Boredom and Isolation. The operational environment is characterised by long drawn intense activity. During the periods of lull and inactivity there are times when the imagination could run wild and seriously affect the individuals capacity to think rationally. 5. Hostile Local Population. One of the key factors for fighting and restricting insurgencies is the local populace. Due to a number of reasons such as fear of retribution by terrorists or negative propaganda against the army, the attitude of the locals towards the army is hostile. This causes considerable strain in the minds of the soldier who cant understand as to why the same people are against him to save whom he is risking his life. 6. Long Drawn Operations. These type of operations are long prolonged affair in which the inability to see the end of the tunnel is in itself quite stressful. Fatigue in such situations may be of two types. Firstly, tiring operational work in the form of sitting in long ambushes etc leads to physical exhaustion. Secondly, mental fatigue is caused by the repetitive nature of such physically exhausting missions over a long period of time, with little hope of relief. This condition can result in breakdown or even burning out. Prolonged spells of stress punctuated by quantitatively and qualitatively inadequate opportunities 7. Guilt. In Low Intensity Conflict Operations, the soldier is at a loss to understand the rationale of killing own countrymen, and hence is faced with a factor of guilt, even though he may not accept it openly for the fear of being ridiculed by peers but he sub-consciously feels a sense of guilt. 8. Human Rights Factor. The fear of being prosecuted for Human Rights violations, is always at the back of the minds of commanders at levels and thus percolates down to the soldiers in the form of unrealistic restraints and restrictions while operating in such environment. This too adds its share as stress. 9. Adverse Media Influence. The media in many cases blames the army for any collateral damage caused during an operation or sometimes blows a wrong accusation of Human rights violation against the security forces out of proportion to sell news, this is especially true for local vernacular media. They never highlight the gains of the army but would jump at a single violation, though army is now addressing this issue with its proactive media policy. 10. Separation From Families. Loneliness, domestic worries and a long wait for leave are not singular but inter-related issues all these have mutually related effects on the psyche of the soldier. Domestic worries have an adverse impact, especially so in low intensity situations wherein the soldier is as it is stressed out and is further frustrated since he cannot attend to his family problems in person. 11. Unrealistic Goals and Demands. The matters are made worse when senior commanders lay down unrealistic targets to be met in terms of terrorists killed or captured and weapons captured. The results in low intensity situations are not corporate targets to be met in a month or a quarter or a financial year they come by fits and starts and are not routine, a good month may see a good haul of Kills and there could be a lean period extending months together sometimes. The pressure to achieve results day after day in the end manifests as stress on the soldier. 12. Low intensity conflict operations are full of ambiguity and uncertainty. It should be realized by the government in general and the army hierarchy in particular that prolonged exposure to such situations is likely to make everyone, be it officers or soldiers, susceptible to stress because they are not only surviving there but are working at a faster pace everyday to deal with the uncertainty and constantly changing dynamic situations. STRESSORS PECULIAR TO LOW INTENSITY CONFLICT OPERATIONS 13. Inhospitable Terrain and Climate. The terrain and climate in which the troops are deployed in low intensity conflicts are mountainous terrain sometimes with secondary jungles and have harsh climatic conditions. The cold climate in J K and the heavy monsoons in North East make normal living in temporary habitats difficult[12]. Under such working conditions whenever there is a lack of motivation due to any reason, there is bound to be general deterioration of morale and discipline amongst the soldiers, thus this factor is an important stressor as far as the soldier is concerned. 14. Fear of Unknown. All soldiers who have been in life threatening soldiers are familiar with this phenomenon. It is the possibility of getting killed which puts a soldier under immense pressure it is omnipresent whether on duty within the company post or on operations outside the company post. It is primarily the fear of death or injury, which makes the low intensity scenario so stressful for the soldier in fact a harassing experience. The soldiers are thus living under tremendous psychological pressure constant fear of losing life does take its toll[13]. 15. Lack of Mental Respite. This is not a nine to five job it is continues twenty four by seven days. The terrorists in some way have initiative and can strike at the time of their choosing but the soldier has to be alert at all times, thus requiring a high state of alertness always. This leads to mental and physical fatigue and exhaustion and has a telling effect on his psyche. It is a campaign in which the regular army is pitted against the irregulars or guerrillas[14]. 16. Use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), By Terrorists. Use of IEDs gives the terrorists the ability to strike at the soldier without being seen and makes the army deploy a large number of troops for road santisation duties. This is frustrating for the soldier when he is unable to strike back at his attacker and leads to a constant fear of IEDs in the soldiers mind. 17. Constant Re-deployment. Counter insurgency operations demand a dynamic deployment depending upon militant activity and intelligence. Any person after spending some time in a place gets comfortable and starts to feel comfortable there his mind accepts the place as his home, but constant changing of bases as done in dynamic counter insurgency deployment adversely affects the soldiers mind. 18. Inadequacy of Equipment. Lack of special equipment to combat militancy has a demoralising effect on the troops. At times it gives a feeling of being pushed into ‘Counter Insurgency (CI) operations without being adequately equipped. 19. Prolonged Deployment/Change in Duration of Tenure. Many a times, move is delayed due to local operations causing uncertainties and resulting in building up of stress. 20. Break up of Joint Family System. There has been erosion in this time-tested system and more and more soldiers have now to fend for themselves. 21. Declining Discipline and Values. There has been a recent tendency among officers to over look major breaches of discipline in counter insurgency areas. Such an attitude breeds indiscipline leading to an overall discontentment among the disciplined soldiers. 22. Individual Psyche. The mental makeup of soldiers is different and their adaptability varies. A few individuals are weak and have a very low breaking point. Such persons soon become liability to the unit and are easy victims of stress related incidents. 23. Pressures of Human Rights Violations. The fear of perpetuating a human right violation and judicial harassment puts restrictions on the actions of the men and also make them vulnerable to militants during operations. 24. Lack of Recognition. There is a general feeling that due recognition is not being given for the services rendered by the soldiers in CI operations. The soldier feels that he is giving everything for the integrity of the country, but once he steps in to the civil street, no one has a word of praise for him. 25. Frustration Due to No Results (Numbers Game). The effect of operating in CI operations areas for months without any tangible results is frustrating. No amount of hard work is recognised in these operations unless accompanied by a few dead bodies of militants and some weapons. 26. Conviction towards the Cause. Most of the soldiers deployed in these operations are fighting militancy with no clear conviction towards the cause. In sum, insurgency imposes severe stress and strain on those engaged in it[15]. CHAPTER IV MANIFESTATION OF STRESS General 1. Stress can have serious consequences for both health and performance. In terms of health, the current belief is that 50-70 percent of all physical illness is related to stress. Stress is associated with heart disease, diabetes, ulcers, depression, irritation, anxiety, fatigue, lowered self-esteem, and reduced job satisfaction. Sustained over a long period, stress can lead to attempts to escape through the use of drugs or alcohol and may lead to burn out. 2. The most serious consequence of stress relates to performance. In order to take timely steps to ameliorate stress, it is imperative that commanders at all levels know the symptoms in detail. It should be the endeavour of every leader to ensure that the level of stress in the men under his commands remains within the optimum stress level (OSL) zone. Some individuals are more prone to stress than others. The reason lies in demographic differences and type of personality. 3. Demographic Differences. Demographic differences include age, health, education and profession/occupation. Age affects stress because most people go through life stages during which certain things are expected of them. As one grows in age, the expectations increases and so does the pressure. Thus age does create stress[16]. 4 Type of Personality. These are psychological in nature. These include need satisfaction, locus of control and type of personality. People, who have strong urge for need satisfaction, work hard and tend to excel others. This attribute can be basis for overwork and burnout. Locus of control refers to ones feeling of the extent to which one is able to control surrounding world. Greater an individuals perception of control over the environment, lesser is the person prone to stress, and vice versa[17]. Chronic Stress 5. Chronic stress is the outcome of prolonged exposure to stressful situation, as prevalent in the CI operations. It is not so perceptible in the initial stages, but in the longer run it causes lasting and grave damage to the physiology and psyche of the soldiers. It distorts perception and behavioural responses, and slowly but steadily wears down the stress tolerance capacity of individuals, bringing them to a state where they may break down at a critical juncture. The effects of chronic stress generally manifest themselves in the form of psychosomatic disorders, and later in the form of inappropriate behavioural responses[18]. 6. Psychosomatic Manifestations. Prolonged exposure to stress results in many psychological/physiological ailments such as headache, insomnia, fatigue, lack of appetite, duodenal ulcers, depression, diarrhoea, dizziness and fainting are some of the symptoms of a person being under chronic stress. Psychosomatic symptoms occur when thoughts and emotional reactions maintain the body in a state of physiological arousal. If this arousal is prolonged, it can lead to pain, infection, and organ breakdown[19]. 7. Behavioural Manifestations. Behavioural manifestations of chronic stress are generally in the form of defence-oriented responses. Common behavioural manifestations of chronic stress are as follows: (a) Apathy. This is the task oriented compromise reaction of an individual, wherein he shows lack of interest towards his primary role and shows great interest in secondary or mundane duties. (b) Isolation and Withdrawal. The individual under stress may reduce communicating with others or may totally stop it. The greater inclination towards the religious activities, most commonly displayed in CI environment, is also a withdrawal reaction due to internalisation of stress experienced by an individual. (c) Leave Requests. Absence without Leave and Malingering incidents are the outcome of unconscious or at times sub-conscious efforts of the mind to avoid facing the dangers of CI environment. (d) Rationalisation and Interjection. Giving logical and rational sounding excuses for own or sub units failure to perform up to the desired level, is in itself a defence oriented manifestation of stress. One form of this stress manifestation is comparing own performance with that of the others, who are not doing well enough, to justify own failures or except lower norms and standards of performance. (e) Projection. Another form of manifestation of stress is projection of blame for own shortcomings and failures on other colleagues and blaming them, their actions /advice, for own unjustifiable performance or actions. Cribbing and grumbling are also manifestation of stress. (f) Failures. Frequent failures to perform up to the desired level by same person or a sub unit reflect that the individual or the sub unit as such may be suffering from chronic stress. (g) Violence and Aggression. Violence against suspects and insurgents and aggressive attitude towards own colleagues are another form of stress expression. Under stress, individual and specially leaders, tend to displace there feeling of chronic stress by arbitrary rudeness towards their colleagues and juniors, suspects and civilian population. Excessive use of violence against captured or trapped insurgents is a common manifestation of stress. It is also believed that the passive and timid person who cannot mobilise and externalise his anger is more vulnerable to external fear because of his impaired ability to react aggressively towards the enemy and thus discharge tension. 8. Post -Traumatic Stress Reactions Post-traumatic stress disorder is a state of anxiety, depression and physiological ‘numbing that follows exposure to a severe trauma, such as warfare, militant killings, a catastrophe or violent death of a loved one. This appears as a recurrent dream or nightmare in slow motion. Victims complain of tension, insomnia and trouble in concentrating, a feeling of remoteness from others an Stress Management in Low Intensity Conflict Operations Stress Management in Low Intensity Conflict Operations CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION â€Å"Life is a long sequence of stressors† Mirza Galib General 1. Stress is an inescapable part of modern life. It is the psychological and physiological reaction that occurs when an individual perceives an imbalance between the level of demand placed upon him and his capability for meeting that demand. Stress affects individuals physiologically, emotionally and behaviourally and is linked to responses which in case of stress overloads, often results in rash or irrational behaviour. However, it is not always negative in fact, stress at optimum levels also produces a positive force or stimuli that is dynamic and often aids in tiding over difficult situations. 2. Officers, Junior Commissioned officers and men in the army are by no means insulated to the phenomenon of stress but in fact exposed to situations which tend to become stressful. Understanding of stress, therefore, plays an important role in management of personnel in the army, both in peace and in operational environments. 3. A rigid organizational structure, peculiar environmental factors, extended deployment in Counter Insurgency Operations and Combat situations often compound stress related problems in the army. These, if not tackled at an early stage results in cumulated stress effects which often surpass acceptable limits. The recent spate of suicides, fragging and fratricides provides an urgency to understand at the earliest, the maladies of stress and its effect on men officers of the army. 4. The Penguin Medical Encyclopaedia defines stress as any influence, which disturbs the natural equilibrium of the body and includes within its reference, physical injury, exposure, deprivation and all kinds of diseases and emotional disturbances. The word stress has been borrowed from Physics and Engineering where it has a precise meaning, a force sufficient enough in magnitude to distort or deform when applied to a system. For our studies the apt definition seems to be the rate of wear and tear of the mind. 5. To quote a formal definition, â€Å"Stress is defined as an adaptive response to an external situation that results in physical, psychological and / or behavioural deviations for organizational participants.[1]† It may also be defined as â€Å"failure to adapt†[2] 6. Most people view stress in a negative way but as mentioned in the previous paragraph it may be positive sometimes as it provides the extra energy to deal with tough or life threatening situations. Experts therefore agree that some stress is not only helpful but essential to keep it going for us without which we would be vegetables. Stress results from a stimulation of environment , the degree of this stimulation on the stress curve is positive to an extent but thereafter prolonged stimulations of the same kind, for example the operational environment experienced by the soldiers in Low Intensity Conflict Operations leads to manifestation of stress in the form of negative effects on the soldiers mind. High stress levels, besides manifesting in below-par performance standards during discharge of duties, are also the cause of incidents like running amok, fratricides and suicides. METHODOLOGY STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 7. To analyse the causes of stress in soldiers of Indian Army in the backdrop of its prolonged deployment in Low Intensity Conflict Operations, its manifestation in various forms and to suggest possible methods of stress management at the national, army, formation unit levels. HYPOTHESIS 8. Existing op environment in areas where the Indian Army is deployed for Low Intensity Conflict Operations coupled with prolonged deployment of troops in such areas is the main cause of stress in soldiers today which has led to an increased occurrence of stress related incidents amongst the soldiers. JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY 9. India has a 1.1 million-strong army and with 81 suicides[3] in the year 2006 stress has become one of its major worries. s given by The Indian Express show that the number of suicides per lakh personnel in the army stands at 10.8 though this is much lower than 17 for the US Army, 18 for the French and 14 of the Royal Army is still big enough to draw attention. The increasing numbers of suicide cases[4] are a cause of concern (See chart below).This fact has been proven adequately in the research carried out by Dr DS Goel of Ranchi institute of Neuropsychiatry in conjunction with command hospital northern command on â€Å"Psychological Effects of Low Intensity Operations†. Extract of the same is attached as appendix A. 10. Another alarming is the 23 cases of fratricide in 2006[5], of these 09cases were reported from Jammu and Kashmir and remaining 14 from the North East, both are areas where army is involved in Low Intensity Conflict Operations. Similar statistics also can be established in suicide cases. Why these cases did not occur in peace stations if the reasons for stress as propounded by some theories are economic growth and rising financial aspirations of the soldier is a moot question and does point to the operational environment of Low Intensity Conflict Operations as the prime reason of stress in soldiers and thus the prime nemesis to be tamed to get down the worrisome numbers of suicides and fratricides. However the effects of personal problems of the soldier causing such incidents is correct, but again if the soldier was located in a peace area he would have been in a better connected place as far as communication with his family is concerned whether it is a case of land dispute or mar ital discord or his wife not being treated well by her in laws. Most of such cases could be solved merely by the physical presence of the soldier along with his wife or parents as the case may be thus it connects to the prolonged deployment of troops in Low Intensity Conflict Operations which leads to increased domestic problems in a soldiers life. 11. In July 2009 the Honourable RM while answering to a question in the parliament stated that already 48 cases of suicides and one case of fratricide have been reported till June[6], its anybodys guess what the final for 2009 will be, whatever be the it cannot be denied that the Indian Army today is faced with the demon of stress in its soldiers. The good news is that the army has realised that this is a problem and cannot be wished away and a number of steps are being taken to tackle the issue but till such time the bigger demon of Low Intensity Conflict Operations exists and some holistic measures by the government and the army are undertaken, firstly to improve the operational environment and secondly to reduce or decrease the time which a soldier spends continuously in Low Intensity Conflict Operations areas, this demon will continue to feed on the strength of the Indian Army- the Indomitable spirit of the Indian soldier. SCOPE 12. The scope is limited to study the following aspects :- (a) Deployment pattern of Indian Army in Low Intensity Conflict Operations. (b) Operational Environment in Low Intensity Conflict Operations. (c) Manifestation of stress and its inter-relation with behaviour/performance. (d) Management of stress to include present approach its shortcomings and recommendations. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS 13. Some terms used in this dissertation are defined below:- (a) Combat Stress[7]. The stress experienced by the soldier during a combat situation. This is a complex form of stress resulting from all the physical and mental strain caused to the soldier during the combat mission, it is cumulative in nature and the number of times the soldier goes through the same situation it causes stress and is accumulated in the mind of the combatant. (b) Stressors. The factors that cause stress are called stressors; it can be an event or situation which requires a non routine change in the lifestyle or behaviour of a soldier. This causes a felling of conflict with the ideals and values of a person or it may pose a challenge or threat to an individuals sense of wellbeing or self esteem. (c) Eustress[8]. Stress may manifest sometimes in a positive way, this effect is known as Eustress, which is described by experts as a motivator which drives a person to achieve extraordinary feats under situations of pressure. It is obvious that Eustress is not harmful being occasional. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION 14. The research work is mainly based on books, journals available in the library, thesis and dissertation work available on the internet as also the study report of the Defence Institute of Psychological Research on the causes of inter-personal violence in the units deployed in counter insurgency areas and the study report of research carried out by Ranchi Institute of Neurosciences in collaboration with Armed Forces Medical Services, Command Hospital (Northern Command) and Director general Medical Services. Data of twenty units of infantry and artillery was also collected to prove that the existing deployment pattern and troop commitment to Rashtriya Rifles is resulting in prolonged exposure of approximately one percent of soldiers to higher stress prone areas. A detailed bibliography of sources is appended at the end of the dissertation. ORGANISATION OF THE DISSERTATION (CHAPTERISATION) 15. It is proposed to study the subject in the following manner :- (a) Chapter I Introduction. (b) Chapter II Deployment Pattern of Indian Army in Low Intensity Conflict Operations. (c) Chapter III Operational environment in Low Intensity Conflict Operations Areas. (d) Chapter IV Manifestation of Stress. (e) Chapter V Management of Stress. (f) Chapter VI Recommendations and Conclusion. CHAPTER II DEPLOYMENT PATTERN OF INDIAN ARMY IN LOW INTENSITY CONFLICT OPERATIONS â€Å"We live longer than our forefathers, but we suffer more from a thousand artificial anxieties and cares. They fatigued only muscles we exhaust the finer strength of our nerves† -Edward George Bulwer-Lytton 1. Infantry Battalions. The infantry battalions are deployed for Low Intensity Conflict Operations typically for a duration of two to three years during what is known as the field tenure, it can either be in the Northern sector (Jammu and Kashmir) or the North Eastern region. After tenure of aforesaid duration when the battalion is de-inducted from such areas to peace locations, a finite number of soldiers are sent to the affiliated Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Battalions to meet the requirement of troop commitment of Indian army to such units (Refer survey in following paragraphs). Thus a number of soldiers who have served for up to two to three years are again posted to operate in a Low Intensity Conflict Operations situation for a duration of two years and furthermore when these soldiers return from this stint it is again time for their battalion to move to field area for Low Intensity Conflict Operations, hence he again undergoes a tenure in high stress environment. In this way some sol diers end up spending up to six to seven years in Low Intensity Conflict Operations which anybody who has been there will agree is a long time. 2. Artillery Units. The case mentioned above is only slightly better for artillery, since the artillery units generally have longer peace tenures than the infantry battalions; hence a soldier after coming back, gets to spend some time in peace locations, however these personnel would have still undergone up to four years of continuous field area tenure. 3. Survey. To establish the facts mentioned in the previous paragraphs, data was collected from ten infantry battalions and ten artillery regiments. The results of the survey are given in succeeding paragraphs. 4. Infantry Battalions. Number of personnel who were dispatched to RR Battalions within one year are given as under, due to security reasons the exact identity of the units is not being revealed:- Serial Number Battalion Number of Personnel Junior Commissioned Officers Other Ranks (i) A Battalion 04 53 (ii) B Battalion 05 52 (iii) C Battalion 03 54 (iv) D Battalion 04 51 (v) E Battalion 04 52 (vi) F Battalion 04 55 (vii) G Battalion 04 52 (viii) H Battalion 04 55 (ix) J Battalion 04 51 (x) K Battalion 04 56 9 5. Artillery Regiments. A similar survey of artillery units revealed the following s:- Serial Number Regiment Number of Personnel Junior Commissioned Officers Other Ranks (i) No 1 Regiment 01 59 (ii) No 2 Regiment 02 58 (iii) No 3 Regiment 02 61 (iv) No 4 Regiment 03 58 (v) No 5 Regiment 01 56 (vi) No 6 Regiment 02 57 (vii) No 7 Regiment 03 59 (viii) No 8 Regiment 03 58 (ix) No 9 Regiment 02 57 (x) No 10 Regiment 01 60 Analysis of Data. 6. An analysis of the survey reveals the following:- (a) In the case of infantry battalions, on an average a total of four junior commissioned officers and fifty three soldiers were found who have had to undergo extended field tenure in excess of six years. (b) In case of artillery units, it can be seen from the data shown in the, table above that number of such personnel on an average is about is about fifty nine other ranks. Though artillery units are relatively better off due to reasons mentioned earlier, still these individuals still undergo an extended tenure in a Low Intensity Conflict Operations situation, and hence are over exposed to the stressful operational environment of Low Intensity Conflict Operations. 7. A further analysis reveals this to be a repetitive affair since each unit or battalion is responsible for providing relief of its personnel in Rashtriya Rifles (RR) thus when these personnel are reverted a set of similar strength is dispatched, therefore the fifty three soldiers in case of infantry battalions who were sent in the second year of the battalions peace tenure also have an extended tenure in Low Intensity Conflict Operations area, extending up to an year with Rashtriya Rifles and up to three years with their respective battalions. 8. One more interesting which emerges from the statistics[9] that the number of suicides and fratricides were much higher in Jammu and Kashmir than in the North-East. Why so? There could be number of reasons for this like intensity of operational environment, troop commitment of Army to Assam Rifles (AR) as compared to RR, better management of Low Intensity Conflict Operations due to longer experience of the Indian Army in the North East etc but the operational environment factor emerges as the singular, most differentiating aspects between the two regions. Report of study of Defence Institute of Psychological Research refers as attached as appendix B[10] also corroborates the same. CHAPTER III OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN LOW INTENSITY CONFLICT OPERATIONS â€Å"It is the man trained to recognize the dangers of the battlefield, understand his fears without surrendering to them and equipped with skills he must have to carryout his task, who can endure the prolonged stress of modern war† -Shelford Bidwell 1. In conventional operations battle lines are clearly drawn, one can identify the enemy easily and thus aggression can be directed unequivocally in his direction. The situation in Low Intensity Conflict Operations is quite the opposite. These are often characterised by limitations of armament being used, Tactics and levels of force applied. They are often protracted and involve military, diplomatic, economic and psychological pressure through terrorism and insurgency. Troops trained in conventional warfare experience significant stress in such operations. Conventional military training makes the soldier think in clear cut extremes of black and white, friend and foe. This tendency often leads to problems in Low Intensity Conflict Operations where the concept of ‘enemy cannot be applied to ones own population. The contributory factors, which increase the stress level on soldiers participating in Low Intensity Conflict Operations, are the product of complex interplay of the three elements involved the terrorist, the local population and the soldier. 2. Low Intensity Conflict Operations are continuous; there are no pauses and no time outs or half times. Frustrations mount when there is no breakthrough for months together and while the expectation to perform and produce results are high. The soldiers are caught in the cross fire moral Vs the immoral and the dividing lines are blurred. In sum, insurgency imposes severe stress and strain on those engaged in it[11]. 3. The operational environment in Low Intensity Conflict Operations is an ideal cauldron for manifestation of stress related problems. Some other factors which affect the soldier in such a situation are discussed in succeeding paragraphs. 4. Boredom and Isolation. The operational environment is characterised by long drawn intense activity. During the periods of lull and inactivity there are times when the imagination could run wild and seriously affect the individuals capacity to think rationally. 5. Hostile Local Population. One of the key factors for fighting and restricting insurgencies is the local populace. Due to a number of reasons such as fear of retribution by terrorists or negative propaganda against the army, the attitude of the locals towards the army is hostile. This causes considerable strain in the minds of the soldier who cant understand as to why the same people are against him to save whom he is risking his life. 6. Long Drawn Operations. These type of operations are long prolonged affair in which the inability to see the end of the tunnel is in itself quite stressful. Fatigue in such situations may be of two types. Firstly, tiring operational work in the form of sitting in long ambushes etc leads to physical exhaustion. Secondly, mental fatigue is caused by the repetitive nature of such physically exhausting missions over a long period of time, with little hope of relief. This condition can result in breakdown or even burning out. Prolonged spells of stress punctuated by quantitatively and qualitatively inadequate opportunities 7. Guilt. In Low Intensity Conflict Operations, the soldier is at a loss to understand the rationale of killing own countrymen, and hence is faced with a factor of guilt, even though he may not accept it openly for the fear of being ridiculed by peers but he sub-consciously feels a sense of guilt. 8. Human Rights Factor. The fear of being prosecuted for Human Rights violations, is always at the back of the minds of commanders at levels and thus percolates down to the soldiers in the form of unrealistic restraints and restrictions while operating in such environment. This too adds its share as stress. 9. Adverse Media Influence. The media in many cases blames the army for any collateral damage caused during an operation or sometimes blows a wrong accusation of Human rights violation against the security forces out of proportion to sell news, this is especially true for local vernacular media. They never highlight the gains of the army but would jump at a single violation, though army is now addressing this issue with its proactive media policy. 10. Separation From Families. Loneliness, domestic worries and a long wait for leave are not singular but inter-related issues all these have mutually related effects on the psyche of the soldier. Domestic worries have an adverse impact, especially so in low intensity situations wherein the soldier is as it is stressed out and is further frustrated since he cannot attend to his family problems in person. 11. Unrealistic Goals and Demands. The matters are made worse when senior commanders lay down unrealistic targets to be met in terms of terrorists killed or captured and weapons captured. The results in low intensity situations are not corporate targets to be met in a month or a quarter or a financial year they come by fits and starts and are not routine, a good month may see a good haul of Kills and there could be a lean period extending months together sometimes. The pressure to achieve results day after day in the end manifests as stress on the soldier. 12. Low intensity conflict operations are full of ambiguity and uncertainty. It should be realized by the government in general and the army hierarchy in particular that prolonged exposure to such situations is likely to make everyone, be it officers or soldiers, susceptible to stress because they are not only surviving there but are working at a faster pace everyday to deal with the uncertainty and constantly changing dynamic situations. STRESSORS PECULIAR TO LOW INTENSITY CONFLICT OPERATIONS 13. Inhospitable Terrain and Climate. The terrain and climate in which the troops are deployed in low intensity conflicts are mountainous terrain sometimes with secondary jungles and have harsh climatic conditions. The cold climate in J K and the heavy monsoons in North East make normal living in temporary habitats difficult[12]. Under such working conditions whenever there is a lack of motivation due to any reason, there is bound to be general deterioration of morale and discipline amongst the soldiers, thus this factor is an important stressor as far as the soldier is concerned. 14. Fear of Unknown. All soldiers who have been in life threatening soldiers are familiar with this phenomenon. It is the possibility of getting killed which puts a soldier under immense pressure it is omnipresent whether on duty within the company post or on operations outside the company post. It is primarily the fear of death or injury, which makes the low intensity scenario so stressful for the soldier in fact a harassing experience. The soldiers are thus living under tremendous psychological pressure constant fear of losing life does take its toll[13]. 15. Lack of Mental Respite. This is not a nine to five job it is continues twenty four by seven days. The terrorists in some way have initiative and can strike at the time of their choosing but the soldier has to be alert at all times, thus requiring a high state of alertness always. This leads to mental and physical fatigue and exhaustion and has a telling effect on his psyche. It is a campaign in which the regular army is pitted against the irregulars or guerrillas[14]. 16. Use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), By Terrorists. Use of IEDs gives the terrorists the ability to strike at the soldier without being seen and makes the army deploy a large number of troops for road santisation duties. This is frustrating for the soldier when he is unable to strike back at his attacker and leads to a constant fear of IEDs in the soldiers mind. 17. Constant Re-deployment. Counter insurgency operations demand a dynamic deployment depending upon militant activity and intelligence. Any person after spending some time in a place gets comfortable and starts to feel comfortable there his mind accepts the place as his home, but constant changing of bases as done in dynamic counter insurgency deployment adversely affects the soldiers mind. 18. Inadequacy of Equipment. Lack of special equipment to combat militancy has a demoralising effect on the troops. At times it gives a feeling of being pushed into ‘Counter Insurgency (CI) operations without being adequately equipped. 19. Prolonged Deployment/Change in Duration of Tenure. Many a times, move is delayed due to local operations causing uncertainties and resulting in building up of stress. 20. Break up of Joint Family System. There has been erosion in this time-tested system and more and more soldiers have now to fend for themselves. 21. Declining Discipline and Values. There has been a recent tendency among officers to over look major breaches of discipline in counter insurgency areas. Such an attitude breeds indiscipline leading to an overall discontentment among the disciplined soldiers. 22. Individual Psyche. The mental makeup of soldiers is different and their adaptability varies. A few individuals are weak and have a very low breaking point. Such persons soon become liability to the unit and are easy victims of stress related incidents. 23. Pressures of Human Rights Violations. The fear of perpetuating a human right violation and judicial harassment puts restrictions on the actions of the men and also make them vulnerable to militants during operations. 24. Lack of Recognition. There is a general feeling that due recognition is not being given for the services rendered by the soldiers in CI operations. The soldier feels that he is giving everything for the integrity of the country, but once he steps in to the civil street, no one has a word of praise for him. 25. Frustration Due to No Results (Numbers Game). The effect of operating in CI operations areas for months without any tangible results is frustrating. No amount of hard work is recognised in these operations unless accompanied by a few dead bodies of militants and some weapons. 26. Conviction towards the Cause. Most of the soldiers deployed in these operations are fighting militancy with no clear conviction towards the cause. In sum, insurgency imposes severe stress and strain on those engaged in it[15]. CHAPTER IV MANIFESTATION OF STRESS General 1. Stress can have serious consequences for both health and performance. In terms of health, the current belief is that 50-70 percent of all physical illness is related to stress. Stress is associated with heart disease, diabetes, ulcers, depression, irritation, anxiety, fatigue, lowered self-esteem, and reduced job satisfaction. Sustained over a long period, stress can lead to attempts to escape through the use of drugs or alcohol and may lead to burn out. 2. The most serious consequence of stress relates to performance. In order to take timely steps to ameliorate stress, it is imperative that commanders at all levels know the symptoms in detail. It should be the endeavour of every leader to ensure that the level of stress in the men under his commands remains within the optimum stress level (OSL) zone. Some individuals are more prone to stress than others. The reason lies in demographic differences and type of personality. 3. Demographic Differences. Demographic differences include age, health, education and profession/occupation. Age affects stress because most people go through life stages during which certain things are expected of them. As one grows in age, the expectations increases and so does the pressure. Thus age does create stress[16]. 4 Type of Personality. These are psychological in nature. These include need satisfaction, locus of control and type of personality. People, who have strong urge for need satisfaction, work hard and tend to excel others. This attribute can be basis for overwork and burnout. Locus of control refers to ones feeling of the extent to which one is able to control surrounding world. Greater an individuals perception of control over the environment, lesser is the person prone to stress, and vice versa[17]. Chronic Stress 5. Chronic stress is the outcome of prolonged exposure to stressful situation, as prevalent in the CI operations. It is not so perceptible in the initial stages, but in the longer run it causes lasting and grave damage to the physiology and psyche of the soldiers. It distorts perception and behavioural responses, and slowly but steadily wears down the stress tolerance capacity of individuals, bringing them to a state where they may break down at a critical juncture. The effects of chronic stress generally manifest themselves in the form of psychosomatic disorders, and later in the form of inappropriate behavioural responses[18]. 6. Psychosomatic Manifestations. Prolonged exposure to stress results in many psychological/physiological ailments such as headache, insomnia, fatigue, lack of appetite, duodenal ulcers, depression, diarrhoea, dizziness and fainting are some of the symptoms of a person being under chronic stress. Psychosomatic symptoms occur when thoughts and emotional reactions maintain the body in a state of physiological arousal. If this arousal is prolonged, it can lead to pain, infection, and organ breakdown[19]. 7. Behavioural Manifestations. Behavioural manifestations of chronic stress are generally in the form of defence-oriented responses. Common behavioural manifestations of chronic stress are as follows: (a) Apathy. This is the task oriented compromise reaction of an individual, wherein he shows lack of interest towards his primary role and shows great interest in secondary or mundane duties. (b) Isolation and Withdrawal. The individual under stress may reduce communicating with others or may totally stop it. The greater inclination towards the religious activities, most commonly displayed in CI environment, is also a withdrawal reaction due to internalisation of stress experienced by an individual. (c) Leave Requests. Absence without Leave and Malingering incidents are the outcome of unconscious or at times sub-conscious efforts of the mind to avoid facing the dangers of CI environment. (d) Rationalisation and Interjection. Giving logical and rational sounding excuses for own or sub units failure to perform up to the desired level, is in itself a defence oriented manifestation of stress. One form of this stress manifestation is comparing own performance with that of the others, who are not doing well enough, to justify own failures or except lower norms and standards of performance. (e) Projection. Another form of manifestation of stress is projection of blame for own shortcomings and failures on other colleagues and blaming them, their actions /advice, for own unjustifiable performance or actions. Cribbing and grumbling are also manifestation of stress. (f) Failures. Frequent failures to perform up to the desired level by same person or a sub unit reflect that the individual or the sub unit as such may be suffering from chronic stress. (g) Violence and Aggression. Violence against suspects and insurgents and aggressive attitude towards own colleagues are another form of stress expression. Under stress, individual and specially leaders, tend to displace there feeling of chronic stress by arbitrary rudeness towards their colleagues and juniors, suspects and civilian population. Excessive use of violence against captured or trapped insurgents is a common manifestation of stress. It is also believed that the passive and timid person who cannot mobilise and externalise his anger is more vulnerable to external fear because of his impaired ability to react aggressively towards the enemy and thus discharge tension. 8. Post -Traumatic Stress Reactions Post-traumatic stress disorder is a state of anxiety, depression and physiological ‘numbing that follows exposure to a severe trauma, such as warfare, militant killings, a catastrophe or violent death of a loved one. This appears as a recurrent dream or nightmare in slow motion. Victims complain of tension, insomnia and trouble in concentrating, a feeling of remoteness from others an