Proud to be an Indian - Shweta's Blog

 Dear Readers, 

This blog has been written by my niece, and since I liked it so much, I am proud to publish it on my blog. 

Shweta, has a blog of her own where she writes about her unique and interesting experiences of life, much like the title of her blog "Musings of a quixotic soul". So, head on to her blog for more such stories....Read on!!

“So dad you were telling me about a certain demon” I chuckled. My father turned to me with a piercing gaze and growled “A little respect would be appreciated”. Dad (a paratrooper) had fought in five wars/insurgencies and it seemed like he was about to add to the list . “Sorry dad, you know I meant no harm, its just …… who is named Shaitan, what were his parents thinking!!” “Young lady I seemed to have faltered in teaching you manners” Reprimanded my father. “I’m sorry dad, didn’t mean any of that, please go on” “It was a cold day on November 18th 1962, Major Shaitan Singh was in charge of about 123 men at the Rezang La, a ridge overlooking the strategic Chushul plains in Ladakh……….” While dad divulged the details of the ‘battalion that committed suicide‘ my mind started wandering towards events earlier in the day.It just seemed like a few minutes minutes ago.

At the breakfast table in Leh, we had been pondering over a possible journey to Lake Pagong Tso and Kargil. Of course the idea was to do it sometime this week. But the day was just too beautiful. And once the idea had germinated, there was nothing much to do but pack up and bundle ourselves in 2 Jonagas. One for us and another for our clothes and snacks! We went to Pagong Tso, had a ride in the army patrolling boat and also tried searching for garnets on Garnet hill!! Then as we crammed ourselves into the vehicles again ,we were told to ‘positively stop by the Shaitan Memorial’. I was wondering if this was another one of those local myths. ‘One must stop to feed the stone in a temple else something real bad will happen’. Humanity as we know might perish!

“Major Shaitan Singh fought one of the bravest battles in recorded history”! That got my immediate attention. I am a sucker for such stories, can’t seem to get enough of them! “The Chinese Army attacked in 1962 at about 05:00 hrs in the morning. They were a few thousand strong. The ridge from where they planned to attack was quite strategically located above the Indian posts. The Chinese had better guns and ammunition.” “Wow, so dad the Indians were outnumbered by both men and machine?” I couldn’t help thinking that with these statistics the Chinese would have had a clean and quick victory. The name of the memorial could well be a pun, indicating the evil Chinese! I did not share this thought with my dad, lest he make me run alongside the Jonga! “Did the Chinese have any casualties at all?” I asked. Dad smirked and then continued with the story like I hadn’t interrupted at all, “Maj Shaitan Singh was aware that the chances of survival were bleak. Yet he refused to let the morale of his men go down” “But dad, if you know that you are going to die a very painful death in a matter of minutes, how can you be calm? It just doesn’t make sense!” Dad paused for a moment “Let me give you a personal example. When I was facing the enemy, thoughts of death and pain did not cross my mind. I just wanted to tell those SOB’s to go back where they came from. This was just as far as they would march….. not an inch more!” My father was clearly very emotional at the moment to have used the ‘foul‘ abbreviation! We weren’t even allowed to call each other ‘stupid‘ in sibling fights, although my sister did deserve a whole lot more!! I started to recollect the various fights that we’d have over the years. She was just so annoying!

I sensed that there were no words being spoken at the moment and hoped that it wasn’t because I had been asked a question! Dad didn’t particularly look angry, he had a faraway look in his eyes! So it wasn’t me (phew). I gave dad another few minutes as it seemed appropriate and then requested for the story again. “They had divided themselves into 3 different posts to ward off attack from three directions. Moving between posts was almost suicidal. The area was quite barren and it was impossible to take shelter from enemy fire. A full fledged gun battle broke out. It wasn’t long before the enemy realized that they had underestimated the Indians.

With every attempt they were decimated and it seemed that the dry bed was in the wake of becoming a bloody river! Meanwhile Major Shaitan Singh bravely ran from post to post urging his men to fight without fear. He soon got a message from the higher authorities that the Chinese had surrounded almost the entire camp. It was being done to block any reinforcement or supply to the Indian posts. He was told to fall back with his men immediately. Major Shaitan Singh spoke to his men and unanimously agreed to stay and fight. They had vowed never to desert their county and this was the acid test. Everyone in the Indian camp fought like someone possessed. Major Shaitan Singh got seriously injured going from post to post. He refused help to safety and instead ordered the men to go fight! When the ammunition got depleted some soldiers jumped out of the trenches for a hand to hand combat. A falling comrade always evokes a stronger feeling of hate for the enemy. More Indian soldiers jumped out of trenches when they saw friends and colleagues being shot.

Many who lay injured on the ground hurled stones. The stone hurling continued till a shower of bullets made them take their very last breadth. 109 brave men died that day and they managed to cause about a thousand Chinese casualties. That’s one Indian soldier for about 10 Chinese men. A cease fire was called on November 21st 1962. Quite a few lifeless hands still clutched stones in tight grips when their bodies were being taken away for cremation.”

Other than the sound of small stones being crunched under the tyres of the Jonga, there was silence. No one spoke a word, we all needed some time to digest this story. It was quite disturbing. I wondered if I would ever really understand what drives such men. We were safe in our beds because of people like these. I was feeling very patriotic at the moment! The Jonga’s stopped as it was time for another break. We got out still quite lost in the voices of our heads. There were gentle sloping mountains in the near horizon and we were in a valley, it was very peaceful and unimaginably beautiful. We seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. There wasn’t another soul in sight for as far as eye could see. This gorgeous land is mine I thought! Nowhere in the world would I see beauty like this.

Everything seemed perfect other than a lone boulder in the middle of the valley floor. On following my dad to the boulder I saw some stones with burn marks on them. I leaned forward to examine them and discovered that there were bullet marks and they seemed to be all around . My heart started beating faster. Could this be the place! “Dad is this where Major Shaitan and his men…” My voice trailed off as I looked up. Dad and the drivers were standing in front of a dilapidated monument (the boulder!) with their hands raised in a salute. We stood there for a while in admiration and pride. I couldn’t help the feeling of warmth rush through my body and a tear rolled down my cheek!

By - Shweta Sengupta.

Dental Health and Oral Hygiene – Plaque Vs Calculus –What’s the Difference?

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We have heard this repeated often enough that maintaining a good oral hygiene is very important for healthy teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only make you look beautiful but also help you to eat well and speak properly. Healthy teeth and gums will help prolong your life and general well being.

In order to maintain a good oral hygiene we need to take care that we do not allow the formation of plaque and or calculus on the surfaces of the teeth. Again, we have heard these two terms “plaque” and “calculus” being mentioned with respect to dental hygiene many times. Therefore the all-important question arises, “what is plaque and calculus? And what’s the difference between the two?”

Plaque 

Plaque is a thin sticky film that gets accumulated on the outer surfaces of the teeth. This thin film consists of food debris and microscopic organisms or bacteria that is mostly Streptococcus Mutans species. The bacteria are normally found in the oral cavity and will become pathogenic (that is attack the enamel and cause dental caries) only if they are allowed to remain on the tooth surface for a long time.

Plaque is generally not visible to the naked eye, but if allowed to accumulate for longer period then it will be seen as a thin soft yellow deposit on the surfaces of the teeth, usually near the lining of the gums. It is generally not present on the occlusal and incisal surfaces of the teeth. This deposit can easily be scraped off the tooth surface with the help of a toothbrush. Therefore, daily regular brushing and flossing of teeth is enough to remove plaque from getting accumulated on the teeth. It needs to be stressed here, that “proper” brushing and flossing techniques should be followed to maintain a good plaque free environment.

Since plaque is generally transparent and not visible to the naked eye, it is not detected easily. However, there are different techniques by which a Dentist can detect the presence of plaque in the oral cavity. They use dental plaque disclosing tablets or staining dyes to detect the presence or absence of plaque on all surfaces of the teeth. It is a good idea to visit your Dentist regularly at least once in six months to get a proper dental check up done and get your plaque index calculated. A single appointment for scaling and root planing procedure should be sufficient to clean your teeth and to remove dental plaque.

Long Term Effects of Plaque:

• Causes demineralisation of the tooth surfaces like enamel (outermost layer of teeth).
• Leads to the formation of dental caries or tooth decay.
• Plaque can get mineralised to form tartar or calculus.
• It can irritate the gums to cause inflammation thereby leading to “gingivitis” and “periodontitis”.

Calculus 

When plaque gets accumulated on the surfaces of the teeth and is not removed properly while brushing, it may eventually harden or mineralise (calcify) to form what is called Tartar or Calculus. The longer plaque is allowed to set on the surfaces of the teeth the harder it becomes to remove it. In the early stages of its formation, it can still be removed by thorough brushing and flossing, while it is still soft enough. But, with time it becomes a thick tenacious hard film that must be scraped off the teeth with the help of a scaler by a Dentist or a Dental Hygienist at the dental office. This may require two or more appointments depending on its severity.

Calculus is a thick hard yellow to brownish color substance that is visible on the surfaces of the teeth. It can get accumulated on all surfaces of the teeth, including the occlusal or incisal surfaces, if not brushed regularly. It consists mostly of bacteria that are held close to the tooth surface, which quickly turns certain foods, such as carbohydrates, into decay-producing acid. This causes Dental Decay or Dental Caries. The bacteria also produce some irritating substances that leads to gum and bone disease known as gingivitis and periodontitis. The progression of periodontal destruction is the major cause for tooth loss in adults.

                      

                       Mandibular calculus formation on lingual surfaces of the anterior teeth.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Your Dentist can calculate the Oral Hygiene Index for Calculus very easily. It has been observed that some people are more prone to the formation of plaque and calculus, thereby suffering from diseases related to the Periodontium, like Gingivitis and Periodontitis. It is also interesting to note that these people do not have dental caries or dental decay. Therefore, they should make it a point to visit the dentist regularly every six months for an appointment for scaling and root planing procedures.

One can easily prevent the formation of plaque and calculus on the surfaces of the teeth by proper brushing, flossing and oral hygiene measures. Inter dental aids like the toothpick and floss help to clean the area between two teeth effectively. There are also specially designed inter dental toothbrushes that can be used when there are gaps between the teeth, or in case of missing teeth. Antibacterial mouthwashes can be used occasionally to keep the mouth fresh and free from halitosis and bacteria, especially if one has a bad throat. The use of Flouride containing toothpastes, floss, rinses or mouthwash is very effective in containing and even arresting decay producing bacteria. Flouride also helps in the re-mineralisation of the tooth structure (enamel). The combination of all the above will help you to maintain a good oral and dental hygiene.