Raipur:
They were the lucky ones that lived to see another day. How lucky, they shall only know when the extent of their injuries is known. Will the man with splinters in the eye see again? Or the jawan with a bullet in his spine walk?
Only five men survived the deadly Naxal ambush at Dantewada on Tuesday and are now admitted at two hospitals in Raipur. Doctors say that their injuries have been caused by landmine splinters and bullets.
From his hospital bed, Ramesh Kumar Singh relives the nightmare as he recounts that they were 82 men walking at around 4.30 in the morning. It was dark. Suddenly, he says, there was gunfire from all directions. Then, there were sounds of blasts. Jawans at the back tried to flee to safety. Others tried to retaliate.
Ramesh refutes allegations that standard procedures were not followed. He says they had officers walking with the party.
The wounded soldier recalls the names of friends who died. And the only thought in his mind right now is: When can he get back quickly to kill as many Naxals as possible?
At the Ramkrishna Care Hospital, Raipur, where four jawans are being treated, Dr Ashok Jargar, Chief Administrative Officer, describes the injuries. One of the jawans has injuries in the eye caused by splinters. The second one has a bullet in the spinal cord and may turn paraplegic. The third has injuries in the chest, the fourth in the abdomen.
Dr Jargar says, "Yes their life is out of danger, but they still require a lot of medical attention."