British Army to send 4,000 Buddhist troops to India for meditation to combat post- traumatic stress

Nearly 4,000 British troops will arrive in Bodh Gaya from January 2013 onwards
The toll of war, over a period of time, can get the better of even the most seasoned army men.
It’s a fact well-established by the series of random shootings by veterans, especially in the United States and United Kingdom, who find themselves unable to forget the horrors of the battlefield, long after they return to civilian life.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is no longer a fancy psychological term only found in bulky books and journals on the subject. It’s a reality countries involved in wars are grappling with on a day-to-day basis, and which has forced them to look for solutions to help troops dodge and beat the condition.
Keeping this in mind, the British army approached the Bihar tourism board with a proposition to allow 4,000 of its battle-fatigued troops, all practicing Buddhists, to visit Bodh Gaya so they can de- stress via meditation under the holy ‘Mahabodhi’ tree at the ancient haven of Buddhism.
Come January, the troops will start arriving in batches of 100-150 to spend a week at Bodh Gaya and Sarnath in a bid to seek mental peace after their prolonged involvement in the war against terror in different countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
They will all meditate under the same tree where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment in the Sixth Century BC
“They will arrive in separate groups of about 100-150 people and meditate under the holy tree. They will continue to arrive here throughout the next year,” minister for tourism Sunil Kumar Pintu said on Monday.
Pintu said that the troops will spend six days in Bodh Gaya and one day at Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh.
Asked how the novel initiative came about, Pintu said the tourism department of Bihar had forged an agreement with the British army through an international travel agent during the World Tourism Mart held in London from November 5-8.
“It was the first time Bihar participated in the World Tourism Mart,” he said. “It was at the fair that the officials of the British army got in touch with us.”
Pintu said that the state government would take care of the security of the British soldiers and facilitate their smooth stay in the holy south Bihar town.