Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 1: Taking undue advantage of the special Constitutional position, the State of J&K has deprived six Army men of Jammu region, who attained martyrdom in Mizoram during a militant attack on May 4 last year of justice by out- rightly denying the Government job to their next of kin as well as the ex-gratia relief which was given to their colleagues who also attained martyrdom in the same attack by their respective States in the country.
Leaving ex-gratia and job to the next kin of martyrs families, aside, the State Government even failed to meet the commitment of constructing memorials on their name in their respective villages.
The families of these six brave Dogra soldiers from Jammu region who displayed highest valour and courage in fighting the terrorism in North Eastern State are today a neglected lot and except the dues and other perks from Army, they have not been given any sort of compensation by the J&K Government.
What can be more apathy of the State Government towards these brave soldiers is that while performing their last rites the representatives of the Govern-ment who participated in their funeral processions in principle had agreed to construct the memorials and gates in their respective villages on their name but this promise was also not kept till date.
This has generated a lot of public resentment putting a question mark on sincerity of the Government towards the men in mufti who guard the borders and make the lives of countrymen secure.
The families of these six army jawans have totally been neglected by the State Government and except the army no one came to their rescue as the State Government has no rule to provide the ex-gratia to the jawans of Army or security forces from the State who lay down their lives outside the State whether in war or terrorist attack, official sources said.
As per the Government policy, the people or the jawans of army as well as security forces killed in terrorist attack in the State are given Rs five lakh as ex-gratia, but the people of the State serving in army and security forces who lay down their lives in other States while fighting terrorism or enemy aggression have not been brought under its ambit.
The woes of all the victim families are same. They only have one complaint that they have been betrayed by the State Government which has also failed to keep its promise of constructing memorials on the name of martyrs in their respective villages.
They have only one question which no body is in a position to answer that why such a discrimination is being done when the soldiers from other States attaining martyrdom are paid a handsome amount as compensation etc by their respective States and why not the J&K?
“We have not received any help from State Government”, said bemoaned Rita wife of late Sat Pal Havaldar of Six Dogras who attained martyrdom along 18 other colleagues on June 4 last year in Manipur. Out of these 18 jawans, six were from Jammu region. She said her application for a job under SRO 43 was turned down on the plea that there is no such policy in State Government. This young woman, Rita has to support two children including her 11 year old son and five year old daughter.
Rita said that Government on the demand of the local people had promised to construct a memorial at Muthi on the name of Havaldar Satpal but nothing was done in this regard till date which is a cause of concern.
Though the views of wives of other martyrs were not different from Rita who were highly critical of the State Government’s indifferent attitude towards them, Rani Devi, wife of Havaldar Randeep Singh of Bomal Jourian in Akhnoor tehsil of Jammu district said that State authorities did not pay even a single penny to them. While recalling the supreme sacrifices of her husband, she said with a brave heart that what to talk of compensation, no one from the State Government did not bother to see us. “If there was no provision for providing compensation to the Army men from State serving in other States why the Government is posting them outside the State then”, she added.
Terming it as grave injustice, she said if the other States pay compensation to the martyrs why the different yardsticks are applied in J&K. The mother of two children Rani Devi said this is total callousness of the State government towards the valiant soldiers of the country.
Gaytri Devi, wife of another Manipur martyr Lance Naik Kuldeep Raj of Barn in Bhalwal tehsil of Jammu district is presently putting up at Army quarters Satwari. A mother of two children, said that in every office where she went pleading for compensation and a job under SRO 43, she was given only one reply form every one whom she met in the corridors of power that there is no provision of paying compensation or providing a job under SRO to the next of kin of Army or security personnel from the State who attain martyrdom while fighting terrorists in other States of the country.
Manju Bala, wife of Subedar Ram Singh of Swankha Morh, Vijaypur in Samba district also narrated the same story. She is also putting up in Army quarters at Satwari. She said leaving aside the compensation or job, even the authorities failed to fulfill the promise of constructing a memorial on the name of her husband in the area despite repeated pleas by the family and villagers.
The woes of Ritu Sharma, wife of martyr Sunil Kumar are also the same. She said the Government has every thing for the surrendered militants but not for the martyrs fighting for national unity and integrity. Maintaining that SRO 43 was their right, she said the State Government deprived them of that too. She said in reply to their letter for the Government job and compensation the authorities said that these soldiers have attained the martyrdom outside the State hence can’t fall in the ambit of compensation or SRO 43.
Sunil was a Havaldar in Indian Army and being from the border area of Sunderbani in Rajouri district, he had the earnest desire to follow the footsteps of his father Ramesh Chander Sharma to serve the nation as his father had retired as Subedar Major in Indian Army. But after supreme sacrifice of Sunil the State Government totally ignored this martyr and his family, said a bemoaned Ramesh Chander Sharma.
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