Indian prisoners in Pak jails-III
PoWs’ families fight for just dues
From Rahul Das & R. Suryamurthy
Tribune News Service

The 1971 India-Pakistan war came to an end 27 years ago. But the families of the Indian prisoners of war (PoWs) are still waging a battle for their just dues.

Relatives of these officers are demanding that these officers should be treated as serving and given regular salaries or pension.

"These officers are not dead, they have not deserted and they were not cashiered out of the forces so they should be treated like any of their serving brother officers", said Col R. K. Pattu (retd), working president of the Missing Defence Personnel Relatives Association (MDPRA).

The government has over the years admitted several times that these officials may well be prisoners of war (PoWs). The Pakistan Government, which had been denying the existence of Indian PoWs there, during the March 6, Indo-Pak talks this year expressed its intention to "look into the matter afresh" and "reconsider the Indian demand".

While answering a question in Parliament in September 1996, the then External Affairs Minister, Mr Inder Kumar Gujral, had said, "According to available information, 54 missing Indian defence personnel are believed to be in custody in Pakistan".

"It is regrettable that Pakistan has not responded positively to the numerous constructive proposals made by the Indian side over the years for resolving this humanitarian issue. The Pakistan Government, however, maintains there are no Indian defence personnel in its custody. We would continue with our efforts to seek Pakistan’s cooperation on this issue", he informed the Rajya Sabha.

However, because of their long absence these 54 officers have been declared "probably dead".

"For all practical purposes, these officers are still serving", said Colonel Pattu, adding that they should be treated as such. "The country has failed to get them back home. The least we can do is give them their due", he said.

This, he feels, can be done by paying them the salary and pension that their colleagues who survived the war are being paid.

Members of the MDPRA are unhappy about the state of affairs not to mention the mental anguish they undergo everyday of their lives.

The relatives of these 54 officers have over the years been trying to get the central government to negotiate for the return of the imprisoned officers.

Though many of the cases are disputed, relatives of the missing officers have on several occasions produced irrefutable evidence that these armed forces personnel are in fact alive.

The most crucial evidence was made available by former Indian spy Mohanlal Bhaskar, who after having been imprisoned in several Pakistani prisons, returned home to write about his experiences in his book "I Spied for India".

In his book, Bhaskar narrates how he met Major Ayyaz Ahmed Sipra of the 2nd Punjab Regiment of Pakistan imprisoned in Atak Ka Qila, who had become friendly with several Indian armed personnel during his stay in Pakistani prisons.

"The evidence is there, what is lacking is the political will to get our officers back", said Colonel Pattu.

"When Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee was the External Affairs Minister he had negotiated for the release of these officers. We have high hopes from the BJP-led government at the Centre", Colonel Pattu said.

"The negotiations had then reached a stalemate over a technical matter", he added. However, it does not appear as if the relatives of the 54 missing officers are going to take no for an answer anymore.