Chandigarh, February 24
It is a well-accepted fact that one nation’s hero can be someone else’s terrorist. But it is almost unheard that a nation decides who will be its hero based on a date. This is exactly what has happened in Punjab. Babus who are barely aware about the ground realties on a battlefield have made rules that put a cut-off date for the purpose of declaring a valiant soldier a ‘war hero’ and, thus, determining the benefits that will flow to the unfortunate family of the slain soldier based on this date.
As per the definition of a ‘war hero’ or a ‘martyr’ formulated by the Punjab government in 2002 and still in practice despite stiff opposition, only those slain or disabled after January 1, 1999, are recognised as those who fought for the nation. Those who sacrificed their lives prior to this date are not our heroes and their families can claim no benefit from the government. This includes minor children of jawans and officers who lost their fathers while they were still toddlers.
It is estimated that there are over 1,500 families in Punjab, whose bread-earners died fighting insurgency in various parts of the country or even fighting Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), who remain deprived till date of any help from the government. “It is not a question
of benefits alone. How can you say that my father (Col H.S Dhillon a casualty of Operation Rakshak in J & K in 1995) is not a war hero or he did not attain martyrdom fighting for the nation just because he became a casualty prior to the cut off date?” says Gurkirat Dhillon, a well-placed executive, who feels both hurt and humiliated at this discrimination.
These families have taken up the issue with successive government through the Ex-Servicemen Grievance Cell, but they have so far received nothing more than assurances. A delegation led by the cell president Lt-Col S.S. Sohi had met Capt Amarinder Singh (himself an ex-serviceman) while he was still Chief Minister, later they also met Capt Kanwaljit Singh, the current minister for defence welfare, both echoed “a martyr is a martyr irrespective of any date,” but nothing concrete has emerged out of these meetings so far.
Officer like Lt-Gen Depinder Singh (retd), who has been the commander of the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka, has made his displeasure known by saying that the IPKF was involved in a full-fledged combat on a foreign turf, treating its casualties as ‘step sons’ is nothing short of injustice. The IPKF that was inducted in Sri Lanka to control the LTTE resulted in a loss of about 1,200 Indian officers, JCOs and jawans. Many of these men were from Punjab.
The entire issue came to light in April 2002, when the Punjab government came out with a policy decision assuring government jobs to the kin of those who had attained martyrdom while serving in defence forces. But the government without applying any though prescribed a cut-off date of January 1, 1999, for allowing this benefit, thereby depriving hundreds of families of slain or disabled officers, JCOs and jawans of what was their legitimate claim. The only exception the government made was posthumous awardees of the Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and the Vir Chakra, where the benefits could extent to the first generation dependent members of their families or the next of kin.
Incidentally, the Punjab government has a high-powered committee headed by the chief secretary that meets from time to time to consider all cases of ‘battle casualties,’ including disabled soldiers for appointment into government service. But the grave injustice meted out to the families of those killed or disabled prior to the cut off date continues to haunt many, not so much for denial of their legitimate rights, but almost making them feel that the sacrifice of their loved one was in vain.
