With the three north-Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh seeped in martial tradition, the region accounts for almost a quarter of the ex-servicemen population across 34 states and union territories in the country, even though they form less than five per cent of the national land and human resource.
The total number of registered ex-servicemen in the country from all three services is 27,78,951, out of which the combined strength of ex-servicemen in these three states is 6,63,736, data shared by the Ministry of Defence with Parliament on Friday reveals.
This accounts for 24 per cent of the nation’s veterans, whereas these form just 4.5 per cent of the country’s land area and 4.97 per cent of the national population. Defence experts believe that north India has among the largest peacetime concentration of serving and retired soldiers in the world.
At 3,59,523, Punjab, often referred to as the sword arm of the nation, has the second highest number of ex-servicemen. This year’s strength is a slight increase over last year’s number of 3,27,212. While Punjab is ranked 16th among all states according to their share of the national population, it is the second highest contributor of troops to the Army.
Uttar Pradesh, also the country’s most populous state, has 4,21,145 ex-servicemen. With 2,09,523, Rajasthan occupies the third slot in the list, followed by Maharashtra with 1,96,487.
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have an ex-servicemen strength of 1,75,637 and 1,28,576, respectively, placing them at the fifth and eighth place amongst other states. Bihar, Kerala and Uttarakhand are ahead of Himachal Pradesh.
As far as the Army is concerned, Punjab tops the list with 3,55,328 ex-servicemen followed by Uttar Pradesh with 3,49,880. Uttar Pradesh also has the highest number of ex-servicemen from the Navy and the Air Force.
The states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh form a strong component of the Infantry. The Sikh Regiment and the Sikh Light Infantry draw troops exclusively from Punjab, while troops from Haryana form up the Jat Regiment. The Dogra Regiment draws the bulk of its troops from Himachal Pradesh with some recruitment also done from adjoining areas of Jammu region. Most of the troops in the Punjab Regiment are from Punjab with a small component coming from neighbouring areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu.
Troops belonging to these states also form a large number of class-specific squadrons and batteries in other combat arms like the Armoured Corps, the Regiment of Artillery and the Corps of Engineers.
The governments in these states also have initiated a large number of welfare schemes for ex-servicemen and their dependents besides introducing financial benefits for the families of those killed in action or on duty.
