IPKF veterans demand official annual commemorative event

Veterans of Operation ‘Pawan’ in Sri Lanka — known as the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), have again called upon the government to recognise the importance of their mission and the supreme sacrifice made by soldiers. They want a commemorative event to be held officially every year.

So far, there has been no official commemoration for ‘Op Pawan’, like the ones for 1971 war or the Kargil Vijay Diwas. As many as 1,172 soldiers were killed in action and more than 3,500 were gravely wounded in the operation. A 32-month campaign from July 1987 to March 1990 saw Indian soldiers deployed in Sri Lanka to uphold its unity and territorial integrity. Operation ‘Pawan’ was launched at the request of the Sri Lankan Government.

Financial scheme sought for war participants

The Indian Ex-Services League (IESL) has asked to widen the ambit of pensions and have a financial-aid scheme for all those who participated in wars, but were not eligible for pensions under existing rules. The IESL, wants that officers and men who were discharged due to paucity of available slots and could not complete the tenure needed to be eligible for pensions be given a one-time grant.