Disabled war veterans cry for help

[BATMAN]

Disabled war veterans cry for help
Sunday, June 17, 2007 05:46:46 pm
http://www.timesnow.tv/Disabled_war_veterans_cry_for_help/articleshow/2129269.cms

At a time when army is aggressively increasing it’s spend on equipments and modernisation several war veterans are living a life of utter neglect. Questions remain unanswered if a meager hike in pension and disability allowance is actually enough for the war heroes.

Though the Army has suggested a revision in pension for the disabled but these measures are too little and too late.

Less than a year ago, TIMES NOW had aired the story of a war veteran, Captain Sidhu, who was angry with the treatment meted out to him by the government, incensed at encountering only closed doors at the Defence Ministry and at Army Head Quarter, burnt his prosthetic limb at India gate.

From Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian Army has been heavily deployed in what is euphemistically termed a low intensity conflict and conflicts are not without their casualties. 4500 soldiers of the Indian Army have been killed over the last decade and over 13000 wounded in the line of duty.

Those wounded, many of them disabled for life, have not found the going easy. Binay Kumar, a veteran of the 17th Mahar regiment on October 2005 while battling militants in an encounter in Banihal, a burst of 20 bullets shredded his leg, an amputation saw his life change for ever. Discharged from the Army, he is yet to get any assistance from either the government, the Defence Ministry, or indeed, even the Army to help him regain his life.

"I had applied for employment to Defence Ministry, but no action has been taken. Despite the sacrifices, I am treated so shabbily", said Binay Kumar.

And there are several others like him, who have lost a limb in the line of duty. Men who are struggling to get on with life, even as the government turns a blind eye to their plight.

"No one has spoken to me, life is full of difficulties", said another war veteran, Sepoy Ajit Kumar Shukla. Havaldar Nirmal Singh says," I have not got any compensation, I am doing odd jobs to survive".

And even the army- in the midst of a modernisation drive, spending money on big ticket items like tanks and guns, hasn't found the funds needed to give it's own veterans a new life.

 

[Keysersoze]

Yeah this is a universal constant. No matter what army in the world it is. Vets get screwed by the government.

 

[BATMAN]

I doubt it will be that bad in west.
In west labor Unions are very strong and retirement plans even for civilians are not bad either.
When ever I think of Army, qualities like organization and leadership skills come to my mind.
Look at the example of Pak army they have tackeled this issue in a very organised manner.
I hope you know, in Pakistan (voluntarily) every soldier can have some part of his salary going to (famous) army welfare trust. Which in turn invest the same money in various funds and development projects. When the soldier retire the value of his return may exceeds 10 times more than what he had invested.
I'm not joking.
As an example recently I travelled mid-east on a short job order, since the nature of trip was of construction work. I came across an electrician from Pakistan and during my saty, he told me that he is a retired airman or technician from PAF and he had been alloted a plot (lot of land measuring 500meter square) by army welfare in Lahore defence society (v.v. expensive housing) As per my estimates in those times the price of his plot would be more than 150'000-USD.
Now important here is not the price of the plot. Important is the organisation and investment. I'm sure when the fellow had started investing lets say in 1970 at that time the price of that land would have been in thousands per meter sq. and it was only the better development, maintenence and facilities by army welfare, which boost the rating of the that housing sciety.
Why don't Indian army do some thing similar for their soldiers.
Look at the example of the that soldier who burned himself infront of Indian parliment, if he had even half (75'000-USD) he may not have done sucide.
Very sad indeed.