SACRIFICE OF A SOLDIER - WASTED

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Today 26 July 2014 is the 15 anniversary of Kargil Vijay Divas. Whole nation is in a jubilant mood and celebrating the victory of Indian Armed Forces over occupational forces of Pakistan in Kargil and Drass sector. Euphoria in the country is unending, print media and media channels are vying with each other in singing bravery stories of Indian soldiers and Indian Armed Forces. Indian Armed Forces won 4 Param veer chakras 9 Mahaveer chakras and 55 Veer charkra for exceptional bravery in the face of enemy. A total of 527 soldiers gave extreme sacrifice of their life and 1363 soldiers were wounded/maimed and lost limbs to save integrity of nation. 

Come 27 July and Indian news papers and media channels will forget the Indian Armed Forces and their sacrifices and switch over to other stories and will again wake up on 24 July 2015 to sing valiant stories of Indian Army. Nobody in India cares to remember the sane advise of learned statesman Chanakya of Mouryan dynasty. Chandragupta Mourya dynasty had won great battles and got very rich. Soon after the King and his court men deeply immersed themselves in great luxuries forgetting their soldiers. Chanakya, the wise adviser of the kingdom, had to reprimand the King Chandra Gupta Mourya and told him

 

 

Oh My King your soldiers guard frontiers of Magadh in hostile conditions while royalty and citizen enjoy and sleep in peace and safety. It will be a very sad day for Magadh “The day the soldier has to demand his dues.”

 

 Unfortunately this advise is very apt in India today. Indian democratic Government has been neglecting the welfare of soldier for the last 67 years after independence. Despite this neglect Indian Armed Forces have delivered and won battles for their Mother Land for the pride of the Nation, Indian Army, their unit and then for their own pride.

 

 The neglect has reached a stage that family of gallantry award winners are living in penury and are not able to feed and educate their children. 

 

A citizen only needs to look around and see guards around your home, shopping centers and get a feeling of a life of a soldier who was back bone of Indian Army till a few years back. In the time of internet and television, condition of these families, living in deplorable conditions can not be hidden from a serving soldier. A serving soldier might ask a question to himself 

 

 “Is ultimate sacrifice worth for the Nation/Government that will not look after my family after my sacrifice”.

 

This split second hesitation can alter the battle situation in favor or against at a very crucial time. Time has come to ponder on this point. Any delay to correct this condition will be at Nations peril

 

 “A country makes a sacred solemn agreement with its soldiers. While soldier is ready to sacrifice his life for protecting the integrity and sovereignty of the nation, the nation will look after his welfare and needs while in service and take care of his family after his ultimate sacrifice."

 

 This solemn agreement is in serious strain in India today.

 

 One needs to think a little rationally as to what is India giving to a soldier who is asked to make ultimate sacrifice of his life for security of nation and safety of countrymen. Few simple questions need to be answered with sincerely by the Government/bureaucracy/citizen of this great country.

 

1    Is it not very difficult to make laws soldier friendly and interpret them with helpful frame of mind? How much dent will it make to Government treasury?

 

 2   Why is it that a decision given by AFT or any court in favor of retired soldier needs to be challenged in higher court by Govt? We have instances where in MOD has challenged decisions of courts for even as little as Rs 700/ to Rs 2000/ per month for wounded soldiers. In a country where lacs of crores of Rupees are lost in scams after scams, where Government Ministers/Officials are caught red handed taking bribes and causing loss to Government treasury. Is it not ironical for the MOD to fight and waste Government time and money for pittance of Rs 2000/ per month against a soldier who has lost his limbs in protecting India?

 Unless of course they get a sadistic pleasure out of it that they have fixed Indian Army. 


            Unfortunately this is their own Army 

                                      and 

                          not Pakistan Army. 


If this is the state of mind of our Government and its bureaucracy then 

 EVEN GOD WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE   INDIA IN FUTURE CONFLICTS

 MOD has filed appeals in 3600 cases in higher courts against the judgment of AFTs in favor of soldiers mostly disabled.


3   Is it too difficult to give whatever is promised to a soldier by the Central Government or State Government? Why is it that a soldier or his family has to run from pillar to post for getting his dues and pay bribes for getting it. Why can not we make bureaucracy responsible for delivering and question them if they fail?   

4  Why is it not possible for Army/Navy and Air Force Hq to crate a Directorate which will be responsible to ensure that all dues to a gallantry award winner or his family are delivered in time at his/her door step without paying any bribe.   

  LET THE NATION WAKEN  ITS  CONSCIENCE AND PONDER.

                               JAIHIND

(Source- BC VASUNDHARA BLOG)