Decorated army men to return medals in protest
Posted by barunroy on June 15, 2008
New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) War Gallantry award winners of the armed forces nationwide will return their medals to President Pratibha Patil soon to protest the measly raise in the monthly monetary allowance the government announced last month. “The executive committee of the War Decorated India (WDI), a nationwide organisation representing the winners of gallantry medals such as Param Vir Chakra (PVC), Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and Vir Chakra (VrC), has resolved to return the medals in protest against the piddly raise,” WDI general secretary Capt (retired) Reet M P Singh said today. [Inset: Teesta Stage V Dam at Dikchu]
Coming soon after armed forces veterans’ protest march to seek a better deal for both serving and retired officers and ranks from the Sixth Pay Commission, their protest has all the potential to rattle the UPA government. Soon after a stormy WDI executive committee meeting which ended in Chandigarh, Singh, who is a VrC winner from the 1965 Indo-Pak war, said the committee members were loud in their protest against the paltry hike announced by the government. On May 14, the government had announced a 100 per cent hike to the monthly allowance that it paid to the gallantry award winners.
“Doubling of the paltry sum already being paid is like doubling the number zero. It amounts to nothing,” Singh said, voicing the views of 13 of the 18 WDI executive committee members. Brig (retired) Sant Singh, an octogenarian former officer currently based in Chandigarh and a winner of MVC two times, is the president of the WDI. Only five others from the 210 MVC winners have won the second highest war-time gallantry medal twice. Another prominent member of WDI executive, Brig (retd) Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri of ‘Border’ movie fame could not attend the meet, as he was abroad.
Brig Chandpuri won the MVC for the Battle of Longewala near Barmer in Rajasthan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. According to the government announcement, the PVC winners will get Rs 3,000 per month, instead of Rs 1,500 at present. Till now, only 21 army personnel have won the coveted award in the wars that India fought since Independence. For MVC winners, the allowance has been raised to Rs 2,400 from Rs 1,200, and VrC winners will be paid Rs 1,700 from Rs 850. PTI NCB KC 06141907 DEL
Winners of the Ashok Chakra — the nation’s highest peace time gallantry award — will now receive an allowance of Rs 2,800 per month as against Rs 1,400. Kirti Chakra awardees would get Rs 2,100 instead of existing Rs 1,050. For Shaurya Chakra winners, the government announced an increase from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500.
As many of the winners have received gallantry awards twice, the government notification had said that each bar to the decoration will carry double the amount. “What is agitating us is that armed forces personnel who performed beyond their call of duty to save the nation from the enemy are given paltry sums. How are these gallantry awardees lesser mortals than a sportsperson, who is showered with monetary benefits running into crores of rupees, after winning laurels for the country,” queried Singh.
The WDI unanimously decided to return the medals to Patil, who is also the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, as last resort to make the government listen to their plight. “Money is an important factor for survival. Money also has a honour value to it. Otherwise what is a medal, apart from being just a metal,” Singh said. The WDI, which hold regular conventions of the war decorated, felt that it had exhausted all avenues to highlight their plight, before deciding on the extreme step of returning the medals. PTI NCB KC 06141913 DEL
