Ex-army men march for state

Darjeeling, Feb. 13: Hundreds of former army personnel today marched through the streets of Darjeeling with their service medals to form the Bharatiya Gorkha Bhutpurba Sainik Morcha, which will be affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

The retired soldiers have threatened to surrender their medals to the President if the demand for a separate state is not met.

During a meeting held at Gymkhana Hall, Morcha president Bimal Gurung was made the chief patron of the organisation while Brig. (retd) N. Gurung, a recipient of the Vishistha Seva Medal, the chief adviser.

“During the agitation for Gorkhaland in 1986, we had fully supported Subash Ghisingh, but today our people are showing him black flags,” said Col (retd) R. Allay from Kalimpong.

Most of the speakers at the first-of-its kind convention spoke on the need for a separate state and accused both Ghisingh and the Bengal government of neglecting issues related to the welfare of the retired soldiers.

“No effort has been made to introduce re-settlement schemes for retired personnel. We even had to fight to rename the War Memorial at Batasia into Gorkha War Memorial. A request to Ghisingh for a plot of land to set up an office in Darjeeling also went unheard. He did not even meet us once,” said Col (retd) K. Tshering. Among other allegations was that no cash or land has ever been given as reward to retired personnel in Bengal.

The organisation promised to make the demand for Gorkhaland a national issue and said they might go to Delhi soon with it.

A sad tale of Ex-Army personnels

Darjeeling : Usha Thapa, the widow of Vir Chakra recipient Lance Naik Hira Bahadur Thapa, has been receiving Rs 150 as yearly grant from the Bengal government.

Thapa had been killed in action at Siachen during Operation Meghdoot in 1988.

Usha is being given the pittance in accordance with a resolution of the state home department (defence branch), dated August 22, 1964. The government has paid her Rs 1,650 as annuity from 1989 to 2000.

“We are concerned about the lack of interest shown by the government towards ex-servicemen. We are merely demanding that family members of people who have laid down their lives should be looked after well,” said S.P. Pradhan, the general secretary of the All India Gorkha Ex-Serviceman Welfare Association (Darjeeling Branch). “However, it seems we will have to go on a strike to make ourselves heard. Can the government shake off the shame if ex-armymen are forced to take to the streets.”

A.K. Saxena, the secretary of the Darjeeling Zilla Sainik Board, under the state home department, admitted that the compensation needs to be revised. “I will take up the case of Usha Thapa soon.”

However, the Centre provides Rs 7 to 10 lakh as compensation, apart from family pension, to the next of kin of soldiers killed in service.

Source: The Telegraph