Widows and family members of martyrs of the Indian Army sit on a dharna in support of their demands in Patiala on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 20

Members of the State Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association (SEWA), Punjab, have extended their support to families of War Widows of 1962 and 1965, who have been continuously sitting on dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office from the past 10 days to press upon their pending demands with the state government. Bant Kaur, who lost her husband Pyara Singh in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, and Surjit Kaur, widow of Jangir Singh who died in the 1962 Indo-China war, are running from pillar to post to get financial justice. Twenty other such war widows have also joined the protest that would continue outside the DC’s office.War widows have expressed that the ongoing protest should not be politicized, but their pending demands of pension and other promised assurances should be given to them. As per estimates, there are 60 such pending cases in Punjab, of which three were in Patiala, while one died penniless the other two are still fighting for their rights. A letter from Director, Defence Services Welfare Department written in 2015, tells these widows that “their cases are pending along with 60 other similar cases as no decision has been taken by the government”. “Two war widows over 70 years of age are fighting for their rights day and night. The government should be ashamed of its attitude towards the families of war martyrs. If the government does not come forward with an amicable solution for the families of 1962 and 1965 martyrs, .“Families have decided to return the ‘siropas’ and shields given to them recently by the state government to the CM,”The Punjab Government decided to implement all promises made for the veterans in the election manifesto.“Allowances for operating in hard areas should be the same, if not more for the Army as given to the civilian employees. During China war, recruitment was made under emergency and soldiers had participated in two wars. Thereafter, they were released under retrenchment as reservists. The affected soldiers are being denied the OROP benefits. We condemn this use and throw policy of the government,”