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| J&K government gives pathetic treatment to martyr's family | | | NAGENDER JAMWAL
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 13: He gave his life while fighting with infiltrating terrorists on Line of Control in Kashmir to save the integrity of the country. Now his family is running from pillar to post to get job and ex-gratia.
Rifleman Sanjeevan Singh Slathia was killed on LoC five years back. Slathia was performing duty on a most sensitive observation post in the Tangdhar sector on the LoC in the Kupwara district of Kashmir . His body was not recovered and was declared dead by the army. The army has already declared him a "battle casualty" while performing his duty under Operation Rakshak-3.
Despite a lapse of five years, the state government has adopted an insensitive approach towards the miseries of martyrs family which includes his widow Sushma Slathia and two children and also elderly parents.
Fighting with tears, his wife Sushma Slathia is struggling for a job with the state government and Defence Ministry .
“I see the future of my children very bleak because of financial constraints," said Sushma who is finding it difficult to manage her both ends meet . Though a local army formation offered her temporary job for a period of three months in March 2008 on a pittance of Rs 4500 per month. However, the contract was not renewed after lapse of three months and she was left to fend for herself.
Now she has lost all hope. After several months of running from pillar to post, what she has in hands is only assurances.
“A year ago, I could not think of the state or centre forgetting its martyrs . But today there is no second thought of it,'' says Sushma .
The General Administration Department (GAD) in the state secretariat that is supposed to take care of such issues is sleeping over the matter despite repeated reminders by the deputy commissioner, Jammu and the Zila Sainik Board for providing regular employment to Sushma under the SRO 43 of J&K under which jobs are provided to kin of victims of terrorism and soldiers laying their life while fighting militancy.
The DC, Jammu, on April 24, 2006 forwarded Sushma's application for job on compassionate grounds to the GAD. The Zila Sainik Board also pleaded for job to her on May 29, 2006.
Lt. Colonel Ashutosh Bhagat of the 12th battalion of J&K Rifles on April 21, 2006 wrote to the DC, Jammu, that Sanjeevan had lost his life while performing active military duty on the LoC. He declared him as a "battle casualty" whose kin were entitled to government job under SRO 43.
Bhagat pointed out in the letter that Sanjeevan was the only earning member in the family that was facing dire financial crisis following his death.
Five years after the tragic incident, Sushma rues that the army has also not done anything to provide her a job. "I was provided a temporary job in 2008 in the Brave Heart Empowerment Cell in the 26 Infantry Division, but my contract was terminated after three months" says Sushma.
Her grief has further deepened as she explains that "it is not about a government job, but how our government treats its soldiers. On one hand the Kashmir government is providing perks and cash incentives to the surrendered terrorists who mercilessly killed innocent civilians and on the other hand it does not bother to take care of families of the soldiers who have laid their lives for the motherland" says Sushma.
She said that although army has provided the ex-gratia to the family but, "the state government under SRO 43 should have given employment to the widow of the soldier who died while performing his duty. However, the government has failed in performing its duty," she added.
Her sons, Aditya 10 years old and Abhishek, 9 are studying in class 5th and 4th respectively. "I have to take care of the future of my children. The money given by the army will exhaust after some time and this is the reason why I need a permanent government job," said Sushma.
It is pertinent to mention here that family of another soldier named Devinder Kumar, belonging to Punjab, who was also posted at the same defence post and died during the earthquake, has been paid ex-gratia relief by the Punjab government whereas in this case the J&K government has not paid a penny to Sushma. |
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