Et Report
Jammu, Dec 6 : 70-year old Nirmal Kour might be losing her eye-sight due to old age, but from last 42 years her eyes are still waiting to see the face of her husband, Capt. Assa Singh, who was arrested by the Pak Rangers during 1971 war at Chambh sector at Jammu and Kashmir. She fails to controls her tears, whenever she recalls the time when Army had informed her that her husband is missing and presumed dead. "It was the most tragic moment of my life, when the Army informed me that my husband is missing in the war and presumed dead. No one can understand that what a lady would feel who has two sons and five daughters and when she comes to know that her husband is no more," said Nirmal Kour, with tears rolling in her eyes."I cannot forget that time, how we managed with an amount of Rs.300 per month, which I get as pension from Indian Army. I wish I could see him back at our home before my last breath," she added.Earlier, Army informed the family that Capt. Assa Singh then Subedar is missing and presumed dead, but when the family was busy in the rituals of Assa Singh, a neighbor informed the family about an announcement in the radio, according to which Assa Singh was in the Pakistan Prison.
The family then started their struggle by writing to Government of India. Harcharan Singh, 49, son of Assa Singh informed, "In 1988, a spy from R. S. Pura, who was working in Multan Hospital as carpenter came here to inform us about my father. He met my father in the hospital and informed us that he is alive." "Later in 2002, another spy, Bhogal Ram, from Purmandal, informed us that he also met my father in a prison where they both were being tortured by the Pak Rangers. These two spies made us believe that my father is alive," he added.
Singh informed that they also met then President, A P J Abdul Kalam along with Bhogal Ram after which Nirmal Kour was allowed to visit Pakistan in 14-member delegation, where they visited 10 prisons, but no relative of any delegation member was found in any prison. "They must have hid them when we visited those prisons, but we know that they are there only," said Nirmal kour. Now the family is registered with 'Missing Defence Personnel Relative Association (MDPRA)', an association in Delhi, which presents all the cases of missing defence personnel among GOI.The family is getting all the benefits from the army, what a family of a martyr gets. "Only army has helped us but nothing has been done by the state government to know about the whereabouts of the war missing," said Baldev Singh. |
