Concrete steps, not politicking needed for martyrs' kin

LUCKNOW: The death of an Army jawan as he takes on the enemy at our gates and goes down to a volley of bullets has been eulogised in films, poetry and tales of superhuman bravery to serve the nation.
However, the stark reality is that after the courageous jawan''s mortal remains have been consigned to the holy pyre with full military honours there are other human lives like heartbroken young widows and innocent children who have to face life with a loss that can never be replaced.With this loss comes the hardhitting question of financial support to sustain daily expenses.
Unfortunately, the death of a martyr has today been has taken on a political hue wherein the martyrdom of soldiers killed during the Kargil war is differentiated in the kind of compensation that is doled out to the grieving families.
Compulsions of war and propaganda that inevitably comes as a package deal with any combat exercise ensures that enough nationalism is whipped up to play with ordinary citizens'' sentiments.
Kargil war was a time for politicians to cash in on popular sentiment. After chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav declared that Rs 10 lakh will be paid to all the Kargil martyrs, the Kalyan Singh government in UP also followed with a similar announcement throwing in gas agencies and petrol pump licence for good measure.
People immediately came forward to contribute to the Chief Minister''s Kargil Fund and IT exemption was also declared. However, once the body count in UP grew, even this promise was hard to sustain while drying out completely in a post-Kargil scenario.
Even as the sacrifice of one soldier cannot be compared with another, military personnel agree that there is a difference between the kind of hype generated during war and deaths that occur during so-called peace time. "In the high drama of warfare, politicians announce special packages for widow and family of the martyr. Similar political enthusiasm cannot be seen for non-wartime martyrs who have to contend with the available schemes for their welfare," an Army source added.
Another said that even the gas agencies that are handed out are of no use as it requires building, storage space and profitability especially in rural areas is very low as the cooking medium in villages continues to be kerosene.
Unlike civil servants, Army cannot offer jobs in the military forces to the widows and despite the widow pension and other benefits from the UP Armed Forces Sahayta Sansthan, without a running income it is very difficult to sustain the family. Many of the young widows are between 18 to 26 years old and are uneducated or come from rural areas.
According to Army officials, the need of the hour is to set up an aid system like the Kargil fund that is supported by the public the proceeds of which can go to the widows for vocational training and supporting the families.