Ex-soldiers allege betrayal of trust, threaten to commit suicide

Accusing Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar of misbehaviour, as many as 10 ex-soldiers—up to the rank of Subedar Major—have threatened to commit suicide en masse at India Gate in Delhi on March 27, according to a new video and letter making the rounds on social media.

Signed by a former jawan, Harbhal Singh from Tarn Taran in Punjab, the letter claims that he got injured in a blast in Jammu and Kashmir before he retired after 15 years of service, and that a delegation of ex-soldiers was humiliated over making genuine long-standing demands by the Minister.

Describing their decision to join armed forces as “biggest mistake” of life, the letter alleged, “Defence Minister—who instead of paying heed to our genuine problems, humiliated us and gave us a low-level treatment—would be responsible for our suicides.” The letter claimed that in the past also, they had given written representations to Prime Minister and Defence Minister, seeking euthanasia.

“Our organisation, Sainik Sangarsh Committee had two meetings with Honourable Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar on January 25 and March 1 respectively. In these meetings, the Defence Minister described jawans (up to the rank of Subedar Major) as cowards, saying that in the wake of terrorist attacks they go into hiding in toilets and bathrooms and it’s only brave officers who retaliate during terrorist attack,” the letter alleged.

A video of Harbhal Singh making the same allegations is also circulating on Facebook pages run by armed forces veterans.

The letter further went on to allege that the Minister talked down to them, questioning their capabilities to earn a living. The letter claimed the Defence Minister said that pension has been enhanced for officers only and there are so many roaming around to get recruited, nobody invited them to join armed forces. “When we brought up the issue of soldiers disabled in war and militant attacks, demanding enhancement in their pension, the Minister retorted that a jawan—if he doesn’t join a force—hardly has a calibre to earn ₹9,000 outside, it’s only we, who give him ₹9,000 when he becomes physically challenged.” The letter further claimed that Parrikar said you people can’t claim enhanced disability pension taking a view of officer’s monthly disability pension of ₹2,03000.

Furthermore, accusing the Minister of relegating them to the bottom of privilege ladder and condemning them to low status, it also claimed he said that even disability pension is granted on the capability of a person.

Claiming that the pension of war widows of officers has been enhanced threefold, the letter further stated that when they asked the Minister to enhance the pension of widows of jawans, he purportedly said that for the widow of a jawan, ₹9,000 is just enough.

It also accuses the Defence Minister of brushing the issue of corruption under the carpet. “The Minister said that corruption in armed forces is not a new thing. It’s commonplace in every department.”

“Our bodies must not be handed over to our families or some institute. Nor must they be consigned to flames or buried or washed away. Instead, they should be hanged from India Gate upside down,” the letter read the last wish of the threatening soldiers. “All of our countrymen must know, it was such a massive sin to have joined Indian armed forces and protected borders of this country.”