Silver jubilee of victory tomorrow
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 24: While Government is gearing up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 with great pomp and show to give a befitting tribute to warriors and martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation in this limited war during 1999, at the same time it has completely neglected over 300 porters drawn from different parts of J&K who also made a tremendous contribution in the Kargil victory.
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These youth while being inducted as civilian porters in No 5 Porter Coy redesignated as No 3 Porter Coy were assured of jobs either in Army or any other Government Department or private sector. They worked shoulder to shoulder with jawans of Army in shifting ammunition to higher reaches in Batalik Sector, Drass and Mushko Valley during Kargil war. Seven of these porters, all from Jammu region displaying exemplary valour and courage laid down their lives after being hit by enemy’s shells and bullets while shifting the ammunition, food material and tents to upper reaches. Besides, about 50 porters suffered bullet injuries and became incapable to do any physical work, said these porters while narrating their tale of woes to the Excelsior.
Reposing faith in PM, Narendra Modi who is visiting Drass on Kargil Vijay Diwas falling on July 26 these porters said they hope that he may redress their long pending demand.
Kewal Sharma, porter from Kathua who led the struggle to seek justice for himself and his other colleagues said since 1999 they are running from pillar to post for justice but to no avail. “Our contribution in this war is no less than the regular Army personnel as we left our studies and joined to serve Army as porters to defeat the designs of enemy which raised its ugly head towards our country,” Kewal added.
“I single handedly marched to Union Capital from Jammu on foot with Tricolor in my had to meet the higher ups in Government for justice throwing my life to risk also but I was not allowed to meet Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh by his staff over five years back”. My other colleagues came from Jammu and other parts of region by train and joined me at Delhi but the staff of Rajnath Singh’s office asked us to submit memorandum and they will inform us through message but since then no reply came from the Ministry” he added.
Kewal asked what their sin was. “We volunteered ourselves to assist Army putting our lives in grave risk. As the war was on peak and we had no guarantee whether to return or will attain martyrdom though we were assured of a job while inducting us as porters in the Army but later the Government backtracked and left us to fend for ourselves. This is total injustice and tomorrow no one can trust such assurances”, he added.
We were given the certificate of Service by Army in which it has been certified that they have been doing the job as civilian porter along with regular Army troops in most difficult terrain in Kargil area of J&K. The certificate duly signed by then Col I S Ajjan further read that they have worked very hard during their course of duty and recommended strongly that they be given preference for Army, Government or private job keeping in view their service to nation in the hour of need, said Yashpal a porter from Udhampur.
He said that in last 25 years, thousands of posts were filled up in various Government departments in J&K , besides Army but we were neither considered by any successive Government or the Army for a job since then. The hapless porters who were in their teen age at the time of jumping to serve the Army in Kargil war have now turned overage and are living a life in abject poverty. A big number of them are working as daily laborers to make their both ends to meet but unfortunately there is no one in Government to listen their woes.
It is a pity that one of these porters has no house to live and he is residing in a Jugi at Akhnoor. The Government making tall claims of giving houses to houseless has not considered him till date. Vijay Kumar Bhagat of Akhnoor said that he joined the 5 Coy as porter in the year 1999 at Tanda Akhnoor along with 2500 other youth and were taken to Kargil in June 1999. But majority of people fled during war for the sake of their lives but about 500 continued to serve as porters in terrains and hostile weather conditions. “We served the Army for six months and later were given certificates promising job. But this all proved hollow as for last 25 years we are waiting for the day which has never come to bring cheers in our and our family members lives”.
Bhagat said while fighting at Tiger Hills and other war sectors in Kargil, seven porters laid down their lives.
“I have three children two sons and a daughter reading in 12th, 9th and 10th class respectively. I was in twenties at that time and have now turned overage. I have no source of income to feed my family and I am working as a labour. “I have no house to live and we are taking shelter in a Jugi. Though Government is claiming to provide houses to homeless my name was not considered for the same. Many times I applied for the house under PM Awas Yojna but my name was removed from the list of beneficiaries. Despite the fact I am most deserving in view of my contributions in Kargil war but the authorities at the helm of affairs have some other priorities so they deleted my name from the list”, he added.
He said “Now the Government has promised me to be provided a house under PM Awas Yojna and I hope they may keep the promise this time,” he said.
Swaran Kumar of Samba has same story to tell. He said “We had joined the Army as porters with the objective to serve the nation in the war and later we will be absorbed in Defence services or any other Government Department as was promised while engaging us as porters. But all or hopes dashed to ground when no such initiative was taken by the Government later. We are running from pillar to post since then but no one bothers to listen to us,” he added.
Kumar said the hapless porters had high expectations from the BJP Government but during last 10 years it too did not bother to look into their issue. Still we are hoping that they may not betray us and either absorb us in Government service or provide compensation for our rehabilitation.
They said during Congress rule they also tried to meet some Ministers and then PM Manmohan Singh but we were told that the war took place during BJP Government and it was their duty to fulfill the promise. This way, every political party as well as those at the helm of affairs during last 25 years dogged us, they added.
Pinning high hopes in PM Modi who is visiting Drass on Kargil Vijay Diwas to pay tribute to Kargil warriors these porters have made an appeal to him to provide justice to them and their families. They said only Narendra Modi is last hope left before them.
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