NEW DELHI:The Narendra Modi government may be celebrating the golden jubilee of India’s victory over arch rival Pakistan in the 1965 war, Brigadier Shashi Kanwal (retd), 74, is living the life of an unsung hero of the ‘forgotten battle’ in a quiet cantonment town of Madhya Pradesh.
Kanwal, who lost half of his hearing ability after a mortar shell exploded a yard away from him in September that year, has been trying to prove it for the past 20 years as a ‘battle casualty’ so that he can get disability pension.
“For the last two decades, I am running from pillar to post to get my disability pension. Though it’s recorded in the military books that I lost 50 per cent of my hearing in an operation to regain control of our post, I am yet to receive acknowledgement from the babus of the Ministry of Defence (MoD),” Brigadier Kanwal told The Sunday Standard over phone from Mhow, 23 kilometers from Indore.
Kanwal, after completing 34 years of service in the Army, superannuated on 1995. In March 1996, MoD sent an official communication to the Chief of Army Staff, mentioning the Brigadier’s disability—“bilateral mixed deafness”.
“But the babus of pension and payment department denied what was authorised to me. Despite several reminders to them, they did not bother to give any attention to my grievances,” he added.
Frustrated over the indifferent attitude of the defence account department, the war veteran approached the office of the Army chief General Dalbir Singh in March. “After I wrote to the Chief of Army Staff, things appear to be moving. But till date, I have not got my dues. I’m shocked to see the attitude of the officials towards war veterans,” Kanwal rued.
In December 2014, the Supreme Court—while dismissing MoD’s appeal against 880 ex-servicemen for their disability pension—had said, “They are in the line of fire. They sacrifice their life for you and for us. This is the least you could do for them.” This was the message from the apex court to the Centre, which was fighting against the Army ex-servicemen over a modest increase in their disability pension.
Commissioned in the Army’s 8 Kumaon regiment in 1961, Kanwal was involved in both the 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan. However, in 1971, he was not in active combat role, as he was posted in Assam. But the 1965 war is still fresh in his memory and Kanwal recalled his battalion’s involvement in the almost month-long battle.
On the night of August 8, 1965, 4 Kumaon guards at Karalpur Bridge in the border area of Jammu and Kashmir were raided by the Pakistani infiltrators, killing 10 men and partially damaging the bridge. Trehgam Camp area was also subjected to heavy firing.
The enemy’s plan was to blow up the ammunition point and inflict heavy casualties. But their plan was thwarted by the timely action by 8 Kumaon, of which 24-year-old Lieutenant Kanwal was a part.
“On August 9, 8 Kumaon was asked to move its Battalion Headquarters to Naugam, which was on the axis of maintenance of the pickets on the Ceasefire Line (now known as Line of Control).” Naugam was a transfer point, where stores as well as rations from vehicle loads were made into porter or pony loads and moved to the forward pickets under an escort. And Kanwal was a 24-year-old Lieutenant, when he was sent with 60 troops to capture a post, which was supporting infiltration on the ceasefire line.
“Due to shortage of officers, I was given additional charge of a Major-ranked officer. It was first week of September, when I with the help of 50-odd jawans was sent to capture a post, which was being used by the Pakistani forces to infiltrate into Indian Territory. The moment they saw us, Pakistan troops with supporting fire launched an attack on my company. Heavy exchange of fire continued from both sides. During this firing, a two-inch mortar shell fell about a yard away from me,” Kanwal said.
He had, however, taken position behind a fallen tree but the sound affected his left ear. Despite that, Kanwal went ahead with assaulting the Pakistan-occupied Laxmi post, which eventually forced their troops to withdraw following heavy casualties.