BHUBANESWAR: The hope for return of a prisoner of war (PoW) from the state languishing in a Pakistan jail has revived with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directing the Union government to take up the matter with the neighbouring country.
Anand Patri who served as a sepoy in the Bengal Defence Regiment had gone missing during the India-Pakistan war of 1965. He hailed from Bhadrak district. Anand’s son Bidyadhar believes he is lodged in a Pakistan jail as a PoW for the last over four decades. He came to know about his father through a newspaper publication in 2003. Since then he has been knocking every door for help but in vain.
Supreme Court lawyer and human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy moved the apex human rights panel seeking immediate intervention in the matter. Tripathy contended Anand’s family members have made several requests to government authorities but to no avail.
“Family members of the PoW, who fought in the 1962 war with China and 1965 war with Pakistan and went missing thereafter, have not been paid any legal dues since then. The government is not taking keen interest to trace him and take care of his life and liberty,” Tripathy said seeking adequate compensation for Anand’s surviving legal heirs.
Acting on the petition, the NHRC has directed the ministry of home affairs (MHA) to take immediate steps to trace the missing Indian army jawan. The commission asked the Union home secretary to associate the complainant/family members of the PoW and inform them of the action taken in the matter. Bidyadhar had earlier moved both Home and External Affairs ministries after he did not find his father among some Indian civil prisoners and PoWs released by Pakistan in 2006. The Centre then informed no person with this name is lodged in any Pakistani jail. He also appealed President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the death certificate if his father had died in the Pakistani jail.