THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: K Sukumaran is indignant as he hands you the well-thumbed, palm-sized discharge book. “They demand proof! What more proof can I give?” Notwithstanding the fact that the 72-year-old has fought in two of India’s major wars, he is not entitled to a pension.Reason: He has not completed 15 years in the army.
C Vimalanandan, a former sepoy from Kazhakootam, has seen all the three wars during his time in the Army Medical Corps. He is not entitled to a pension because he left the army after eleven-and-a-half years of service. “Sometimes, people don’t believe us. We are ready to show proof to the President,” he said.
As per Army rules, commissioned officers have to serve 20 years and personnel below officer rank, 15 years, to qualify for pension. One, however, cannot blame these ageing heroes for feeling betrayed. Repeated attempts to draw the government’s attention to their plight have failed, and even organisations representing ex-servicemen take little or no interest.