96-yr-old WW-II sepoy seeks financial benefits

Vijay Mohan/TNS

Chandigarh, September 17
About 74 years after he was mustered into the then British Indian Army to fight for the Empire, a 96-year-old resident of Mohali has moved the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) seeking grant of benefits for services rendered during the Second World War.

In his petition, Narindar Singh, who remained incarcerated for four years as a prisoner of war, has sought monthly financial assistance as is being paid to similarly placed World War-II (WW-II) veterans belonging to Kerala. Reviewing the lack of any monthly assistance to WW-II veterans, many fora, including the Kochi Bench of the AFT, directed the government to attempt to resolve the situation but to no avail.

Ultimately, the Kerala High Court directed the Central government to provide monthly assistance of Rs 3,000 each to such veterans. The Ministry of Defence, however, implemented the order only for persons who were party to the petition before the high court and that too only for those who are residents of that state.

Taking up his petition, the AFT’s Chandigarh Bench, comprising Justice VK Ahuja and Lt Gen NS Brar, today issued notices to the Central government.

Narindar had been recruited into the Royal Indian Army Service Corps in May 1939. The petitioner has contended that when the soldiers were recruited, there was no condition of being discharged without letting them complete their various pensionable service periods.
Source :  http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130918/nation.htm#17