War veterans battling for survival : War veterans urge President for provision of medical facility

Hyderabad: They were all young then. On the call of the Indian Government they joined the Army to fight wars against China and Pakistan. But their war is still not over yet. 

They are now fighting to get medical facilities from the government. They are none other than war veterans of India.

Speaking to the media at a press conference held at Somajiguda Press club, the elderly war veterans urged the President of India Ram Nath Kovind to intervene into the matter do justice to them. 

Going into details, in 1962, when our neighbour country China intruded into our territory then Government gave a call to the youth to join the Army and fight for the motherland. 

Without thinking anything thousands of young patriots joined the forces and fought for the motherland.

In 1971 also, they delivered their services for the protection of our land and fought a war against Pakistan.  

After 5 years since the war was over, the government relieved the War Veterans from their services without doing anything for them. They are all 70 plus now. They are not considered as ex-servicemen. 

They have applied through RTI Act and came to know that many of them died and now 611 War Veterans are there in India, while 11 of them are from Telangana. 

Since the past three decades they are not getting any minimum medical facilities from the Government. After a long fighting from them in 2016, the Indian Army recommended to the Defence Ministry that by considering them as War Veterans they would have to be provided medical facilities.

“Till now there is no response from the Central Government”, said Captain Lingala Pandu Ranga Reddy, a War Veteran from Hyderabad.

For two years they have been petitions to the Defence Ministry and Central Ministers to get justice but of no use. 

“As a last hope, they are requesting President of India Ram Nath Kovind to intervene into their matter as he is the Supreme Commander of the Forces”, Pandu Ranga Reddy said.

Captain D Vijay Kumar, Major T Swamy, Dr Kolluri Chiranjeevi and K Narasimha Reddy attended the Press conference.