शिमला। मणिपुर में आतंकियों से लोहा लेते हुए 12 गोलियां जिस्म पर खाने के बाद वतन के नाम अपनी जान न्योछावर करने वाले 29 असम राइफल्ा के सुबेदार बलदेव शर्मा के जवान व बेरोजगार बेटे विवेक शर्मा ने मुख्यमंत्री वीरभद्र सिंह के नाम भावुक लेटर लिखकर शहीदों के परिवारों के साथ किए जाने वाले झूठे वादों का खुलासा किया हैं।
साथ ही उन्होंने मिलिट्री व पैरा मिलिट्री के जवानों की शहादत पर उनके परिजनों से भेदभाव करने का सवाल भी उठाया हैं। विवेक शर्मा ने इस लेटर में मुख्यमंत्री व मंत्रि यों की उन घोषणाओं को लेकर भी सवाल उठाया हैं जो वो शहीदों के घरों में जाकर कर आते हैं।
मई 2016 में पिता सुबेदार बलदेव शर्मा के शहीद हो जाने पर विवेक शर्मा के परिवार को मंत्री धनी राम शांडिल ने पांच लाख रुपए व सरकारी नौकरी देने का वादा कर मीडिया में जमकर सुर्खिया बटोरी थी। इसी तरह जब इस वादे पर भरोसा कर जब वो अपनी नौकरी की बावत सीएम से मिलें थे तो वीरभद्र सिंह ने भी उन्हें नौकरी देने का दिलासा दिया।ये अलग है कि घर पर जो सरकारी चिटठी आई उसमें साफ लिखा गया था कि नौकरी देना प्रदेश सरकार की जिम्मेदारी नहीं हैं।
विवेक ने अपने जैसे कई शहीद परिवारों का हवाला देकर कहा है कि बाकी परिवारों को भी ऐसे ही झूठे वादे व घोषणाएं कर दिलासे दिए गए व सुर्खियां बटोरी गई।
यहां पढ़े शहीद सुबेदार बलदेव शर्मा के बेटे विवेक शर्मा की सीएम वीरभद्र सिंह के नाम लिखी ये खुलासे करती चिटठी-:
To,
Mr. Virbhadra Singh,
Chief Minister,
Himachal Pradesh
Dear sir,
My Name is Vivek Sharma. I am the Proud son of Shaheed Subedar Baldev Kumar Sharma, who sacrificed his life while fighting Maoists on 22nd May 2016.
Sir, in the past 14 months, I have seen everything. I have been running around Government Offices, I have seen Politicians make fake promises, I have had people tell me blatant, white lies just to get rid of me at that moment. I have seen people showing too much support to get me to stand in front of the media with them and say ‘certain things’ that promote their Political Agenda. It’s one thing to see such things on Television, another to experience in real life. I have started doubting everyone who comes forward to help me now.
Uptill 16th of August 2016, me and my family was led to believe that we will be receiving a sum of Rs. 5 Lakh and I will be provided a source of Livelihood by the Himachal Pradesh Administration. “Have patience Vivek, these things can take a while, it’s your right and you will get it in due time”, they told me. When I say ‘They’, I mean the following people:
- Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, HP ( Dhani Ram Shandil): at my home, 2-3 weeks after the incident. He promised my family a Government job and a sum of Rs. 5 Lakh which later I found out doesn’t apply to my family because my father belonged to the ‘Para Military Forces’.
- Chief Mininster, HP (Yourself): after the Legislative Assembly session in August last year, after you looked at my file of documents that I carry around almost everywhere and said, “ho jayega, karenge aapka kaam chinta matt karo.” Pardon my memory sir, I only remember partially, but it was either the same day or the day after that when I received a letter from Sainik Welfare stating that the Himachal Pradesh Government is not responsible for providing ‘employment to the dependent of deceased Para Military Personnel’.
During this whole ordeal I was going through, I was under the impression that mine was a solitary case. I was under the impression that a couple of politicians accidentally made the wrong promises based on wrong assumptions. But then I met other families like mine that have went through the same rigmarole due similar, fake/accidental promises. Tell me sir, how can something be ‘accidental’ if it happens on a regular basis?
This is not about me or my family anymore, there are others that have been through much worse. Today I would like to ask you a few questions on their behalf as well. Tell me sir, When a soldier takes a bullet for the country should it matter whether he belonged to Military or Para Military? Should we, the families of Para Military Martyrs, be less proud of their sacrifice as compared to the families of Military Martyrs? Does my father’s sacrifice not hold the same value as the sacrifice of other soldiers?
Families of Para Military Martyrs usually always go through the same torment. Politicians visiting a Martyr’s family is a bit of a trend in our country. And they usually have a memorised set of similar promises to make during such visits. They don’t generally get into the details of Military/Para Military in front of the cameras at that moment. This puts those families into the same vicious circle of ‘yes job, no job’ for many months to come. Losing a member of family is hard enough on its own, but giving them false hopes only to later shatter them into a million pieces with a sledgehammer is just cruel.
Sir, my family did get some money. We were paid all the dues that were owed to my family in the form of my Father’s Pension, his GPF and Death Claim and I am extremely thankful for that. We also received 1.5 lakh rupees on top of that from the Government for which we are highly obliged. And just to be clear, my family doesn’t want the 5 lakh rupees that was mistakenly promised to us. Five, Ten, Fifteen Lakh Rupees cannot secure a family’s future it can only act as a short-term Financial Cushion. Families like mine just want the Government to provide us an opportunity to earn our livelihood.
The media has been very supportive. They have always motivated me to keep fighting. They always remind me that this is bigger than me and I am also fighting for other families like mine. Every time I am on the verge of giving it all up, a new hope presents itself and pulls me right back into the game.
But now, after 14 months, I am exhausted. I have been pressing the snooze button on my life for far too long now. I don’t want the money, I don’t want the job, I need Closure! A simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. That’s what I really want.
Kindly respond so I could get out of this vicious circle and finally get on with my life.
Regards,
Vivek Sharma
S/o (Late) Subedar Baldev Kumar Sharma
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