A year later, veteran’s family feels his death has gone in vain
ROHTAK : A year after Subedar (retd) Ram Kishan Grewal committed suicide allegedly over anomalies in the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, his family feels their breadwinner’s death has gone in vain due to politics.
Grewal, who served in the Defence Security Corpse for 30 years, had consumed poison at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on November 1 last year. He was cremated at his native village Bamla in Bhiwani district in the presence of national political leaders such as Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal and Trinmool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien.
A year after his death, Grewal’s family says all the political leaders who came to attend his funeral have forgotten the cause for which he died.
“Ab samajh aa raha hai sab rajneeti thi,” said Balwinder, Grewal’s youngest son of five. “Just two days ago we saw Delhi police forcibly evicting ex-servicemen who were protesting for proper implementation of OROP. My father died for it, but government’s apathy towards veterans continues,” he said.
The family members, who held the ritual marking one year death anniversary of Grewal here on Wednesday, said most of what was promised to them after their father’s death was still pending after one year. “The Haryana government has given Rs 10 lakh, but there is no word on the job it had promised to give. Delhi government’s promise of Rs 1 crore and a job has been stuck amid CM-LG face off. Congress leaders have not bothered to follow up on us,” he said.