Women’s group wants job quota for war widows
‘There are cases where due to archaic laws and procedures and extreme red tapeism, even meagre pension is denied by the babus’
cruel injustice to helpless young qualified widows and their small children,” the petition has stated.
“We have nearly 220 cases of highly educated and qualified women who left flourishing careers due to their husband’s job. And now, they are left in the lurch. We have also talked to the Sainik Welfare Board to push these cases, and to take up their cause on a priority basis. Why should these women be allowed to suffer in misery after their husbands lay down their lives for the country?” asked Meenal Wagh-Bhosale, wife of a serving Army officer and office-bearer of Vidya Vahini.
She gave the example of one Harshala Garje, who lost her husband over five years ago in a Chetak chopper crash near Nashik. She had a new-born baby in tow when her husband died. Even today, she is being made to run from pillar to post to get an LPG gas agency or government job.
‘ There are cases where due to archaic laws and procedures and extreme red tapeism, even meagre pension is denied by the babus and then there are cases where in-laws turn for and drag the case to court to get custody of all the finances. The only way for a young widow who had left a job and career due to husband’s frequent transfers and wants to live a respectable life and take care of young dependent kids, is a reservation; is the state listening? The nation will celebrate its 71st Independence day and 68th Republic day this year, but till date, no reservation exists for war widows even if qualified in any state for any government job. The defence services have opened doors for women’s entry, but that’s only for those who want to join the armed forces and pass SSB (Service Selection Board) interview. Will anything change in 2017? Will the Narendra Modi government act? Only time will decide,” a petition filed on change.org stated. It has till now gathered over a dozen supporters.
Meenal said that she and her friends are willing to take up the issue. They have already met the officebearers of the Sainik welfare board and some other bodies. “The question is not that of Harshala’s alone. There are so many war widows who are still scared of speaking out in public. They don’t want to talk to the media and the authorities. But we need to take up their cause. The country needs to stand by them,” Meenal said. A senior Taliban leader has termed Pakistan’s assessment that Islamic State (IS) is gaining strength in Afghanistan as “motivated” and brought into existence to shift the focus of the international community to Afghanistan.
In the last week of December, at a high level meeting held in Moscow, that was attended by the representatives of Russia, China and Pakistan, the Pakistan government had underlined the “growing influence of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan and the impact it can have on the neighbouring region”.
The Taliban leader, who spoke to The Sunday Guardian requesting anonymity, did not deny the presence of the IS in the country, but stated that they were confined to a few pockets and their influence had come down substantially in the last few months.
“They are confided in the two provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. Their number is less than 5000 and that has been decreasing. Their top leadership was eliminated in July last year and they are in a bad shape than what and 23 other senior commanders in Kot district of Nangarhar province.
While not ruling out that some of the IS terrorists, who were fighting in Mosul and Raqqa, have come to Afghanistan, the leader stated that their number was very low as Iran had increased its security substantially along the traditional routes that was taken by the IS terrorists to cross over into Afghanistan from Iraq via Iran to prevent ISIS terrorists from entering Iran.
In the last few months, Pakistan has been desper-