Life in Darkness
Charles Bukowski famously and rightly stated in Ham Ham of Rye that “I guess the only time most people think about injustice is when it happens to them”. Possibly we, the people of a so called democratic country, could not find a quote more suited to our situation.
By “people” do we mean a section of our society that live closer to the the centre and hence is visible and audible and taken into consideration? Are we excluding another mammoth chunk of the polulation that is residing at the margin and is not being heard? But of course the society thrives on such disparities.
We belong to one of the largest democracies in the entire planet.
The word democracy was summed up famously by Lincoln as, “of the people, by the people and for the people”. Now we need to ask who these “people” are.
A country’s foundation is itself built on the fact that there are people who are poor and hungry enough to carry the stones to construct the castle where they themselves will be prisoners. The wheel of progress runs them over who paved the road of progress.
How does a king protect his throne?
By convincing the fellow human beings that he is better than them. How does a rich man stay rich? – By making others to stay poor. The equation of power is simple. Keep it a one-way traffic. Sponge off things of others and get bloated.
Personnel ready for combat.
Right from the beginning they are made to believe that they belong to Indian force and that they would be given the highest honor of fighting for the nation. These raw, promising young young bloods are molded into shapes suited to obey their commanders. Their identities itself is one of illusion and make believe. They never belong to the Army. They can never belong to the Civilians either, that leaves them in between space. We could call it a “no man’s land”.
Putting aside the question of identity, now let us look closely into their journey that begin after their induction. For most people living inside the privileged cocoon of comfort and amenities, the life of these men fall nothing short of nightmare. Far away from the gleaming city lights, from the bustle of life in towns and suburbs, from the warmth of home and hearth, they spend their endless days and countless nights in solitude unimaginable to most of us.They are deployed to the remotely parts of the country- varying from dense forest and high altitudes to dry deserts and forested wilderness.
Personnel in their duty.
They guard our borders under extreme weather conditions. Somewhere it’s freezing cold; somewhere else it blazes and burns. Now we need to ask ourselves that what a man need for survival. The answer would be that the basics are required for any to survive. These basics include food, accommodation, clothing and companionship. These men are provided with none of the above. Meals at these places are rudimentary and absolutely basic. Transporting and supplying proper provisions to these areas are extremely difficult. As a result, they are often deprived of proper food- the most elementary of man’s basic needs. Communication and transportations both are usually terribly sketchy in these areas. Needless to say, their accommodations are severely devoid of every modern amenity. They cannot even hope to lead a normal life like others. They live in these wilderness and from far away observe the stream of life going forward, while they guard and secure our borders. They can never get married, start a family and enjoy a homely life. Their days are spent either at duty or getting themselves ready for the same. A peaceful undisturbed sleep is a luxury for many of them. Extreme loneliness engulfs their existence. Constant vigilance and alertness keep them at their loss. Life, as they know it, is something we cannot envision from our sheltered existence.
Our Demands:
The internal corruption inside the CAPF needs to be addressed and acknowledged. Power should be de-concentrated from the top. Lastly, we would take a look at the charter of demand prepared by them for the much needed Reformation in the force. They are as follows:
- One rank one pension.
- Restoration of old pension scheme.
- Ex-Serviceman status.
- Paramilitary service play.
- CSD Canteen instead of police canteen.
- CGHS dispensary in every city.
- CAPF Welfare board & grievance redressal cell in every state.
- Separate coach in every train for CAPF Personnel.
- Director General of Paramilitary forces must be from cadre only and not on deputation form IPS Cadre.
BSF personnel on their training
These young men join their ranks with hopes for a better future. Their naive hearts aspire and strive for excellence. They are trained for war, they are trained to handle weapons.
BSF personnel on polling duty.
During the formation of these paramilitary forces, the scenario of the country was different. There were not so many fragmented bodies disrupting the internal peace and quiet. However, since then, India as a nation has gone through sea of changes. Gradually, with passing times, the political, social and external relations of India has changed. The rules and regulations of paramilitary, however remained the same. Post Independence, a huge number of militant outfits were created and raised inside our country. Jammu & Kashmir as well as the Eastern states have underground outfits. A large portion of UP, MP, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal have Maoist infested areas and these factors are continually fighting guerrilla war. Who bears the burnt and attacks of all these terror and militant attacks? The first line of defense, i.e., the CAPF. Every year they are slaughtered like animals at the hand of the militants while the Government snoozes.
40 CRPF jawans got martyred in Pulwama attack.
Since 1986, more than 30,000 jawans got martyred and a lot more became disable during combat. The battle of the militant & fringe groups is against the Government, but this raging war has become a part of life for the BSF jawans. They lead a life that is debasing and bestial against the backdrop of a continual and persisting struggle.
To add to their woes, they are victimized by their own authorities. Corruption in the upper management prevents them from having any semblance of stability. Many senior management uses them as pawns. Most of the times, they are abjectly used as personal servants. They are shifted at the whims of their senior officers. They do not even posses the right to question these unfair practices. All they can do is put up with every evil bestowed upon them and go on with their duties.
During calamity or crisis in country.
These CAPF- “jawans” are not only deployed at the borders, rather they are called upon every time there is a calamity or a crisis in the country. Be it a earthquake, a flood, a draught or a tsunami. Every time a bridge collapses or a landslide disrupts communication, these men are summoned to handle the situation. They work relentless for the nation, for its people. Nowadays they are even deployed at the election booths. They are the ones who provide securities to the Ministers and VIPs. They are used and abused in any way their authorities please. They are reeling under extreme work pressure. While the rest of the country celebrates festivals with their families, these men stand tall at their posts, away from the lights of deepavali or the sweets of Id-ud-jaha.
Our appeal
We are going to conclude with an appeal. A desperate appeal to the thinking society of the country to kindly mull over the situation presented before you in the article. The government would only lend ear to an appeal when it becomes a roar. A roar too difficult to ignore. We need your voice and your support to save young promising youths of the country from a destiny of despair. As we began, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Do stand up in solidarity with us and join us in our journey. It is a difficult path to walk on but the dawn awaits us on the other side. We believe, we shall overcome.