Bengal Government’s Half-Hearted Tribute to the Uri Martyrs


Sangram (battle/war) appears to be the same as Sangrampur  for our Hon’ble CM and the West Bengal (WB) government. In December 2011, Rs 2 lakh was granted to each of the families who had lost a family member in the hooch tragedy in Sangrampur of the 24 Parganas south district of West Bengal. If I am not wrong, the number of those who died was well over a hundred, so the total outgo was not insignificant.

Totally egalitarian and even-handed in her approach, she has granted a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the two, repeat two sepoys from WB who died in the recent Uri tragedy.

Family members of Sepoy Gangadhar Dolui, who was martyred in Uri attack, break down as his body arrives in Howrah, 20 September, 2016.
Family members of Sepoy Gangadhar Dolui, who was martyred in Uri attack, break down as his body arrives in Howrah, 20 September, 2016. (Photo: PTI)

Give Soldiers their Due Respect

Incidentally, around the same time last year, the family of a Haj pilgrim from WB, who died in the stampede in Mecca, was granted Rs 10 lakh.

Not one minister from the state government attended the funeral of Sepoys Gangadhar Dolui and Biswajit Gharai.

I am not going into what Bihar or UP did for the families of their deceased soldiers in Uri. I am viewing the WB govt on a stand-alone basis; parity with those who die drinking hooch — is this the respect we ought to show those who sign up to defend our borders and sacrifice their lives?