1971 Indo-Pak War hero from Simdega lives and battles for life in oblivion

RANCHI: He was barely 21 when he joined the Army’s 3rd Bihar Regiment as a Sepoy and two years later, he became a hero of the 1971 Indo-Pak War. Manasidh Kandulna, now 69, had lost his right leg in the war which brought down Pakistan to its knees. But 33 years after he retired in 1986 as TS Naik, Kandulana of Simdega is living in oblivion amid abject poverty besides battling myriad ailments. He is not even been entitled to disability allowance.
It was by sheer chance that Kandulna’s plight was noticed by Subedar Major (retired) Vishnu Mahto of Veterans India in January and admitted him to a city-based hospital three days ago. Talking to TOI, Kandulna’s wife Karmi said, “Everyone shed tears only after a soldier is dead, but what about those who are still alive, more so when they are injured fighting valiantly for the country? They are forgotten.”

Karmi’s remarks assumes significance in the wake of 40 CRPF jawans were martyred in last week’s Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and Monday’s enounter when four more jawans, including a Major, were martyred, just 10 km from Pulwama. Karmi is of the view that after some time, the personnel who were martyred or injured were soon forgotten and they and their families have only themselves to fend.

A few years ago, the couple had lost their grown-up sons due to ailments and lack of money for treatment. “We now live with their daughter-in-law and two grandchildren,” Karmi said, sitting beside her ailing husband. She said Kolendega village in Jaldega block of Simdega, over 100km from Ranchi, is still bereft of any development. “There is no water, no road or any other basic amenity. But we are used to living in such conditions,” she rued.

Talking to TOI, Mahto, the district president Veterans India, which is working for the welfare of ex-servicemen nationally, said, “On January 18 when I learnt about the plight of the 1971 hero, I decided to immediately get in touch with them. As his unit wasn’t aware, I dug out details of his whereabouts from the district treasury and local army welfare board to zero-in on his village.”

He further said trying to reach Kandulna’s village wasn’t an easy task. “It was a hard to reach area where development is an alien thing,” Mahto said, adding, “Somehow, I reacheed there on a bike and discovered his condition. We then contacted other ex-servicemen to bring him to the Army hospital in Namkum from where they referred him to another hospital on February 15.”

On Kandulna’s condition, Mahto, who with Kargil War hero Umang Singh, is care of Kandulna said Kandulna is battling with various ailments, including high blood pressure, depression and blood clotting in head among others.

“After pursuing his case with the Army Welfare Board and other entities of the forces, his treatment will be ensured now,” Mahto said. He also Mahto said they are currently pursuing Kandulna’s case to ensure that he gets 100% disability allowance. “Though he is getting some pension, but he is entitled to 100% disability allowances, which he never received since his retirement. We are trying to find out the reasons with the authorities concerned. We are also identifying similar cases so that we help can help them,” Mahto said. He added that the government should include his village under the Shaheed Gram Vikas scheme.