Members of the Ex-Servicemen United Front hold a candle light march during a protest against the Union Government at Hall Gate in Amritsar on Friday. PHOTO: RK SONI
Abhilasha Kapoor
Amritsar, June 17
A group of ex servicemen today held a candle march to sensitise the nation about the plight of the 54 prisoners of war (PoWs), who are languishing in Pakistani jails since the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The march started from Hall Gate and went up to Jallianwalla Bagh. It will be held in every city of Punjab and continue till July 23.“Warriors and soldiers of the Indian armed forces have been neglected so far and politicians have forgotten the struggle of the soldiers and their families,” the ex-servicemen resented.Election in charge, United Ex-Serviceman Front Punjab, Capt CS Sidhu (retd) said the warriors, who were languishing in Pakistan jails for the past 40 years should be released.“We are protesting against the government that they should bring the warriors back from the prisons, instead of visiting Pakistan for cutting cakes or attending other ceremonies”, he said.“We are holding this candle march to awaken the government. If they do not wake up from their slumber, we will intensify our protest,” he added.He said, “After July 23, when the paddy season will end, the protest will reach up to the Wagha border. We will not refrain from stopping the Samjhauta Express and nothing will be allowed to enter Punjab from Pakistan till the soldiers are released from the Pakistan jails.”While expressing concern, Baljinder Kaur, daughter of a PoW Balwinder Singh said the Indian Government had declared her father as dead, but it was not true as they did not get any proof in terms of his body or anything. The government had failed to give due respect to soldiers and her protest to get back her father would continue, she added.
Indian Army[edit]
1. Major SPS Waraich IC-12712 15 Punjab
2. Major Kanwaljit Singh Sandhu IC-14590 15 Punjab
3. 2/Lt Sudhir Mohan Sabharwal SS-23957 87 Lt Regiment
4. Capt Ravinder Kaura SS-20095 39 Med Regiment
5. Capt Giri Raj Singh IC-23283 5 Assam
6. Capt Om Prakash Dalal SS-22536 Grenadiers
7. Maj AK Ghosh IC-18790 15 Rajput
8. Maj AK Suri SS-19807 5 Assam
9. Capt Kalyan Singh Rathod IC-28148 5 Assam
10. Major Jaskiran Singh Malik IC-14457 8 Raj. Rifles
11. Major SC Guleri IC-20230 9 Jat
12. Lt Vijay Kumar Azad IC-58589 1/9 G R
13. Capt Kamal Bakshi IC-19294 5 Sikh
14. 2/ Lt Paras Ram Sharma SS-22490 5/8 G R
15. Capt Vashisht Nath
16. L/Hv. Krishna Lal Sharma 13719585 1 JAK RIF
17. Subedar Assa Singh JC-41339 5 Sikh
18. Subedar Kalidas JC-59 8 JAKLI
19. L/Nk Jagdish Raj 9208735 Mahar Regiment
20. L/Nk Hazoora Singh 682211303
21. Gunner Sujan Singh 1146819 14 Fd Regiment
22. Sepoy Daler Singh 2461830 15 Punjab
23. Gnr Pal Singh 1239603 181 Lt Regiment
24. Sepoy Jagir Singh 2459087 16 Punjab
25. Gnr Madan Mohan 1157419 94 Mountain Regiment
26. Gnr Gyan Chand Gnr Shyam Singh
27. L/Nk Balbir Singh S B S Chauhan
28. Capt DS jamwal 81 Field Regiment
29. Capt Washisht Nath Attock
Indian Air Force[edit]
30. Sq Ldr Mohinder Kumar Jain 5327-F(P) 27 Sqn
31. Flt Lt Sudhir Kumar Goswami 8956-F(P) 5 Sqn
32. Flying Officer Sudhir Tyagi 10871-F(P) 27 Sqn
33. Flt Lt Vijay Vasant Tambay 7662 –F(P) 32 Sqn
34. Flt Lt Nagaswami Shanker 9773-F(P) 32 Sqn
35. Flt Lt Ram Metharam Advani 7812-F(P) JBCU
36. Flt Lt Manohar Purohit 10249(N) 5 Sqn
37. Flt Lt Tanmaya Singh Dandoss 8160-F(P) 26 Sqn
38. Wg Cdr Hersern Singh Gill 4657-F(P) 47 Sqn
39. Flt Lt Babul Guha 5105-F(P)
40. Flt Lt Suresh Chander Sandal 8659-F(P) 35 Sqn
41. Sqn. Ldr. Jal Manikshaw Mistry 5006-F(P)
42. Flt Lt Harvinder Singh 9441-F(P) 222 Sqn
43. Sqn Ldr Jatinder Das Kumar 4896-F(P) 3 Sqn
44. Flt Lt LM Sassoon 7419-F(P) JBCU
45. Flt Lt Kushalpal Singh Nanda 7819-F(N) 35 Sqn
46. Flg Offr. Krishan L Malkani 10576-F(P) 27 Sqn
47. Flt Lt Ashok Balwant Dhavale 9030-F(P) 1 Sqn
48. Flt Lt Shrikant C Mahajan 10239-F(P) 5 Sqn
49. Flt Lt Gurdev Singh Rai 9015-F(P) 27 Sqn
50. Flt Lt Ramesh G Kadam 8404-F(P) TACDE
51. Flg Offr. KP Murlidharan 10575-F(P) 20 Sqn
52. Naval Pilot Lt. Cdr Ashok Roy
53. Sqn Ldr Devaprasad Chatterjee
54. Plt Offr Tejinder Singh Sethi