Kin of war heroes hold a protest in Patiala. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 14

Two war widows have been sitting on a dharna here for the past over two months. They await their “promised” land as they complete 70 days of protest on the 70th Independence Day.Bant Kaur, who is from a daily wager’s family in Daladdi village of Nabha, lost her husband Pyara Singh in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, but the successive governments, she alleges, did nothing for her and her family except giving her the pension.“The CM assured us earlier this week that a decision on our case would be taken in a month,” she says.“I was around 20 years old when my husband left for duty. Just a few months after our marriage, he was killed in the line of duty on November 3, 1965, while serving The Sikh Light Infantry,” Bant recalls. Leaders of various political parties have visited them, but their struggle continues.Bant’s son Gursewak Singh, a labourer, says he accompanies her mother when he does not get a day’s work. “I feel hurt seeing my 80-year-old mother spend days and nights under a makeshift tent.”Surjit Kaur, widow of Jangir Singh who died in the 1962 Indo-China war, is also on dharna. “The government announced 10 acres for war widows and the year 1977 was the deadline. The announcement raised some hope but since then our application has been lying at the Sainik Welfare Office, Punjab,” she claims.Patiala Deputy Commissioner Ram Vir Singh said the file pertaining to their case was being considered by the Chief Minister.