Recently, martyred Captain Anshuman Singh was awarded the ‘Kirti Chakra’ by President Draupadi Murmu. His wife Smriti received the award on his behalf, along with Captain Anshuman Singh’s mother Manju Singh. Anshuman Singh, a resident of Deoria, saved 4 colleagues without caring for his own life after a fire broke out in the army camp in Siachen. Videos of what Smriti Singh said after receiving the ‘Kirti Chakra’ went viral on social media and people paid tribute to the martyred Captain and expressed condolences to the family.
Smriti Singh talked about how Anshuman Singh used to say that he would not die an ordinary death, instead, he would take a bullet on his chest. Smriti said that she met Anshuman on the very first day of college, both of them fell in love at first sight and after being in a long distance relationship for 8 years, both of them got married. A day before Anshuman Singh’s ultimate sacrifice, both of them had talked a lot, they were planning what their future life would be like – from the birth of children to building a house.
शहीद कैप्टन अंशुमान सिंह के माता-पिता का कहना है कि बेटा मेरा शहीद हुआ, लेकिन हमें कुछ न मिला… सबकुछ लेकर बहू चली गई जबकि शादी को सिर्फ़ 5 महीने हुए थे, न बेटा मिला न बहु… राहुल गांधी से इस मुद्दे पर अंशुमान के माता पिता से बात भी हुई है, राहुल ने रक्षा मंत्री से बात करूँगा.. pic.twitter.com/8IDKUk8TPR
— Pankaj Chaturvedi (@pankajjilive) July 11, 2024
The news of Anshuman’s death came the very next day. The whole country paid tribute to his bravery after listening to his story. Now the parents of the martyred army officer have talked to media and what they said is becoming a topic of discussion as well as controversy. It is worth noting that a few days ago, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi also met Anshuman’s parents.
The martyred captain’s father said that he has also told Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh why he talked to Rahul Gandhi. He said, “The criteria set by the Indian Army regarding NOK (Next of Kin) are not right. It was a 5-month-old marriage, they have no children. The parents only have their photo hanging behind them. She (Smriti Singh) has also changed her address, what do we have? There should be a change in the rules of NOK.”
Talking about the Kargil war of 1999, he said that after that there was a change of 67-33%, it should be properly defined – what will happen if the wife stays in the family, what will happen if there are children or not, what will happen if she leaves. Anshuman’s father said that the old tradition should not continue. He said that Anshuman Singh’s mother is a co-recipient of the ‘Kirti Chakra’, but she does not have that Chakra to put on her son’s statue.
Anshuman Singh’s father said that Rahul Gandhi has assured to talk to Rajnath Singh in this regard. The martyred soldier’s mother Manju Singh said, “Daughters-in-law run away. There are many such cases where daughters-in-law are leaving their parents and running away. No parent in the future should have to suffer like us.”
NOK means ‘Next of Kin’. After a soldier is martyred on duty, only the NOK receives the compensation amount and other benefits.
OpIndia spoke to an officer working in the army, who, on the condition of anonymity, told that when a person joins the army, during that process, he is also asked to fill a will. Most of the new joinees are young and unmarried. In such a situation, their guardians are usually the nominees. There is a document called ‘Part 2’ in the army, in which the soldier has to disclose his personal details..
There are some soldiers who follow the 70:30 formula after joining, that is, 70% nominee is the wife and 30% is the parents. This depends on the discretion of the soldier, it is decided by him and not the government. Under the rules, there is also a provision for 50:50 formula, but only a few soldiers choose it. For this, they have to take permission from their Commanding Officer. Therefore, it is up to the soldier to decide who will get what from the compensation after his martyrdom.
In the case of Captain Anshuman Singh, his father himself is an ex-soldier, so he is getting canteen and medical facilities as per the rules. Promotion, transfer-posting, disciplinary action and other information are also in ‘Part 2’ and it is managed by the Commanding Officer. At the same time, other things like greetings, respect and congratulatory messages are part of ‘Part 1’, which increases the morale of the soldiers. It is said about ‘Part 2’ that it is considered necessary to maintain discipline in the army.
