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Disappointed, dejected, disabled veterans demand pension
One protestor had to be carried off on a stretcher. Pic by Amila Gamage
When a Parliamentarian is eligible to a pension after serving just five years, why is it that a group of persons who risked their lives in the service of their country, are denied a pension? This was the query posed by the disabled war veterans who converged in Colombo this week to protest against what they alleged was continued indifference by the authorities regarding their plight.
Last Tuesday morning (July 26), they were still engaged in a sit-in they had started the previous evening on the road opposite the Fort Railway Station.
Many had taken off their prosthetic limbs, while some were trying to shade themselves from the intense heat as best as they could. At least one man who seemed to be in clear discomfort, was carried off on a stretcher.
“We wanted to put up a tent next to the station, but police and railway authorities refused to grant us permission. We had no intention to block traffic, but were forced to the road due to their actions,” said Anura Udawatta, Secretary of the Kalutara District Ranaviru Ekamuthuwa for disabled soldiers. A veteran of the 4th Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment, he had lost his left leg to an anti-personnel mine in Mannar on October 3, 1991. The injury required a hospital stay of six months.
The protestors comprised officers who had retired before completing 10 years and other ranks who retired prior to completing 12 years of service. According to the Defence Ministry, there are 2,885 military and police personnel who fall into this category. Under the country’s existing laws, they are not eligible for pension, even though they retired on medical grounds on account of disability. This is despite a Cabinet paper dated December 17, 2014, granting approval for these veterans to receive pension after they reach 55 years.
The Director General of Pensions had however, pointed out that the current legal framework does not allow for pensions to be granted to these former service personnel.
Under the current setup, these disabled veterans are paid their salaries until they reach the retirement age of 55 years. In addition, they are also paid a Disability Allowance (DA) which they would continue to receive even after 55. They will not receive either the salary or a pension after 55 years, as their service record is below 12 years. Veterans say the DA, which doesn’t amount to more than Rs13,000 in most cases, is insufficient. The veterans had held a protest opposite the Department of Pensions on July 13, where authorities had promised to offer solutions to their problems within 10 days. This week’s protest was held as a sequel to that, as those assurances were not met, the protesters said.
Explaining his personal situation, Mr Udawatta (52) said he was worried about what the future holds for his family when he reaches 55 years.
S.G. Wickramasinghe (36) from Aranayake, of the Sinha Regiment, had also lost a leg to a ‘Johnny Mine’ on February 4, 2009, in Mullaitivu. A father of a 12-year-old girl, he lamented that authorities were mostly indifferent to ‘a great injustice to war heroes,’ regarding the non-payment of pension. ” Imagine how humiliating this is for people like us, who risked everything to serve our country,” he observed.
Nishantha Pradeep Kumara (47) of Bandaragama, from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, was badly injured on September 25, 1992, during the LTTE attack on the Pooneryn Military Base. “They broke through and attacked us from several sides. We lost many men that day,” he recalled. Mr. Kumara suffered extensive injuries in the attack. Mr. Kumara has two children, one of whom is studying for his A/ Level exam.
“U.D. Wasantha (33) of Akuressa, Matara, from the 8th Gemunu Watch, lost his leg during the Mavil Aru operation on January 17, 2007, when he stepped on an anti-personnel mine. He has three children, aged 7, 3½ and 2 years.
The protest was later called-off after authorities assured the matter will be resolved within three months.
Public Relations Officer to the Secretary of Defence, Brigadier Prasanna Chandrasekara said they needed some time to resolve the matter, as it involved coordination between four ministries namely, the Ministries of Defence, Law and Order, Finance, and Public Administration and Management the armed forces, the police and the Department of Pensions