Slain CRPF jawan's family goes on hunger strike

Says UP govt apathetic to soldier killed in Maoist ambush

Alleging that the Uttar Pradesh government was discriminating among the martyrs, the family of a CRPF jawan, who had been killed during an encounter with the Maoists in Jharkhand last month, has begun an indefinite hunger strike at their village in Bulandshahar district.

The widow of the slain jawan Mahesh Baghel and her two children began the hunger strike on Wednesday, according to sources.

No visit

“The chief minister visited the slain CRPF jawan Babulal Patel’s family, but he did not bother to visit us,” said Baghel’s wife Shanti Devi.  “The government is making a distinction among the martyrs,” she added.

The family and the residents of her Kanaini Vedrampur village in the district said they felt humiliated and ignored by this discrimination by the government.

Damage control

The report of the martyr’s family going on hunger strike created ripples among the officials, following which several of them rushed to the village in an attempt to persuade the family to call off the fast. All their efforts, however, proved futile.

The officials assured the soldier’s family that they would convey their feelings to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Baghel was among the nine Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans who had been killed in the Maoist ambush.

The ultras had planted a bomb inside the stomach of another CRPF jawan Babulal Patel after he was killed.Compensation protesting against the government apathy, Patel’s family had also gone on a hunger strike demanding enhanced compensation.
Later, Akhilesh visited his family and gave them a cheque of Rs 20 lakh and an allotment letter for a piece of land.

The family of the Indian Army jawan Lance Naik Hemraj had also undertaken a hunger strike, but they called it off after the Uttar Pradesh government conceded some of their demands.