After 45 years, war widow gets land but across border fence

CHANDIGARH: There seems to be no end to the struggle of Jasbir Kaur, wife of Major Kanwaljit Singh, who was missing since 1971 Indo-Pak war and was declared martyr by the Centre. Fifteen-months after the Punjab and Haryana high court directed the Punjab government to allot her 10 acres cultivable land under special rules meant for the martyr of Indo-Pak war, the Punjab government has allotted her 10 acre 'useless' land across the fence on international border with Pakistan.
The state's apathy could be gauged from the fact that the land allotted to her has no means of irrigation and even installation of tubewell on it is not permitted.The land is even beyond the BSF check post at zero point on the international border, where construction of a temporary hut is also not permissible.
Upset over the government apathy, Jasbir knocked the doors of the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday, seeking directions to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the functionaries of Punjab government.
Taking up her plea, Justice R K Jain has issued notice to Karan Bir Singh, secretary, revenue and rehabilitation, Punjab, asking him to explain by October 21 as to why contempt of court proceedings should not initiated against him for defying its (court) directions.
On May 19, a division bench headed by Justice Surya Kant had directed the Punjab government to allot 10 acre cultivable land to the war widow, as per policy or in the alternative, to make her payment for price of 10 acre of cultivable land by taking average of collector rate of cultivable land all over Punjab.
The court order came after she had filed a petition before HC, seeking directions to Punjab government to honour her husband's bravery by allotting cultivable land up to 10 acre to her under Rule 4 of Punjab Package Deal Properties (Disposal) Rules, 1976. Under the said rules, Punjab had offered to give up to 10 acres of cultivable land to the legal heirs of Army personnel who were killed during wars with China and Pakistan.
However, the department of revenue recently allotted her 10 acre land situated across the border fence.
According to Jasbir, there is no source of irrigation for the said land, nor do the authorities permit installation of any tubewell on it. Several restrictions are also imposed by BSF authorities in approaching the land even during day time.
On May 26, 2016, she had sent a notice to revenue secretary Karan Bir Singh, calling upon him to re-allot the cultivable land to her, or in the alternative, pay her the price of 10 acre cultivable land, but he did not respond.
Major Kanwaljit Singh is believed to have been captured from Hussainiwala sector on December 3, 1971 during the Indo-Pak war. He was also an awardee of Shaurya Chakra -- country's third highest gallantry award, for displaying gallantry and initiative of high order on February 2, 1971, when he repelled a grenade attack by Pakistani soldiers. He was, however, badly injured in the attack.
On February 3, 1972, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had written to Jasbir, observing: "The entire country is with you in your hour of shock and grief and crores of Indian brothers are indebted to Major Kanwaljit Singh, who sacrificed his life for the defence of the nation."