15-Years Journey To Change Husband's Status From Deserter To Missing

Rangia: A woman's 15-year-long struggle to get changed the status of her husband, working in the army, from 'deserter' to 'missing' finally bore fruit as she has now got family pension and a job.

30-year-old Sangita Das of Rangmahal village in Kamrup district was married to Sepoy Pradip Das serving with 5 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion (JAT) in J&K Valley on secondment from Army Service Corps (ASC) in the year 2000, defence officials said.

Mr Das has been missing since 2001 when he had come home on a 45 days Balance of Annual Leave to spend time with his wife and baby daughter Dinisha and left for his unit on May 30 but never reached there.

On the expiry of his leave, his unit intimated Mrs Sangita about his non-reporting and later declared Mr Das a 'deserter'.

After the death of Mrs Sangita's father who was supporting her financially, she was forced to work as a domestic help in Guwahati and then in a noodle making factory, the officials said.

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Mrs Sangita approached the Armed Forces Tribunal, Guwahati Bench in 2004 seeking help to get Family Pension.

The AFT in 2013 ruled in her favour but, for some reason, she did not receive any benefits.

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Mrs Sangita then moved the Veterans Cell, HQ 51 Sub Area during the Ex-Seviceman Rally in Guwahati in 2015, the officials said.

Following the initiative of the Veterans Cell, Mr Das' unit republished orders amending his status from 'Deserter' to 'Missing' after 15 years.

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The Cell then coordinated with various other sections across the country to process her documents, and finally her pension payment order was released last month.

Officials said Mrs Sangita has been given a job and her daughter Dinisha admitted to Army Public School, Narangi Cantonment, with her expenses being borne by the army.