This Article is From Jan 13, 2017

Was Asked To Shine Shoes, Soldier Complained In Video. Army Chief Reacts

Lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh complained of harassment in a video posted on social media.

Highlights

  • Soldier alleged being forced to 'wash clothes, polish boots' for seniors
  • Request troops to use grievance box, not social media: Army Chief General
  • Box to be put up at army headquarters, camps, said General Bipin Rawat
New Delhi: After a soldier alleged in a YouTube video that he was forced to "wash clothes, polish boots and walk dogs" for his seniors and is being harassed for flagging it, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat today said: "I request troops to use a grievance box and not social media." The "suggestion-cum-grievance" box will be put up at the army headquarters and every camp, said General Rawat, addressing his first press conference after taking charge as Army Chief.

"I assure that every complaint will reach me directly and we will attend to it on priority...If troops are still not happy, they can go ahead and use any other means," he urged, stressing that the army as an "excellent grievance redressal system".

Yesterday, a video of an army jawan complaining about torture and harassment surfaced on social media.

"I said that it should not be felt that a soldIer is a helper who will walk memsaab's dogs, wash clothes and do boot-polish," says Lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh in the video posted on YouTube.

He says after his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others last year, his unit received a letter asking for an investigation.

"When they found out, there was daily harassment...the brigadier put pressure on me and tortured me to such a level that any soldier would have committed suicide but I didn't," says the jawan, adding, "I appeal to the PM, why are they preparing for my court martial? What is my crime?"

Lance Naik Singh's video comes after similar complaints on camera by a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan and a constable of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) went viral on social media.

First, BSF soldier Tej Bahadur Yadav posted Facebook videos alleging poor quality food and near starvation on the front-lines. Days later a constable of the paramilitary CRPF posted a message to the PM on YouTube, alleging discrimination compared to the army and abysmal pay. However, the Home Ministry maintains that claims have not been substantiated.

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