‘Need a Job to Survive & Raise Our Daughter’: Galwan Martyr’s Wife

“My husband died fighting for the country. Shouldn’t the government look after us?” asks Galwan martyr’s wife.

Namrata Kumari, wife of Galwan martyr Kundan Ojha claims that Jharkhand government has failed to fulfil all their promises.

(Photo: The Quint\Aroop Mishra)

Twenty-six-year-old Kundan Ojha was among the 20 soldiers who were martyred in a violent clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan valley on the evening of 15 June 2020.

He is survived by his wife Namrata Kumari and daughter Diksha. Namrata last spoke to him when their daughter Diksha was born, just 17 days before he was killed in the line of duty.

Kundan and Namrata, who made many promises to each other in the two years of their marriage, had planned to celebrate their daughter’s birth together. But all promises were left unfulfilled.

While nothing can replace the loss of life, the Jharkhand government made a number of promises to the martyr’s family for their survival. Namrata claims that other than Rs 10 lakh ex gratia, nothing has been done for them.

“My husband was martyred for the country. He sacrificed his life while fighting for the country but the government couldn’t do anything for the martyr’s wife.”

Namrata Kumari, Martyr Kundan Ojha’s wife

‘Rs 10 Lakh Won’t Last All Our Life’

Kundan was the sole earning member of the family. After him, Namrata and their daughter are dependent on her in-laws. She says she needs a job to independently raise their daughter and look after Kundan’s old parents.

“It’s been a year, but I haven’t got a job. I should get a job so that I can raise my daughter well and look after my family. The government should help us and must give me a job. It is very important for me.”

Namrata Kumari, Martyr Kundan Ojha’s wife

The Jharkhand government promised to provide a free plot of land to Galwan martyr’s families and requested the Centre to allot them a petrol pump.

Kundan Ojha and Ganesh Hansda were two Galwan martyrs from Jharkhand, both their families claim that they have been given Rs 10 lakh ex gratia but are yet to be given the free land promised to them. Ganesh was also the only earning member of his family.

“Kundan made a lot of promises which he couldn’t fulfil. When my husband was martyred, people remembered it for a few days. People came to meet us for 2-4 days. Now, everyone has forgotten about him.”

Namrata Kumari, Martyr Kundan Ojha’s wife

The wife and kin of Galwan martyrs from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Telangana, and Punjab have been given jobs by the state governments.

In a first, the Punjab government made an exception to the state government's existing ‘Policy of Appointments of Honour and Gratitude’. They approved an amendment to the existing rules to provide jobs in the state services to married siblings of three bachelor battle casualties of the Galwan clash.