An olive green recession – The Hindu

It’s February 12 and as the winter afternoon sun casts shadows across Nathowal’s martyrs’ memorial in Punjab’s Ludhiana district, two men stand before a plaque that has the 16 names of soldiers from this village who left and never returned. The memorial is a reminder of what this village has always been: faujian da pind (village of soldiers, in Punjabi). 

Sudagar Singh, a retired havildar from the Sikh Light Infantry of the Indian Army, stands near the memorial as he pays his respects and remembers the sacrifice of soldiers from his village. Of the approximately 1,400 houses here, almost every second household has a member either retired or currently serving in the armed forces and paramilitary. During the Kargil war, more than 40 people from the village were serving in the Army, of who two were martyred. 

Just beside the memorial, village folks have gathered. They are sitting in the sun to enjoy its warmth and swap daily stories. Sudagar joins them. The discussion unfolds around developing a new portrait museum of the martyrs in a room near the existing memorial, to inspire future generations. A parallel conversation surfaces about how fewer youths from the village are now joining the Army.

“For decades, the olive green uniform has been the identity of Nathowal. Most families encouraged their sons to join the armed forces and felt great honour and pride in it. But over the years, families have become more inclined to push their children to scout for better opportunities, be it here (in India) or abroad,” says Jaswinder Singh, the Sarpanch (village head) and a former Head Constable with the Border Security Force (BSF). One of the objectives of building this martyrs’ memorial was to motivate the men to fight for the country.

“Around three decades ago, about 70%-75% households had people in armed and paramilitary forces; now it’s 20%-25%,” says Jaswinder, even as a few elders push for the museum with urgency, hoping that showcasing photographs and stories of yesterday’s soldiers might somehow inspire tomorrow’s. 

The war memorial at Nathowal village, at which veterans are considering a portrait museum to encourage young men to join the Indian Army.
| Photo Credit:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

In January this year, the Indian Army made an impassioned appeal to the youth in Punjab to join the Sikh Regiment, highlighting the regiment’s honours and awards. The press release said the regiment’s “true strength” lay in Punjab’s youth. The 180-year-old formation has taken part in both the world wars. Its motto is a saying from the Sikh’s Guru Gobind Singh: Nischay kar apni jeet karo (With determination, ensure your victory).

“Despite certain manpower-related challenges, the Sikh Regiment continues to demonstrate high standards of performance and consistently meets the Indian Army’s elevated expectations,” the communication said, echoing what many officers have been whispering.

Tested by fire  

Standing at the memorial where the names of Nathowal’s martyrs are carved and preserved in black and gold, speaks of the reasons behind the drop in Army enrolment. It’s not that Sudagar has stopped believing in the Army, but as a father, he has his concerns for the future of his children.

Pointing out the lack of job security following the Central government’s Agnipath scheme, he says, “I am a proud soldier and always wanted my children to serve their country. In 2022, after the Agnipath scheme was introduced, I stopped advising my son to join the Army.” One of his children is in college and another in class 5.

Under the Agnipath scheme, young recruits sign up for 4 years, after which 75% of them will be sent home with a severance package. Only the remaining 25% may stay on as permanent soldiers. “What if my son doesn’t make it in the 25%? This is my biggest fear. He will be back and then again start scouting for jobs again,” says the 53-year-old, Sudagar, who took premature retirement in 2017. 

His 21-year-old son, Aishpreet, nods. “It’s better to invest a few more years in study, get a degree and then settle into something permanent rather than first starting a job, spending four years and then again hunt for a new job or career,” he says, of the Agnipath scheme. 

Gurdev Kaur, Hakam Singh’s wife, in Nathowal village in Ludhiana district in Punjab.
| Photo Credit:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

A short walk from the memorial site, members of Hakam Singh’s joint family are in a sombre mood. His health is deteriorating. Sitting beside her ailing husband, 82-year-old Gurdev Kaur, who can’t hear very well, says, once she catches the words. She has 5 sons and 10 grandsons. Two of her sons were in the Army; none of her grandsons are. The army still does not recruit women in the fighting arms. “Of the 10, three are in Canada and three in Dubai,” she says.

With teary eyes, Sukhpal Kaur, one of Hakam’s daughters-in-law, whose husband works as a labourer in Dubai, and elder son, now 26, has recently joined, says “Now the younger one, who has passed school wants to go to Dubai because he feels the Agnipath scheme will not give him a stable future. Soon it only my daughter and I will be left here,” she says. 

Economic migration  

While the narrow lanes and every second house of Nathowal tell a story of service, modern aspirations have, over the years, motivated a large number of youth across Punjab to travel abroad in the hope of a better life.

According to a study by Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Punjab is witnessing a steady rise in migration: approximately 13.34% of rural households have at least one member abroad. Migration between the years 1990 to September 2022 was considered. The study, measuring the trends, causes, and consequences of migration from rural Punjab, noted that, “Low income, less employment opportunities and corruption were the main factors reported behind overseas migration as stated by migrants’ families.” 

Honorary Naib Subedar Harjinderpal Singh (Retd), who served in the Sikh Light Infantry, a regiment formed in 1941, says, “I wanted my son to be in the Army, but he was keen to go abroad. After school, he completed a course as a fitter from the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and two years ago, he went to Canada. He is working in a cosmetic factory there.”

He adds that many friends from his son’s circle of friends have gone abroad, mostly to England, Australia, and Canada. “If there were good jobs here with decent salaries that could support a family, then I don’t think many of our youth would be running abroad. The governments need to seriously come out with better employment opportunities.” 

Birthplace of Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, a Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra at Isewal village in Ludhiana.
| Photo Credit:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap

He remembers 1986, the year entered the Army. “We were about 15 friends who together joined the Army together. I am also planning to move to Canada soon, to join my family,” he says, dropping his head. 

At the memorial site, Sub-Lieutenant Gurdeep Singh (retd) from the Navy is also concerned about migration. One of his sons is in Australia; the other works in a private company in Ludhiana, one of Punjab’s industrial towns. “Physical fitness among many youth has taken a hit. Drug abuse could be one of the factors, I presume,” he adds. 

Hakam’s son, Harvinder Singh, a retired Subedar from Bombay Engineer Group (BEG) of the Army, feels that one reason for the migration is that parents want to send their children away from the State plagued with a drug problem. “After my son and daughter completed their college studies, they wanted to go abroad. They left around four years ago, and now both of them are working in Canada and earning well,” says Harvinder.

Subedar Honorary Captain Gurdeep Singh of 7 Sikh Regiment (Retd), says he has been motivating young men from his village to join the Army. “I have trained 30-35 men to enrol in the Agniveer in the past few months. I don’t know how many were selected, though. The physical test in the Army selection is a bit hard and it’s a reality that many these days are not able to clear the test,” he says. 

Last year, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also pointed out the shortage of Punjabi youth in the Sikh Regiment. At an event, the Chief Minister said the Western Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief had apprised him of these concerns. Maan had attributed the shortage to migration and the problem of drug addiction among youth.

vikas.vasudeva@thehindu.co.in

Edited by Sunalini Mathew