By NewsGram Staff Writer
The government on Tuesday informed the Parliament that the word 'Shaheed' or martyr was not defined "anywhere".
It further went on to say that there was no official order to accord the same to any defense or paramilitary personnel.
Earlier, during a Committee of Secretaries meeting on September 14, 2011, the Defense Minister had indicated that the term shaheed was not defined anywhere.
Following this, the government has stopped the issuance of any order/notification to this effect in respect of defence personnel.
Still, there have been demands for giving shaheed/martyr status to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles (AR) personnel killed in action.
Other branches of CAPF's like CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF, SSB and NSG have also made representations to the Union Home Ministry saying that the 'shaheed' salutation is being demanded by the personnel of these forces.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, in a written reply to Lok Sabha said, "No status of shaheed/martyr is given to the CAPF and Assam Rifles. However, their families/next of kin are given full family pension under the Liberalised Pensionary award rules and lump sum ex-gratia compensation of Rs 15 lakh as per rules in addition to other benefits admissible."
Disregarding the government refusal to confer the slain military men with the title of 'shaheed', the Central Reserve Police Force, last year, had issued in-house orders making it mandatory to use 'shaheed' before the name of a martyred personnel and in all communications vis-a-vis its slain men and women.
