Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced compensation for the kin of the martyrs’ families. But family members of the martyr have been fighting new battles day in and day out, but the concerned authorities of the Nitish Kumar government have preferred not to wake up to their plight.

*Martyr: Michail Minz,Sepoy

*When & How: 1971 India -Pakistan war while trying to save life of posthumously awarded India’s highest military decoration the Param Vir Chakra Elbert Ekka.

Armed with a vintage 303 rifle, the sepoy of 104 Infantry Brigade, Hq( No 6885791) Michail Minz, perhaps, did not have any chance against a group of Pakistan soldiers who were attacked by Elbert Ekka who was shot at and Michail Minz who was behind to save him received bullets. Both were martyred together in 1971.

Hailed as a martyr by the Bihar and Central governments, the family of the martyred jawan was promised all help by the state –a pension, five acres of land, and a flat.

Over five decades after Minz’s martyrdom, family members- tribals who reside in forest areas falling in border areas of Chatra- Hazaribagh and Latehar district of  Jharkhand had neither got land nor could secure possession of the flat in Patna, Bihar.

This story was first written by journalist Muktinath Giri, Correspondent, Khalari, Chatra. It was published by Hindustan today when he told JharkhandStateNews.com that he had to travel for over -10-15 km in Satpahari hill forest area to reach Bandar village, Bahera post office, Hazaribagh where martyr’s family lives.” I was informed by an activist Amarjit Kaushal who took me and made me meet them”, said Giri.

Truth is heart-melting. The martyr’s wife/widow Alvina Minz and her only son Sunil Minz are not alive. They had died in the past. Now his daughter-in-law Pushpa Khalko and her three sons and a daughter were surviving hopelessly. Apparently, they who are legal inheritors of the late martyr sepoy, have not got the land and the flat to date.

Pushpa Khalko said her mother-in-law and wife of the martyr sepoy Minz had been receiving pension till her death. “ But we were never given possession of the land and the flat”, she cribbed.

Investigations revealed that both the allotted land located in a village in Chatra district of Jharkhand and a flat in Lohia Nagar, Kankarbagh, Patna, Bihar were in possession of trespassers. A police officer is alleged to have occupied the flat.

Minz’s family members including Alvina, Sunil and Pushpa had moved from pillar to post and wrote umpteen letters( being enclosed for your perusal) to the appropriate authorities of the Bihar government but failed to get justice to date.

Responding to late Alvina’s plea, S.S. Gupta, Secretary, Patna Zila Sainik Board, in his letter over forty decades ago, had requested Secretary of Bihar State Sainik Board, to help her get possession of the flat.

“As it is seen, the trespasser being in police service would be amenable only to departmental pressure and nothing else. It is, therefore (you)that the IO(Investigative Officer)may kindly be moved to direct the concerned police officer to vacate the flat and hand over possession of it to the war widow concerned.”This letter was dated March 6, 1976.

Nobody knows whether or not any move was initiated by Bihar Sainik Board, Bihar Police or Nitish Kumar government. The land and flat given to the martyr sepoy of the Indian Army remain in possession of the trespassers.

JharkhandStateNews contacted Bihar Chief Secretary and DGP to get their opinion on this tragic case but in vain. Is Bihar CM Nitish Kumar listening to their old plea -bring justice and honour to family members of the martyr sepoy of the Indian Army Michail Minz?

*Glance through the documents including umpteen letters, certificates and photos of Pushpa Khalko holding the certificate of the martyrdom of her father-in/ law cum martyr sepoy Michail Minz as well as martyr sepoy Michail Minz and his wife late Alvina Minz.