The parents of Captain Anshuman Singh, who received the second-highest posthumous Indian peacetime gallantry medal, the Kirti Chakra, have called for modifications to the Indian Army’s next of kin (NOK) requirements for financial support to surviving family members in the event of a soldier’s death. In July of last year, Captain Anshuman Singh lost his life defending his fellow soldiers in Siachen from a fire.
Speaking to a television program, his mother, Manju Singh, and father, Ravi Pratap Singh, said that their daughter-in-law, Smriti Singh, no longer lives with them and now receives the majority of their son’s benefits.
शहीद कैप्टन अंशुमान सिंह के माता-पिता का कहना है कि बेटा मेरा शहीद हुआ, लेकिन हमें कुछ न मिला… सबकुछ लेकर बहू चली गई जबकि शादी को सिर्फ़ 5 महीने हुए थे, न बेटा मिला न बहु… राहुल गांधी से इस मुद्दे पर अंशुमान के माता पिता से बात भी हुई है, राहुल ने रक्षा मंत्री से बात करूँगा.. pic.twitter.com/8IDKUk8TPR
— Pankaj Chaturvedi (@pankajjilive) July 11, 2024
Appeals from Anshuman Singh’s Parents
“The standards that NOK has set are incorrect. I have discussed this with Rajnath Singh, the Minister of Defense, as well. Since their marriage lasted only five months and they don’t have a kid, Anshuman’s wife no longer resides with us. “All we have is a picture of our son with a garland hanging on the wall,” Ravi Pratap Singh said. We thus seek to fix the definition of NOK. He said, “It should be determined who is dependent on whom if the martyr’s wife remains in the family. We thus seek to fix the definition of NOK.
Criticism of Current NOK Standards
Manju Singh added that, in order to spare other parents from suffering, they urge the government to amend the NOK regulations.
The Army’s regulations provide that the Next of Kin receives the ex-gratia payment in the event that a member of the military is killed.
NOK Regulation Amendments
A person’s parents or guardians are listed as the NOK when he enlists in the Army. According to Army regulations, when a cadet or officer gets married, their spouse’s name is listed as their next of kin rather than their parents.
Dispute Over Kirti Chakra Award
On July 5, 2024, President Droupadi Murmu bestowed the Kirti Chakra medal (posthumously) upon Captain Anshuman Singh. It was given to the soldier’s mother, Manju Singh, and wife, Smriti Singh. It has now been claimed by Captain Singh’s parents that Smriti, their daughter-in-law, fled their house and grabbed his prize. They further mentioned that Smriti brought the honor to her birthplace of Gurdaspur. Ravi Pratap Singh, the father of Captain Singh, asserted that they too should be entitled to their son’s Kirti Chakra award. Captain Singh’s mother was reported by PTI as saying:.
