Ex-servicemen at the rally. A file picture

Darjeeling, April 14: Bruised and hurt after the lathicharge on their rally, ex-servicemen from across the hills have decided to strengthen the Bharatiya Bhutpurba Sainik Morcha by using all their experience gathered during the years of service.

Members of the Sainik Morcha had been involved in a skirmish with police in Siliguri on April 9 that left 27 of them injured.

“We will now set up a chain of command to mobilise supporters and send correct information as fast as possible, like we used to during our service tenure,” said Col (retd) P.B. Subba, a member of the central committee of the Sainik Morcha.

The chain of command is expected to be in place after it is streamlined in the seven earmarked zones — Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik, Siliguri, Dooars and Gorubathan. The organisation, which has nearly 20,000 members, had taken only 1,000 of them to the rally. “During emergencies or while organising events, the chain of command will come in very useful,” said Subba.

The ex-servicemen have also decided to embark on a membership drive to include not only former army jawans but also retired members from the paramilitary forces and the police.

The organisation has scheduled a central committee meeting at Gymkhana Hall here this Saturday to discuss the constitution adopted by it. “Emphasis will be on discipline,” said Subba.

The Morcha, which said it was “hurt at the state government’s treatment”, has also decided to start a drive to “request” CPM cadres to resign from the party.

The ex-servicemen said some of the former jawans injured in the lathicharge have refused to come out of their houses. “The self respect of these soldiers have been hurt. Many have refused to come out for treatment, as they do not want to show their faces to the public. So far we have come across four such cases. It is sad that war heroes like Col (retd) D.K. Rai, who was awarded a bravery award for capturing a Pakistani post in the 1971 war, had to bleed during a lathicharge,” said Jay Bahadur Gurung, a Sainik Morcha member.

The ex-servicemen are also looking at organising a dharna in front of the Writers’ Buildings in November.