Relatives of Centra Reserve Police Force jawans killed in last month's Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district lambasted the Bihar government at an event in Patna on Thursday where BJP Rajya Sabha member R.K. Sinha honoured them.
The SIS group of companies, which the MP owns, gave Rs 2 lakh each to families of the six jawans from Bihar killed in one of the deadliest Maoist attacks in recent times in which 25 CRPF were killed.
Sinha also announced he would give jobs to one person from each of the families, and Rs 15 lakh from his MP's local area development funds for construction of schools, community halls and other amenities in the six villages.
All the families were given LPG cylinders, and Sinha promised to get children of the slain jawans admitted into Kendriya Vidyalayas from his own quota.
Arjun Pandey, elder brother of slain jawan Krishna Kumar Pandey, 30, from Chenari in Rohtas district, said the money the state government had announced as compensation was peanuts.
"How can I leave my family? My younger brother was killed in the Naxal attack. Now, I have to take care of his wife and her eight-month-old baby," said Arjun.
"The compensation of Rs 5 lakh provided by the state government is like a drop in the ocean. We have no hope from this government. We have no option left but to begin protests if the government does not accede to our demands.
"We demand providing jobs to one of the members of each slain jawan's family along with construction of schools, libraries and roads in our block. We also demand a memorial to be built in the name of the martyrs."
If their demands are not met, they will be forced to block highways to put pressure on the government, Arjun said. Gajendra Mishra, father of slain jawan Abhay Mishra from Ara in Bhojpur district, said he used to be a "fan" of chief minister Nitish Kumar but the attack aftermath had opened his eyes.
" Aisa mukhya mantri pure vishwa men nahi hai (There is no chief minister like Nitish Kumar in the whole world), who has no concern for the martyrs of the country. Nitish sarkar abki baar nahi (Nitish will not come to power the next time)," the grieving father said.
He, too, pooh-poohed the state government's monetary compensation for the jawans' families. "The state government gave us a compensation of Rs 5 lakh. I lost everything. I lost my son. What will I get? The government gives compensation of Rs 5 lakh to those who die on roads after consuming liquor also.
"Is the government trying to compare my martyred son to one who dies in such a way? I was earlier a fan of Nitish, but no longer," he said.
Gajendra, however, was not keen on public protests. "I will not do anything which maligns the sacrifice of my son," the father said. "He has given his life for his country. I will refrain from any act which will tarnish his martyrdom."
