Kerala has no reservation for ex-servicemen

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is as a token of our gratitude and in appreciation of their services to the nation that the Central and State Governments had introduced reservation in government jobs for ex-servicemen. While almost the entire country had introduced job quota for them, Kerala remains ungrateful for well over 60 years. Kerala has made no provisions for any reservation for ex-servicemen despite the passing of six decades. While states such as Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have made provision to provide them 10 to 20 per cent reservation in Group C and D category jobs, Karnataka has allocated 10 per cent reservation for ex-service personnel in all categories of government jobs. Maharashtra has provided 15 per cent job quota for exservicemen in C and D category jobs. Similarly, West Bengal has provided 5 per cent and 10 per cent reservation respectively in C and D categories for the retired soldiers. Besides Kerala, Bihar is the other state which remain thankless to the exservicemen. This disturbing aspect about Kerala was revealed in Parliament the other day by Defence Minister A K Anotny, while replying to a question in this regard by Shashi Tharoor and Virender Kashyap. Disabled ex-servicemen, whose disability is caused during their military service, has been included as the first priority. As the second priority in the list, dependents of military personnel killed in action or severely disabled have been given reservation, according to the Defence Minister. Following this, Shashi Tharoor wrote to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy seeking to introduce job reservation for ex-servicemen. “This is disturbing on two counts: Firstly, the reservation is considered as a token of gratitude and an appreciation of their service in defence of the entire nation. Secondly, ex-servicemen bring with them wealth of experience and attitude unique to national service of the kind that only a stint in armed forces can adequately provide to a person,’’ Tharoor said. He said utilising the services of ex-service personnel would add vibrancy and positive mind set to the State Government services. Captain C R S Menon, Convener, Madras Regiment Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, told ‘Express’ that he had met K Karunakaran and E K Nayanar during their tenure as Chief Ministers and requested them to provide job quota for exservicemen. “Most of the defence services personnel, after putting in a service of 15 to 20 years, retire at the age of 35 or 40. It would have been of great help to them if they were directly inducted into State Government service or PSUs,’’ he said.