War veteran's toughest battle yet is for land

Ingale in his 20s, when he served as a driver for the 216 Medium Regiment in the 1971 war

Support for the Indian Army has never been in wanting, but a 74-year-old injured war veteran, Hindurao Ingale, from Satara has been running from pillar to post to fight for a piece of land, which should have been given to him a year ago, after an order by the Bombay High Court.

The HC has now directed Ingale to file contempt proceedings against the state for not adhering to the court's order. But for Ingale, who has been doing the rounds of the court for the last 11 years, and served the country in the India-Pakistan War of 1971, this battle for land has been the longest and the most arduous.

Hindurao Ingale lives with his wife Mantabai, 70, and two unemployed sons, Hemant, 45, and Mahesh, 40, in a small home in Hingnole village, Satara district. Pics/Atul Kamble

Running in circles
The war veteran worked as a driver in the Army, and was attached to the 216 Medium Regiment, which was part of Operation Cactus Lily in the 1971 war. It was during this war that Ingale sustained a bullet that was fired by Pakistani forces. He had to insert a steel plate with six screws, four of which were removed a decade ago.

Ingale now shares a small home in Hingnole village, Satara district, with his wife Mantabai, 70, and two unemployed sons, Hemant, 45, and Mahesh, 40, who, he says, are mostly under the influence of alcohol.

In the hope of a better future for his family, Ingale had first appealed to the HC in 2008, to intervene in a case, where he was entitled to land from the state, as per a government resolution (GR) issued on December 30, 1971. The circular, a copy of which is with mid-day, stated that jawans who fought the 1971 war, were eligible for land, one for agriculture and another for residential use.

In December last year, Ingale was allotted two hectares of barren land at Mouje Pimpri in Man Taluka, which is 100 km from his own residence. The land is allegedly under dispute

Ingale claims that as he was still on war duty when the GR was issued, he had told his father to complete the formalities. However, when his father approached the local tehsildar, he was informed that the land had been allotted to somebody else, and that the government would make something available soon.

After a futile 36-year-long wait, Ingale finally knocked the doors of the court. But, he had to wait another 10 years, before the court ruled in his favour. In February last year, the HC directed the collector of Satara to allot land - a 300 sqm of residential plot and four hectares of dry crop land or two hectares of paddy land or one hectare of perennially irrigated land - within four months time.

While the government had offered him land, when the said plots were inspected, it came to light that they were either not cultivatable or were suffering litigations in various legal forums. It is then that the HC passed another order dated July 24, 2018, directing the state government to allot land that was free from any litigations.

In December 10 last year, the collector of Satara allotted two hectares of land at Mouje Pimpri in Man Taluka, Satara district, which is nearly 100 km from his place. "On inspection, I found that the land was barren and had not been cultivated for a long time and was totally dependent upon seasonal rains," he said. This land too, was under dispute.

In January 2019, he moved another writ petition, after which the HC this month directed him to take legal action against the state. Recently, he was also shown a piece of land in Parle village in Karad Taulka, Satara. "But the land was uneven and next to a crematorium. Later, we found out that the sand mafia was stealing mud from the land. Also, the canal passing through the land was dry and there was no source of water during summer," Ingale said.

'Life is not easy'
Ingale served in the Army for 10 years, drawing a salary of Rs 52; he was relieved from service on grounds of excess manpower. "I was only entitled for a pension after serving for 15 years," he said.

With no source of income today, Ingale has been finding it difficult to look after his wife and unemployed sons. "They even abuse and assault us when drunk," he said. "My younger son Mahesh was in the Indian Army and even fought the war in Kargil. But, after serving in the Army for almost 11 years, he ran away from his posting area when he learnt about his wife's extra-marital affair." His son never joined the Army again, and due to this, missed out on the pension too.

"I have written to all the possible ministers in Maharashtra and even the Centre, but even after the court passed the order, I haven't got justice. We have absolutely no money coming into the house," he said, adding, "Yet, local bureaucrats are giving me unlevelled plots of land and expecting me to spend money to develop it."

Fortunately, his lawyer, Rameshwar Panchal from Mumbai, who is representing him in the HC, came as a blessing in disguise. Not only has Panchal not charged Ingale a single penny for the case, he has also been supporting the family financially, depositing Rs 3,000 into Ingale's bank account every month.

"We have been able to stay alive because of Panchal. He is like our son," said Ingale's wife Mantabai. But Ingale is more than determined to continue his fight against the state. "I will fight for my rights, but I don't know for how long I can continue. Once I die, my wife will be even deprived of this land."

The other side
When contacted, AG Kurhade, resident Nayab Thaisildar, Karad district, said, "We had shown Ingale two hectares of land in Man Taluka and he had even agreed to accept the same. The collector was also in the process of completing the formalities, when two local villagers made a written submission to the collector claiming that the said property was theirs. We were verifying those details, when suddenly Ingale made a U-turn and refused to accept the plot on the grounds that it was disputed. Ingale will have to accept this land, and level it on his own."

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