Ex-Servicemen to take out Black March on Nov 26 in J

Jammu, Nov 20 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir Ex-Services League today said they would take out a silent 'Black March' in all the districts of the state on November 26.

Addressing a press conference here League President Govardhan Singh Jamwal said, ex-servicemen were facing hardships since long and the state government had turned ''deaf and dumb'' to their demands.

''The veterans, commonly referred as 'Gaurav Senanai', form a substantial part of the society in every state but they are not getting their share from the state for the sacrifices they had made,'' Maj Gen (Retd) Jamwal said.

The League demanded reservations for ex-servicemen in government jobs, annuity, exemption of VAT for soldiers and ex-servicemen in the canteens, land for ex-servicemen colonies and the Jammu and Kashmir Ex-services League, revival of Sainik Vanaspati Department and establishment of Ex-Servicemen Department.

Maj Gen (Retd) Jamwal said they had presented a memorandum to Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in December last year but till date no positive response had been signalled by the government. ''We will take out a silent black march on November 26 in all district headquarters of the state that will pass through bazaars of the city, '' he added.

He alleged that maximum number of force had been deployed in the state but the government, despite holding Cabinet meet thrice, had not paid any attention to their demands.

''December 31 has been fixed as the date for the final verdict of the state government and if there are no positive indications then also, we are likely to stay away from the coming state Assembly elections,'' Maj Gen (Retd) Jamwal said, adding that 15 lakh voters, belonging to the Ex-Services League, will not cast their votes in the elections.

UNI