We Give New Lease of Life to Indian Soldiers' Widows: NGO Chief

Prashant Tewari is considered a hero by thousands of martyrs' widows in India. They hail him for being their ultimate support during the toughest phase of life -- the mourning period after they lost their husbands.

Tewari heads the Veer Nari Shakti Resettlement Foundation, meaning the Brave Widows of Soldiers - an NGO dedicated to the welfare of Indian troops' widows. The foundation aims to "give a new lease of life" to these women and their children.

As his Delhi-based NGO has been associated with the Indian Armed Forces for years, Sputnik spoke to him about the initiatives it has undertaken to uplift women.

Prashant Tewari: The inspiration for me was my father, Major (Late) Bhupendra Shankar Tewari, 168 Field Regiment (Artillery): a War Disabled Officer who fought both the India-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971. I too was keen to join the Indian Army. But I could not do so on medical grounds.

Sputnik: Why did you want to work for widows of soldiers or their kin who have lost their lives or have become physically disabled while doing their nation's service?

Prashant Tewari: I soon realized that the armed forces have a limited charter for the rehabilitation and resettlement of widows of soldiers and their dependents who have to make do with the best of their abilities.

For India to remain a land of heroes, whose valor is honored worldwide, we need to instill that hope in every member of the Armed Forces, that there is someone behind whom they can bank on in their absence.

Every member of the Armed Forces should be confident while being at the border that the security of their family is taken care of by the nation, financially and emotionally while they are serving the nation selflessly 24/7.

A soldier dedicates their life to the nation. Thereby it is the nation's responsibility toward the martyrs. Martyrdom or disablement leads to severe psychological, economic, and social challenges for these families, who now have to survive without the head of the family.

This moral and social responsibility has somehow got entangled in the bureaucracy of the Indian system. As a result, we are today challenged to ensure the dignity of martyrdom as well as help martyrs' families lead a dignified and sustainable life.

For ensuring this, there is a need for comprehensive care on the psychological, economic and social fronts. This is also essential for keeping the candle of hope burning among the serving soldiers and officers of the Armed Forces so that we have an invincible force protecting our way of life.

Veer Naris are very young, including their children, mostly hailing from villages– left with shattered dreams, hopes and no desire to live.

Prashant Tewari: The number of soldiers' widows stands at 680,000, the highest in the world - we lose about three to four soldiers every day.

With such a huge population of these courageous women, we can probably prepare an army of women who can kill the enemy with their bare hands. But unfortunately, they are hardly provided with any external care, guidance, or support at the time they need it the most, resulting in an army of sad and grief-stricken women.

The majority of widows of soldiers receive a meager ordinary pension which ranges from INR 10,500-15,000. It is insufficient for a soldier's widow to lead the life that she was living when her partner was alive. For, when the soldier is in service, the salary and the facilities provided to them are nearly four times of what a soldier's widow receives post-demise.

This change in financial status at a time when they need financial assistance the most comes as another deep blow for these women, who are barely able to sustain themselves. Their situation worsens when they are obliged to seek assistance from sources, many of whom end up taking advantage of them.

Sputnik: Beginning from the martyrdom of a soldier - How is the foundation involved in shaping the life of the widow of a soldier?

Prashant Tewari: The foundation's role starts the moment any martyrdom happens in India. We provide grief and psychological counseling to the family which is done in a multi-level combination of other martyr widows and clinical psychologists.

The foundation supports needy martyr widow children (especially teenagers ) through child career counseling workshops.

Our multiple online portals are also used to impart online education. We support female children more as their setback due to her parent's martyrdom is maximum; they are encouraged via study scholarships.

Regular online training is also given across India to martyrs' families for rehabilitation in terms of free legal counseling and for dignified sustainable livelihood.

A government-approved Drone Pilot License Training course was recently initiated in 2023 which is a first-of-its-kind initiative by any NGO.

Prashant Tewari: The foundation is in touch with more than 15,000 martyr families as well as disabled soldiers from both the Indian Armed Forces and Indian Paramilitary Forces. We are also in touch with the militaries of neighboring countries (Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan) to offer our services.

The foundation wishes to reach out to all like-minded countries who wish for the dignified life of their Veernaris (soldier widows) and disabled soldiers and their dependents.