Declaring the welfare of 12,000-strong civilian porters of the Army who climb the Kargil heights carrying ammunition and supplies to forward posts as a cause in “national interest,” the Supreme Court on Wednesday urged the Centre to not reduce these men to mere “beasts of burden” and asked to consider their absorption into the services in stages.
Expressing unhappiness over the government’s welfare scheme for the Army porters, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur urged the Centre to be more “considerate” and give them some hope that their hard labour in harsh conditions will be rewarded and “one day they could go home and have something for their subsistence”. “You should not be against their absorption. If somebody has worked for 20 years carrying your luggage and ammunition and other things, don’t you think that there has to be some human consideration,” Chief Justice Thakur observed.
Additional Solicitor General P.S. Patwalia said a scheme has been worked out for hiring such porters, the procedure of such engagement, insurance policy, one-time financial grant against a minimum service of 10 years and canteen service up to Rs. 1,000. “They have been working in harsh conditions for the last 15 years and can’t be treated like animals. They have been carrying your rations and ammunitions, weapons to Kargil heights,” the Bench observed.
