By Rajesh Pandey
In a scathing rebuke to administrative apathy, the Allahabad High Court has pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government for failing to deliver rightful land allotment to the widow of a 1971 Indo-Pakistan war martyr, forcing her to fight for justice for more than five decades.
Hearing a writ petition filed by the widow, who asserted that she was entitled to 5 bighas of land but was allotted only 2.5 bighas, the court described the situation as a deeply disturbing reflection of societal decay and systemic failure.
According to the petition, her struggle for the remaining land has been ongoing since 1974, leaving her in an endless bureaucratic maze in spite of her husband’s supreme sacrifice for the nation.
A division bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Anish Kumar Gupta, after reviewing the petition, observed that if the claims were true, the matter revealed “a shocking testimony of the state of affairs of the entire society,” highlighting the insensitivity and negligence towards families of soldiers who laid down their lives for India.
Expressing grave concern, the bench said: This is the case of a widow of a 1971 war martyr, who is entitled to 5 bighas of land, but has been given only 2.5 bighas and has been struggling since 1974.
If the averments are correct, it is a shocking testimony of the state of affairs of the entire society.”
Calling the situation unacceptable, the court issued strict directions to the state government to take immediate action and ensure final settlement of her claim by December 8, the next date of hearing.
The bench has also sought a comprehensive compliance report from the responsible authorities.
The November 26 order reflects the judiciary’s frustration with the prolonged neglect of those whom the nation owes a debt of honour.
The case also reignites wider debate on bureaucratic inertia affecting veterans and martyrs’ families across India.