Tribute to late Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi.
A General of rare breed left us today for heavenly abode. Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, 86 passed away. He was battling with the cumulative impact of sustained war injuries, challenge posed by amputation & the old age.
There can be many like me who will vouch for his comradeship, gritty nature and the courageous perseverance to keep fighting and writing for the causes impacting the war injured soldiers.
He had no qualms in openly stating that injured soldiers should be treated at par with martyrs.
Our respect towards the families who lose their loved ones in wars, keep them at very high pedestals, which they truly deserve for the irrevocable loss of beloved son, brother, father or the husband.
But ironically the alive injured soldiers and their families suffer much more because of the disabled, painful and isolated life they live forever.
The respect they deserve slowly vanishes, at times leaving them totally alone, even by wives. That’s the bitter truth of life. I will always be thankful to Gen to raise this issue in his lifetime.
It was when, I was still under treatment at CH Pune, I heard about the amputees of Indian Army, who rose to the level of Generals. Gen Joshi, Gen Cardozo and Gen Oberoi were quoted by many to motivate us, the Kargil injured amputees.
This was year 2000 and there were lot of supports like, financial grants, dwelling unit, jobs etc etc, for Kargil martyrs and injured. Directions were there for Army doctors and hospitals to liberally send out, the injured on medical grounds, of army, so that they can be benefitted by the grants etc.
We were five of us, Capt Rama (later retd as Col), Capt Pradhan, VrC (now Col), Capt Sangwan, Capt Kashyap and me, While Sango sir and Kashyap chose to go out and join ONGC, Rama, Prady and myself continued to serve.
Among them I & Prady sir were most critically injured and therefore skeptical of stepping out to civil world as we were unclear how life would be outside. Moreover, our injuries have yet not settled. Among all, I & my parents, did not have any support system as own house or income from any source. Therefore, I reached out to my Col of the regiment, Lt Gen Sangra, who was the Army Commander at Lucknow. My DO was replied in negative by the Gen saying, that keeping your state of injuries in mind it is not feasible for the Army to let you continue. Heartbroken me, on the advice of a well-wisher, reached out to Gen Oberoi, the Army Commander at Chandimandir, as he himself is an amputee. Lo and behold, my DO worked. I was informed by his staff that Gen has spoken to the AG, Lt Gen SS Grewal and it has been assured by the AG that there will not be any forced boarding out of any wounded soldier. I was also advised to go and meet AG in person. As my parents were in Delhi, it was easy for me to meet AG, when I went on medical leave.
AG, the grand General, comforted me and returned me with assurance.
By the time I was back in Pune, CH, there was already a policy amendment letter from AG’s branch to medics across, that no war injured soldier should be sent out without his consent.
I am yet to understand how two persons of the same level and responsibilities (Gen Oberoi was the Col of the Regt of The Maratha light Infantry) can work differently on an issue of war injured soldier, but than it is the matter of “Attitude”. Such was the persona of Gen Oberoi. I will always be in gratitude to him for his fatherly support, at a difficult juncture of life.
Gen Oberoi, continued to support and fight for comrades and war injured soldiers especially through his foundation, WWF (war wounded foundation) which he started, post-retirement. I was lucky to participate with the team of WWF in one of the marathons, as they use to do, to showcase the abilities of the disabled soldiers.
Hope, today’s generation, the new age Generals, will be able to emulate him and behave like the King, the real General, like he was.