Chuni Lal's son Manveer, 16, is in class X. After this we will shift him and the family to Jammu. Give his wife accommodation in the Divisional War Widows Hostel, Jammu and get Manveer admitted to the Army Public School, Kaluchak. The battalion will be monitoring the education very closely and arrange for some coaching classes for the National Defence Academy -- we all want to see him as an officer in the battalion. We will feel very happy if he commands the battalion one day.

His daughters -- Arti, 11 and Manju, 9 -- are in school. When the family shifts to Jammu, we will get them admitted in a primary school in the cantonment. The girls also want to join the army -- if everything is fine we will try for the Officers Training Academy for them.

His wife will get a lump sum of around 25-30 lakhs, but how long will she get through with that money?

How can you help the family:

His wife needs a regular source of income, if people could think about that and help her in providing a regular source of income. There is a welfare and settlement directorate of the Army which looks into this, like providing gas agency, petrol pumps -- the procedures are there and we're trying to look for a vacancy and get one.

Army Wives Welfare Association is also going to help -- those who want to help should write to AWWA or the Welfare and Resettlement directorate at Army HQ and mention the lady and that we want to help her out.

The government, battalion and regiment help but if everybody starts helping the family that is the strength one is looking for -- any army in the world cannot win a war if the population is not with them. If we all start joining hands and start looking after the soldiers, that is the sort of security everybody is looking for, that's the ideal situation one is looking for in this country.

Colonel Ram Pratap Singh spoke to Rediff.com

Image: Chunil Lal's children -- Manju, Arti and Manveer Singh
Photograph: Archana Masih

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