More than half a century after they answered the nation’s call in its hour of need, hundreds of Emergency Commissioned Officers (ECOs) and Short Service Commissioned Officers (SSCOs) are still fighting, not on the battlefield, but in the courts, for what they say is their rightful due: a pension.
Leading the fight
At the forefront of this legal battle is 81-year-old retired Captain Maharaj Singh Uppal, commissioned on September 6, 1970, who served 10 years in the Indian Army. Today, he leads the fight as president of the All India Short Service Commissioned Officers Welfare Association.
The association draws members from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. “Some officers fought the 1965 and 1971 wars,” recalls Captain Uppal.
Legal battle and delays
