(EDITORIAL) When war comes to an end demobilization cannot be far behind. The majority of men in the Indian Army are — we do not mean any disrespect to them — among the war beneficiaries. Foreign troops stationed in this country are terribly home-sick and the war’s end has come to them as an unmixed blessing since it hastens the day of their family reunion to which they have been long looking forward. Many of them will revert to their pre-war jobs, perhaps more lucrative than their war-time ones. So they feel least perturbed over demobilisation. But that cannot be said about Indian soldiers. Demobilisation is an ominous word so far as they are concerned. It means unemployment for a great majority of them. That they should dread unemployment, while they brave the enemy’s bullets proves that unemployment is a greater evil than war.

The plans for the demobilisation of the Indian Army ... do not unfortunately give a concrete idea as to how the 850,000 men to be released within a period of eight months are going to be insured against unemployment. …The Govern­ment must stand by them as manfully in their hour of need as they did in theirs.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2020