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| Sunday, 31 August 2003 |
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Young war widows to remarry by Ramani Kangaraarachchi The Association of Retired Flag Rank Officers has proposed the government to pay a lump sum to young war widows as a part of their dead husbands' salaries and encourage them to re-marry in order to reduce the huge burden and social problem on the government. This proposal came up at a presentation held for the Defence Ministry and the three armed forces on the Ranaviru Family Counselling Service held at the Army Headquarters on Friday. Air Vice-Marshal Harry Gunatilake, RFCS Chairman said that their main problem was not money but protection. But most of them were reluctant to re-marry because they did not want to forego their salary they were entitled to, after the death of their husbands. "Our society underestimates widows wherever they go and it is unfair to force them to live with that label forever and, especially widows who do not have children, must be given a reasonable amount and allowed to spend a normal life in the society," he said. According to statistics at the Prime Minister's office there are 3,960 war widows as at 2001 and, of them, nearly 1,000 are very young and without children. The RFCS also proposed the government to issue special ID cards for widows to enable them to visit hospitals, banks etc. Defence Secretary, Austin Fernando, the three Service Commanders and several senior officers were present on this occasion. General Jerry De Silva, ARFRO President also spoke. |
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