Pulwama attack: What is corporate India doing?

40 Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) jawans were killed in the biggest terrorist attack in decades on the armed forces in Kashmir last Thursday. While the Bollywood and sports world is rising up in support of their families, corporate India is waking up to its social responsibility in the wake of the attacks.

Infosys Foundation will give INR 10 lakh each to the families of martyrs who laid down their lives in line of duty in the terrorist attack at Pulwama in Jammu & Kashmir. Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty said that society is indebted to their sacrifice in defence of the nation. Infosys Foundation is the CSR arm of technology giant Infosys.

“The soldiers have made a supreme sacrifice. Money is not important here and we wish to tell the families that we are there with them. Reading about the blast, I felt that something must be done to the families that have lost their breadwinners,” said the philanthropist who also will visit the house of Mandya Martyr H. Guru and meet his widow Kalavathi after March 15.

The Global Association for Corporate Services (GACS) at its knowledge conclave in Delhi decided to offer jobs to the families of the slain CRPF personnel. Sameer Saxena, one of the founder members of GACS said, “May be the corporates remained in their own world doing their own good business but now it’s time for us to show our love and respect to the fallen heroes and act accordingly.”

GACS has over 700 corporate houses as its members and the organisation has unanimously decided to support the families of the Pulwama martyrs. “It’s our responsibility as a citizen of this country and as members of GACS to help those who are defending our country,” said Kapil Khera, head administration, Idemia.

SEL Manufacturing Company Limited has also decided to provide jobs to the kin of all the martyred soldiers.

“We have decided to offer a job to one of the family members of each of 40 families at any of the locations of operations of our company — Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,” said VK Goel, the company’s executive director and CEO.

Online payment apps like Paytm and Google Pay have come up with an option called ‘CRPF Bravehearts’ on their platforms to allow its users to donate money to the CRPF martyrs’ families.

Apollo Hospitals on Friday offered to treat free injured troopers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who survived the terror blast. “We offer to treat the CRPF troopers injured in the terror attack till recovery and rehabilitation at any of our hospitals across the country,” said Apollo Hospitals Chairman Prathap Reddy in a statement.

Reliance Foundation said it was ready to “assume full responsibility” for the livelihood of families of the Pulwama terror attack victims besides education and employment of their children.

State Bank of India (SBI) has taken a series of steps which are likely to benefit the families of martyred CRPF soldiers in the lethal attack near the Pulwama district.

All the CRPF soldiers have been the customers of the SBI under Defence Salary Package under which the bank had provided insurance of INR 30 lakh to each of the defence personnel.

The bank has decided to waive off all the outstanding loans of 23 of the martyred CRPF soldiers who had availed loans from the bank with immediate effect. Other than this, SBI has made an appeal to all its employees to voluntarily contribute towards the case through Bharat Ke Veer (bharatkeveer.gov.in), the dedicated portal controlled by Home Ministry, Government of India.

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