Why Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is celebrated every year on Jan 14

The first Armed Forces Veterans day was organised on January 14 in 2017 as a pan India event under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. The aim was to salute the unwavering dedication and sacrifices of tri-services veterans, while standing in solidarity with the families of these courageous individuals. It was also to strengthen the bond between the ex-servicemen and the serving personnel and to create a forum to address various issues related to the pension and welfare of veterans and their next of kin.

January 14 was chosen to be celebrated as the Veterans’ Day as it was on this day in 1953 when Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army post independence, retired after glorious service to the nation and became a veteran.
After his retirement the Field Marshal continued to be active in public and social causes for many years.

Despite his advancing age, he made many visits to the front line troops to boost their morale and motivate them.

Notably, the Field Marshal steered the formation of the Directorate of Resettlement later came to be known as Directorate General Resettlement, a key organization under the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare of the Ministry of Defence. The body looks after the various opportunities, training and policy making on the subject of resettlement of retired soldiers.

Interestingly, the next day, January 15 is celebrated as Army Day because on this day in 1949, Field Marshal Cariappa took over the command of the Indian Army from General Sir FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief and became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of Independent India.

Traditions in other countries

In many Defence forces in the world, there is a long tradition of celebrating the contributions of the veterans and the fallen soldiers. In the US and many other countries in the West, the Veterans Day also marked as the Armistice Day or Remembrance Day is commemorated every year on November 11, as a mark of respect towards the military veterans.

The day marks the anniversary of the end of World War I. Most of the battles of the first World War had formally come to an end at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.

Anzac Day on April 25 is observed in Australia and New Zealand as a show of respect to the all Australian and New Zealand soldiers who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations of the two Armies. April 25 has been chosen to mark the day in 1915 when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed for the Gallipoli campaign for their first engagement in World War I.

What programmes are held on Veterans’ Day

The day is marked by programmes held across major military stations across the country and major cities. These programmes include ceremonial parades, gatherings of veterans, Veer Naris and their families. These programmes give opportunities to military formations to interact with the veterans and their families at their respective stations.

These events have counters by the Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV), Ex Servicemen (ESM) Helpline, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme, Army Welfare Placement Organisation, Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB), Directorate General Resettlement (DGR), Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Canteen Services Directorate and Army Welfare Education Society (AWES) to disseminate information on different facets of ex-Servicemen welfare and address the concerns respective to those bodies. These events also have medical camps to provide on-site health screening and consulting. India has over three million defence veterans.

At many military stations and cities, the Veterans’ Day programmes are attended by civilian dignitaries, serving and retired top brass including service chiefs; these include wreath laying ceremonies and marches. For example in Mumbai, a large number of veterans including gallantry awardees from all three services march in the Veterans Day Parade which is held at the iconic Marine Drive promenade.
The events in Mumbai are organised by the Navy Foundation, Mumbai Chapter (NFMC) in association with the Headquarters Western Naval Command.

In Pune the programmes are held by Southern Command of the Army and other major military formations.

As a tribute to the contributions by the veterans, this year the tableaux in the Army Day Marching line up in Pune will include a tableau that will honor the role of veterans in nation-building, showcasing their contributions to society through entrepreneurship, mentorship, and social service.

On January 14, Army Chief General Upendra Twivedi is slated to attend a Veteran’s Lunch in Pune, a day prior to the Army Day Parade.