Jawans broke, their cheques in Delhi

The salaries are deposited in New Delhi and despite the soldiers having requested Indian diplomats in the region and the government, nothing has been done to get salaries here. " The military observers and others who are directly working under the UN get their salaries in dollars here in cash. The UN flies an aircraft from the United States of America to Sierra Leone with their salaries. However, no such thing is done for battalions and peacekeepers. We should also be paid here in dollars. If not the whole thing then at least in parts," he adds.

Sources in the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) headquarters said that one of the battalions even tried to get the dollars here from India themselves. "In the name of their battalion they opened an account in a local bank here. A cheque of $1,23,000 arrived and was presented to the bank in the capital, Freetown. But the bank returned the cheque saying they did not have that kind of money with them," an official said.

Soldiers are especially disappointed since they do not even have "petty cash" to spend. "The soldiers cannot even buy small knick knacks with this kind of pittance. "After all you run out of toilet soap, toothbrush, shaving cream and shoe polish. We do not have Canteen Stores Department (CSD) everywhere. The soldiers have come abroad, they do like to spend money buying a small camera or a watch once the situation improves at duty free shops. But this too is a major disappointment," he added.

The soldiers have a solution. At least they see an answer to their problems from fellow soldiers from other countries.

"Aircraft from other countries come in here with supplies and they even give money to their soldiers. Why cannot our government back home fly in an IL-76 aircraft once a month? It has to after all bring in supplies for a major part of the Indian contingent and later replenish them. That aircraft could not only bring our salaries but can also fly soldiers on leave to and from India. This would be a major force multiplier and may also be cost effective. Most of us are willing to forgo a part of our leave to make it back in time for the courier flight back to Sierra Leone," said an Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel.