Colonel (retd) Keshab Rai had been controlling the movement of artilleries during the Kargil War back in 1999.

These days, the war veteran is busy coordinating with five other ex-servicemen who are contesting as “one bloc” in the upcoming Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Sabha elections to be held on June 26.

This time, six ex-servicemen Col (retd) Rai (Darjeeling Sadar I), Badan Rai (Pul-Bijanbari Goke), Saakal Dewan (Lebong-Badamtam), Gopal Rai (Phoobshering-Pandam), Binod Yonzone (Takdah-Teesta Valley) and Kiran Rai (Darjeeling Sadar IV) are contesting the GTA elections.

The six war veterans are getting into electoral politics as one bloc for the first time as they believe that politicians of the region, cutting across political lines, had never really allowed them a say in hill politics.

“Ex-servicemen were Subash Ghisingh’s strength. Our people played a pivotal role during Bimal Gurung’s statehood agitation. However, hill leaders only used our people and never really allowed them to have a say in the political affairs of the hills,” said Col (retd) Rai, 64, while explaining the reason for his contesting the elections.

They are “veterans” but all of them are not senior citizens.

The youngest team member is 43-year old Saakal Dewan who retired from the Indian Navy in 2015.

“The non-performance of political parties, their tendency to play with the emotions of the hill people and nepotism even while appointing teachers, who are the foundations of any society, have led us to come out in the open to bring about political transformation in society,” said Dewan.

Dewan has also published a collection of poems titled “And Quiet Flows the Teesta and other poems” which also includes satire against politicians apart from poems on love, nature and philosophy. The new “battle” for the veterans is not easy, either.

“We lack the resources to fight the elections,” said Col (retd) Rai but added that their will would easily overcome such obstacles.

The team is reaching overwhelming support from the 18,000-odd ex-servicemen from the Darjeeling hills.

“If we include their family members, the figure would cross 50,000 and if we include serving army personnel including paramilitary forces, our strength would be around 2.5 lakh,” added Col (retd) Rai.

Most veterans said that their family members were not too keen on letting them get into electoral politics.

“The veterans, however, came to me and said that if our team failed to contest the election, we should stop talking about political participation of the veterans,” the former army official said.