Sunday, November 28, 2010

Ex-soldiers on the streets

It is a shame for the government that ex-soldiers, who in their time gave security to the nation by guarding its land border, coastline and airspace day and night, have had to take to the streets demanding their inalienable right of 'One rank, one pension'. It is not that this principle of calculation of pension is foreign to the government. Right from the president of India, prime minister, judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, members of Parliament to the secretaries to the government of India, they all are beneficiaries of 'One rank, one pension'. That it should continue to be denied to ex-soldiers defies all logic and fairness. Even the argument that the government could not spare a few thousand crores to give out arrears and increase in pensions to about two million ex-servicemen does not hold any water, not at least now when the same government could splurge seventy thousand crores on the inconsequential Commonwealth Games and the prime minister could tolerate the revenue loss of a GDP-scale Rs.1.76 lac crore or US$39 billion in the 2G spectrum scam absolutely nonchalantly.

Earlier, I was very upset that thousands of ex-soldiers had returned their medals to the president of India, the supreme commander of the armed forces, as a mark of their protest. But today having attended their protest rally and seen more medals being collected to be returned to the president, I am not too sure whether this extreme step could have been avoided. As the protesters said they were registering their disappointment and frustration at the government's unsympathetic attitude by giving up something very dear to them. They knew that their returning the medals could affect the morale of the serving soldiers adversely but the government had not left them any alternatives.

I am glad that I was with the retired soldiers supporting them in their fight for justice, and since I was the only civilian there I got a chance not only to address them but also to freely interact with quite a few of them, from old sepoys to a retired 3-star general, and learn of the fierce pride they still feel in the defence forces they once served. And how can I ever forget what Malerkotla's Beant Singh, a wizened ex-sepoy, told me, that people would always do the right thing if they let their mind's Arjun be guided by their conscience's Shri Krishna? I am grateful to the Sikh gentleman for sharing with me the essence of the Bhagvad Gita's wisdom.

15 comments:

  1. Kanan Sahib, you are doing yeoman's service to the protectors of our country by suporting their "one rank one pay" demand.Kindly send me more material on the issue so that I may go through and be more aware by knowing the nuts and bolts of the issue. The matter of returning the medals by Army Officers is really demotivating factor to the serving soldiers. My country is already running short of IPS officers. Malerkota's S. Beaant Singh's quote for essence of the Bhagwad Gita's wisdom is highly appreciated and kindly permit me to use it in my class. S. Beant Singh is living near Ludhiana where I live. He may contact me through this email for any kind of service from my end. Jai Hind, Jai Jawan

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  2. As a retired Indian Army officer, I have always maintained that for a soldier it is a priviledge to have been born in India. So much love is bestowed on you that you feel engulfed.

    Amidst such respect that the defense foces command from the populace, it is regrettable that these forces have to fight their bureaucracy and their leadership to get their dues. Every country that needs the service of the defense forces to secure its borders, ensures that its defense forces are not dissatisfied. Such dissatisfaction bodes ill for the nation. How I wish the leadership of our nation would understand it.

    On behalf the ex-soldiers community and my own behalf, I thank you Kanan Sahib for your efforts in highlighting our case. We are grateful.

    Lt Col H C Lohumi (Retd)

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  3. We have the people of India with us. How far the Government short change the disciplined soldier?
    Wg. Cdr. ( Retd ) V P Sachar

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  4. IHAVE BEEN IN REALITY OF ALL ACTIONS FROM THE LIBERATION OF GOA,62,65,71 AND HAVE SEEN ALL RANKS FOLLOWING ORDERS AND MARCHING INTO THE FACE OF DEATH AND DISCOMFORT WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THE ORDERS WERE ISSUED SINCERELY FOR THE HONOUR AND SAFETY OF THE COUNTRY.THEY DEFIED DEATH BECAUSE THEY HAD FULL FAITH IN LEADERSHIP FROM P.M.D.M TO THE ARMY HQ DOWNWARDS.THEY NEVER ASKED FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY WON THE HONOUR AND WERE RESPECTED.THERE WERE NO SCAMPS EVER TO BE HEARD.
    WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS THE OFFSHOOT OF WHAT IS BEING DONE TO THE SOLDIERS AT ALL LEVELS.
    WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?MAJOR MEHANDRU

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  5. Excellent write up.I greatly admire the spirit in which your comments have been written.Having served in the profession of arms for forty years,it pains me to see the attitude of our politicians and more so the Babus.

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  6. To Prof. Keshap: Thanks for the kind words. I owe this to myself to do whatever humble service I can to my country's erstwhile protectors.
    You may please contact IESM's Vice-Chairman, Maj. Gen.(Retd.) Satbir Singh (919312404269) for material on 'One rank, one pension'.
    Sardar Beant Singh (Army No. 152183) has his house in Malerkotla but unfortunately his near relatives won't let him live in it; he may be contacted at 01675-633029. And yes, you may use what he taught me in your class, Sardar Saheb will only be too happy if he ever comes to know of this.

    To Lt Col H C Lohumi (Retd), Wg. Cdr. ( Retd ) V P Sachar, Major Mehandru and Mr. Jasjit Talwar:

    I thank you all for your appreciation and encouragement. The civil society is very much aware of the injustice being meted out to the ex-servicemen, and the bureaucracy-misled ministers will have to relent much sooner than later. People like me shall do our best to make them implement 'One rank, one pension' fast, if only to keep the morale of the serving soldiers high.

    Thanks once again, Jai Hind and Jai Jawan!

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  7. Kanan Sahab,
    Thank u very much for your support for the demands of ex-soldiers. The largest bank SBI, earning huge profit each year, not at all bothered about its pensioners.
    The disparity in the pensions of present retiree and past retiree is too much. A GM retired earlier is getting less pension than a clerk retired today. It is a pity that the powerful Unions and Associations have done nothing for the pensioners.

    A large number of ex-servicemen employed as Armed Guards. The bank is denying family pension to the widows of these men if they are drawing defence family pension.

    The VRS optees of SBI are the worst affected. The largest bank should consider the request of its pensioners.
    Visit my blog : www.indianexserviceman.blogspot.com
    Let your services to the younger generation bring in clean administration every where.

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  8. Today the country is being ruled by Babus under the umbrella provided by the politicians . They are befooling both the public as well as the politicians . These Babus have assumed the role of Masters .The public may be fully aware of the injustice being meted out to the ex-servicemen but they can never get justice from thess politicians misled by the bureaucracy . There is hardly any hope that they will ever relent . Only some miracle may be able to make make them implement 'One rank, one pension' since they have been scuttling every move of Courts , Parliamentry Committees and Resolutions passed by the State Assemblies .

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  9. To Muthukrishnan: Unfortunately, in SBI, the management as well as the employees' unions can so easily be influenced by the Ministry of Finance for reasons not difficult to imagine. Very soon, I'll seek information on the subject from the MoEF under the RTI Act, 2005, and let you know.

    To Brig. Jagjit S. Ahuja: I would rather agree with Rajeev Chandrasekhar that when the politicians do not want to decide on something they start blaming it on the bureaucrats. If, however, the ex-servicemen remain united, the OROP is only a matter of time.

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  10. Playing flute in front of buffalo may yield some extra milk-but the present govt has been totally immune to all protests by IESM & even the court rulings favouring ESM's welfare. There is no point in holding rallies, signing in blood or returning medals which are not being accepted.

    Beauty about democracy is that every government has life span of just five years.So better wait- when on the eve of the next elections every party will promise oROP & then it will be forgotten?Our Chiefs should have steered the OROP case like they had done to get PB-4 for Lt Col eqv under the Adm Suresh Mehta.But some of them have been busy buying flats in Adarash of Colaba while it is becoming slow & lumbering as appearing in the leaks.

    Air Cmde Raghubir Singh(Retd)
    Pune

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  11. Re, re; reiterate, neta-babu's top agenda is to SUBVERT by corruption > "lanch" by netas & Lies by babus (Army will take over) all institutions to their abysmal putrid levels.

    2. Keep the Fauj busy UNDOING the results of neta-babu-police MYOPIA > insurgency.

    3. Drive out the Fauj (Kashmir) BEFORE they complete their mandate & then BLAME them.

    4. HUMILIATE the Fauj by NOT paying their dues for decades, by deliberate wrong calculation of their pay & pension > cheating.

    5. The last remaining bastion protecting India's Integrity is expected to DO its Job with dwindling \ obsolescent Equipment & Dwindling Manpower.

    6. India can buy a Tank, a Missile; an Aircraft, or a Ship.
    Can India buy the MAN behind these Machines ? ? ?

    7. Track Record : NO accountability for their irresponsible actions > BAD Governance.

    8. Aam Aadmi is left paying the Lakhs of Crores Rs. vanishing without trace.
    CWG, 2G; Adarsh & MANY MORE.
    While 1/4 of India's populations labours under abject poverty & Starvation ....

    9. Turns himself into the 3 in 1 Monkeys, "Not seeing, Not hearing & keeping Shut" while his neta-babus go LOOTING with IMPUNITY

    MASQUERADE as an "Honest man", more Comatose than a DODO !

    This the Govt WE DESERVE.

    Even then UPA CAN'T be replaced because the NDA PROVES MORE INCOMPETENT ! ! !

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  12. The situation is pretty bad but not irreparable. As responsibility is only of those who feel responsible, let us, the non-corrupt and honest, feel responsible for our country and joining hands with one another take it out of harm's way. We should even join politics and try to clean and cleanse it from within.

    We are truly dead only when there is no hope, please, therefore, have hopes and do something positive to continue to deserve them.

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  13. Dear Kanan
    IESM was pleased to have you with the veterans on 28 Nov 2010 during the rally for OROP at Jantar Mantar. Veterans felt happy to get your support for the OROP. I assure you that veterans will always support your noble cause of fighting against corruption.
    All the activities of IESM are being monitored by the intelligence agencies and the Govt very well knows that all serving soldiers are also keeping track of the activities of the IESM. Despite this if the GOI, under the influence of bureaucracy, ignores the reasonable demands of the armed forces and the veterans then the GOI themselves is to be blamed for any action of the serving soldiers.

    I can assure you and the country that Indian defence forces are a set of very professional and dedicated soldiers and the country will not find them lacking or showing their back when the call to defend the frontiers of the country comes. They will always rise to the occasion and will gladly give the supreme sacrifice also.
    But here I would like to ask the country-men How many bureaucrats and politicians are honestly serving the country????????????????? and what action are the country-men planning to take against such corrupt netas and bureaucrats.

    I am posing this question because this is the year of scams and God only knows how many more scams will come out before this financial year ends. And at the end of it I am sure that not even a single bureaucrat will be found guilty or punished despite several lac crores of public money being pocketed by them. I attempted to put zeros for the one lac sevety thousand crores but misrably failed. My attempt is given here please check whether it is correct or not Rs17000000000000/. One will probably need couple of strong rooms (RBI vaults) to stack this kind of loot and bureaucrats say India is poor country and can not afford to pay its soldiers their legitimate dues of rank pay and OROP. What a pity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
    I appeal to my country men to wake up and start asking questions from the politicians and the bureaucrats, the psuedo kings of modern India.

    Gp Capt VK Gandhi
    Gen sec IESM

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  14. KANNAN SIR,

    MY RESPECTS AND SALUTES TO YOUR EMPATHY ON OROP.

    KUDOS TO PARVEZ JAMASJI, WHO HAD SUCCINTLY SUMMARISED (IN 12 POINTS)THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFIARS IN OUR COUNTRY.

    IN CONTINUATION OF RESPECTED GP CAPT VK GANDHI(RETD)REMARKS,

    BEING THE TITULAR HEAD OF THE NATION, THE SUPREME COMMANDER CONVENIENTLY AVOIDS MEETING THE IESM DELEGATES PRE-EMPTING DEPOSIT OF THEIR MEDALS IN RP AND RP STAFF REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE PETITION SIGNED IN BLOOD. THE ESM HAD NO CHOICE EXCEPT BACK-OFF.

    BUT THE HIGH AND POWERFUL HUG AND SHAKE HANDS WITH HIV AFFECTED PEOPLE, TO SEND POSITIVE MESSAGE ACROSS THE PEOPLE.

    2G SPECTRUM'S/CWG/ADARSH SCAM LOSSES COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A 5 YEAR LEGITIMATE BUDGET OF THE ARMED FORCES. AND THE GOVT HAVE NO FUNDS FOR OROP?

    THE PEACEFUL AND JUST DEMANDS IGNORED/BRUSHED ASIDE TIME AND AGAIN.

    LOOK AT THE RADIA/MEDIA TAPES AND THE GOVT BENDING BACKWARDS/FORWARDS AND UPSIDE-DOWN. WHAT A SHAME? THE FUNNIEST PART IS, NOT A SINGLE RESPONSIBLE FIGURE IN THE GOVT COMMENTED ON THIS. THANKS TO THE NETIZENS WHO LEAKED OUT THIS.

    SO FAR SO GOOD, SIRS. THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS. BUT WHAT ABOUT SOLUTIONS? FOR EACH ONE OF THE PROBLEM, FOR SURE, THERE ARE AT LEAST 3 SOLUTIONS.

    WHO IS THE CREATOR OF THIS MESS? ONLY THE MOD. WHEN THE MINISTER HAS ALL THE POWERS IN THE WORLD TO SEEK AND SPEND LAKHS OF CRORES OF FUNDS OF HIS MINISTRY, THE PENSIONS ELEMENT OF ESM IN THE BUDGET IS ONLY A MINISCULE PART. WHY THE MOD LOOKS SIDEWAYS. THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES RECOMMEND. THE GOM OKAYS. THE SC VIEWS LEGALLY CORRECT. BUT THE GOVT REJECTS ON HUGE FINANCIAL OUTLAY. AND THE LOGJAM CONTINUES?../.../.../

    GAVINI VN

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  15. Dear Gp Capt Gandhi and Gavini VN,

    The civil society, including IESM, must keep an eye on the government and come down heavily upon it for straying from the path of rectitude and justice. We should always remember that unity and pursuit of true national interests can be our only strengths.

    As I have said elsewhere, institution of OROP is only a matter of time. Please be persistent and patient, success is bound to be yours.

    My best wishes,

    Kanan Jaswal

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