The'deeply hurt, bruised and wounded conscience of ex-servicemen of India's Armed Forces', are expressing their anguish towards the bureaucracy, who they feel is responsible for the step-motherly treatment meted out to defence forces all the time
Cdr Ravindra Waman Pathak (Retd), a member of the Governing Body and Pension Cell of IESM, wrote an open letter to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. In the letter, Cdr Pathak has raised several issues like the long-standing demand of ex-servicemen for ‘one rank, one pension’ (OROP).
In the letter Cdr Pathak has expressed deep anguish regarding the bureaucracy, which he feels is responsible for the step-motherly treatment meted out to defence forces. "It is this specially empowered bureaucracy which, without even a shred of any commensurate knowledge, over the past 67 years, has mastered and honed the craft of repeatedly hurting the pride and morale of the soldiers' right from the Chiefs to the sepoy. 'Jai Jawan' is handy only at crunch time or prior to elections, where after the Armed Forces are routinely relegated to the status of a 'necessary evil' type heavy baggage that the nation, perforce, has to be burdened with. This bureaucracy has been successful in contouring the political thought process in the same mould," he said.
India's defence budget is in the region of $46 billion or about Rs3 lakh crore. The OROP would cost 1.3% or Rs4,000 crore of the defence budget. China's defence budget size is $126 billion i.e. more than Rs 8 lakh crore. Manpower wise, India has 13.25 lakh activemilitary personnel and 21.43 lakh active reserves compared with China's 22.85 lakh active military personnel and 23 lakh active reserves.
Here is the letter sent by Cdr Pathak to the Defence Minister:
The OROP Alzheimer's have taken deep roots and such letters are exercises in futility as correctly assessed by the current Military brass that have traditionally outsourced welfare to the Veterans. They are now keeping the flag flying high and preventing it fall to the ground Inspite of beheading of their jawans. Be happy if even someone remembers that once you held the flag firmly and prevented its fall to the ground.
ReplyDeleteRepeated reemployment of Harbans singh in Ex-servicemen department fourth time is real mystery.It means others are not capable of their jobs.What will happen to MOD, if he has to lave from this world without notice Pakis will take advantage of this situation
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