NEW DELHI: Army veterans were pushed around at Delhi's famous Jantar Mantar -- the massive and centuries-old sundial which is also the designated spot for protests -- as city officials tried to clear all demonstrators from the heart of the capital ahead of Independence Day for security reasons.
Former servicemen are resisting moving out; for a group of 50, this has been their base camp for two months to call attention to the issue of One Rank One Pension, or OROP. The demonstrators have been living in two tents on a relay hunger strike. One of the tents have been removed.
"We were told yesterday to remove all permanent structures from Jantar Mantar. While the reason right now is security, from now on, no permanent structure will be allowed at Jantar Mantar even for protests," said NDMC Deputy Director R K Chabra.
Ahead of tomorrow's commemoration of Independence Day, a group of retired military chiefs wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee, asking him to "urgently intervene" in the OROP controversy, warning that denying it will "severely damage the officer-jawan relationship".
Alleging lack of political will, the open letter urges the President to intervene as the Supreme Commander of the forces.
"Soldiers, like flags and anthems, are emblematic of a nation's pride and honor. The very fact that the nation's military veterans have had to take resort to agitational methods and that the government could tolerate their denigration or humiliation has come as a rude shock to all of us, " says the letter, signed by former army chief General SF Rodrigues, and former navy chiefs, Admirals L Ramdas, Arun Prakash and Sureesh Mehta.
In his Independence Day speech from the historic Red Fort tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce the big step, which will grant pension parity to retired armed forces with officers and jawans of the same rank who are retiring now.
Currently, their pension is based on the Pay Commission recommendations at the time they retire. A Major General who retired in 1996 would draw less pension than his junior who retired years later.
The implementation of OROP will cost the government an estimated R
s.
8,300 crore annually.
(Source- NDTV)
Who so ever has ordered eviction of veterans from jantar mantar is highly deplorable and condemnable, shame on them, the way the old veterans were dragged is pathetic, shame on the ruling party and government, this is in warranted and uncalled for, what else you can do, lathi charge them, but veterans won't budge, try and see, I feel ashamed of my self for voting to this vicious party, may god show them the right path
ReplyDeleteThe degradation of the military is so complete in the eyes of the public that the Police assumes power to break up veterans rally at Jantar Mantar . So now the peaceful movement should move to Lahore to avoid lathi charges of Indian Police . This is what happens if the Military brass continues with their uncalled for servility. This servility was displayed heavily in 1962 and results were everywhere in public domain. Wonder whether such servility will withstand pressure of war even against small adversaries. Go back to our operations in Srilanka or Kargil. We will never overcome the tradition of defeats with such mind set at the top. Meanwhile the police permits singing of national anthems and flying of flags of other countries as legit activities. How long before all hell breaks loose?
ReplyDeleteJust saw news of orop, Mr DM parikar says technical difficulties, so it will take some more time, so cunning are these people, they don't have guts, in lokh sabha also there is no reaction from the treasuries, they are not fit to govern this country, there are no words to describe them, it will be shamefully to comment upon them,
ReplyDeleteIn the guise of eviction the police force was used conveniently on the peaceful protestors of ex servicemen, there were aged veterans and yet the shabby treatment they were given is deploreable. The BJP Govt. Will pay heavily for this.
ReplyDeleteIt only shows the rulers does not want honest and disciplined people in india
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