Wednesday, November 4, 2015

I don’t trust you anymore; I never will. And you yourself are responsible for that. Yours (you would hope) faithfully (I am not too sure) Fauji

Dear Netas, Babus, Mediamen, Industrialists, Film Personalities and my Countrymen,
I am a fauji. I was never rich in money terms but I was made to feel rich by the job that was given to me to defend the country and the izzat that you gave me. In the average perception of the countrymen I was made to feel that I was wanted, admired and held in high esteem for my values. I number of movies were made on my valour, commitment and dedication. In these, in folklore and in the news I was always shown as the winner and the righteous. It was enough to keep my morale high and to sacrifice my life, liberty and comfort for the country. In short, it was an honourable profession.
But, it changed totally as soon as I became aware of how consistently you have denied me my dignity, izzat and One Rank One Pension (OROP). Despite your attitude ranging from non-caring to deception, I still clung on to the hope that perhaps I mattered despite all your betrayals since the year 1973 when, shortly after the 1971 war with Pakistan when I gave you the most spectacular victory (sorting out once and for all times, the problem of East Pakistan), you suddenly denied me the OROP and reduced my pension. Gradually, over years, you lowered my status and simultaneously augmented yours and finally, I was made to feel like a used condom.
Yes, some of you, made movies on the theme of my heroism and some of you paid lip-service to publicly singing songs of praise for me. But, looking back, now that I am at the end of my patience of waiting for you to restore my OROP, dignity and izzat, I am beginning to feel that it was all, perhaps for your own vested interests. I don’t trust you anymore and I am increasingly getting more convinced that you don’t deserve me and my sacrifices.
OROP Rally10
Please consider that God made all of us equal and he has given me too – just as he has given you – only one life. I used to think that your life is precious for me to safeguard with my life, even though I am not a mercenary (Please read, if you can find time from looking after your self-interest: Armed Forces And The Indian Society). Now that I have found that whilst I was ready to sacrifice my life for you, none of you has spared a thought for me or even time, I am beginning to wonder whether the profession of arms is honourable anymore or not. When I used to stand alone and unprotected at the highest battleground in the world: Siachin glacier, or at sea with kilometers of salty water under me, or in the air battling elements, I used to entertain a hope, since then proved false, that me and my family would be looked after by you. But, now I have discovered to my shock that you’d rather look after a cricketer, film-star or the like from whom you can obtain adequate publicity and return on your investment rather than me, I regret having ever entertained the hope that you care for me. I have also found that you have even started questioning whether in this peaceful atmosphere, I am required anymore.
Sadly, I have discovered, that you are chips of the same block. Didn’t the Radiia tapes bring out the unholy nexus that exists between politicians, bureaucrats, industrialists and media persons? It is all on record and yet despite that a media person squarely having sold herself to your interests was given Padma Shri.
On the television debates, some of you, driven by jingoism rather than by any genuine feelings, make a show of touching my feet. But otherwise, I openly ask you now, how is it that after nearly five months of my agitating on the streets, none of it has made any dent with you? You, who would be up in arms against the perpetrators of bias and crime against minorities, women and the so-called underprivileged; you who would write reams of paper on anything and everything of what you call public interests; you who would readily reward a batsman one crore rupees for hitting six sixes in an over of six balls; you who get concerned on the third day of truckers strike against enhancement of toll (Please read: Long Time No War); how is that you displayed total disinterest when one of me ilk, an 82 years grenadier, was roughed up by the police on the eve of independence? How is it that you confidently feel that none of this affects you?
I don’t trust you anymore. You are good at making promises. You are good at making insignificant things into issues of national interest and conversely, you ignore the issues that are indeed significant. I don’t trust you anymore.
I hope, in this atmosphere of hopelessness for me, you have an alternate plan ready just in case you discover and re-discover that there is indeed threat to national security and to your assets and that no one is willing to take up that challenge anymore. I hope that you have a Plan B ready when you discover that the youth of the country refuse to join the armed forces knowing that these are the people who are remembered in crises but quickly forgotten, ignored and put to shame when the crises no longer exist, at least in your perception. I hope you have enough money to buy security when your erstwhile trusted source has dried out in disdainful despondency.
Even you know that it isn’t a fight for money. It is indeed one for regaining lost status andizzatI don’t trust you anymore even with the outcome. Even if you announce it on Diwali, as you now claim in your thousandth promise, I really don’t trust you. I would be skeptical that you would lose no opportunity to show me down even after giving me my right. You would come up with senseless statements, for example, that you had to snatch it from the poor to give to me. I thought you shouted from house-tops that you had almost eradicated poverty after nearly six and half decades of independence; so then, who are these poor from whom you are snatching to give to me? Are you obliquely accepting the fact that there are indeed poor in the country despite your promises, election after election, that you would eradicate poverty? Are you also accepting that your promises are indeed mere promises? Are you now saying that you would have, but, those who gave their life for the country are standing in the way of your fulfilling your promise?
How about asking the industrialists, film personalities, cricketers like you to donate towards eradicating poverty? Is taking from one poor to give to the other, the onlypragmatic solution that you can think of?
You also threaten me with the challenge of para-military forces and the like also waiting in the sidelines to clamour for OROP. Didn’t various commissions and committees including Koshiyari Committee of 2011 rule it out because of difference in retirement ages and unique service conditions? Are you yourself being party to this clamour now so as to silence the veterans?
I don’t trust you anymore You are now catching at straws to somehow deny me my due. You have almost lost me now; you are not big enough and rich enough to buy me back. You would rue the following moment for as long as you live:
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I don’t trust you anymore; I never will. And you yourself are responsible for that.
Yours (you would hope) faithfully (I am not too sure)
Fauji
__._,_.___

(Source - Posted by: Col Latif Vadakkayil Vet via e-mail)

22 comments:

  1. taking from one poor to give to the other, the only pragmatic solution that you can think of?
    Who is poor? Who is eating bloody 6 rupees masala dosa you or me bloodily you are all the utmost beggars of India where as we eat for 50 Rs.Who is eating the public money rather poor's money you or me. Let it be anyone mind your bloody words. idiots.

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  2. Soldiers Lost Trust in Leaders who run the Nation. The Country is in Peril when the Trust is Lost.

    Lenity

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  3. Dear Col Latif Vadakkayl Sir

    You are right in mentioning that " I do not trust you any more "
    "I never will"
    Regards

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  4. shameless rudderless netas and beauractats are the main culprits,

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  5. Whether this government gives full OROP or truncated one or nothing, it will sooner than later find that it has lost much more than it thinks.. I too will not -- now or in future -- trust this current or past political leadership, Enough is enough.

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  6. Nice Article Posted by a original Fauji.. Hats Off Sir.....

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  7. Commendable, ultimately we have started to recognize our so call Status/Hesiyat, that is nothing more than a used, "Condom". But whom are we trying to tell. No body is listening.

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  8. Bastard IAS/IDAS Lobbies / Mafias cum Dogs/Bitches including Bledy Bastard Politicians Dogs/Bitches are spoiling entire Nation since Independence

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  9. Sir, thanks for expressing views/voice on behalf of all fauji . Jai Hind.

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  10. IAS won the battle against orop.

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  11. Pity the nation where solders have no faith in their(incl Uniformed) masters.

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  12. I wouldn't agree that IAS lobby won the battle but
    rather manipulated , cheated and arm twisted the system which is shameful for them and all the political leadership and opposition combined in general and PM/RM and FM with egg on their faces in particular.Parliament superimacy -- my ..... ??????

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  13. The soldier has loss their moral,but the minister has made for only each other

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  14. Ours was a feudal society where exploitation is the accepted norm driven by caste and untouchability among ourselves. Even after six decades after independence, we claim to be modern, the mindset remains same. Pain of ex soldiers is a part of pain felt by the deprived and under priveliged . do not see it an isolated one. Let us hope in future at least this mindset will pave the way for a much more humane approach.

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  15. Dear sir,

    The whole country is in peril and suffering from intolerance , communal hatred, ethnicity abhorrence , dislike, people feel insecure and unsafe, the uprising took place in vellore by jawans against britishers and in 1857 there was a similar occurrence, some radical changes urgently require to save india from tyrants , well written article

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  16. This artical should be published in national news papers

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  17. very lucid and thought provoking article. this should be added in school/college syllabus. I am very impressed. hats off to you i salute.

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  18. UNFORTUNATE BUT TRUE

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  19. Dear Audiance,
    I foresee certain issues needs every citizens attention .
    1. OROP being denied prospectively will have definite impact on the Morale of Serving Armed Forces Personnel.
    2. From Young Dynamic , highly motivated , loyal, dedicated and well disciplined Armed Forces are turned to disgruntled ,old demoralised Force with innumerable command and control issues in the due course.
    3. Working under junior will become the order of the day due to highly pyramidical structure giving raise to decay in efficiency of forces.
    4. Armed Forces will not be able to attract talent.
    5. May be to contain the deficiency OROP is denied prospectively,
    But intake may reduce drastically and further aggravate deficiency.
    6. Quality of Forces may have an impact.
    If the Hon'ble Gov't could be kind enough to travel to this extend , it
    Will be definitely worth while to award full undiluted OROP to both veterans and serving personnel as per two Parliaments and Hon'ble Supreme Court Orders.
    I humbly appeal to all the citizens of India to think & think seriously because it is a question of Our National Security. Kindly understand there is only one thing that is whether we are secured or not secured .there is nothing like partially secured.
    You cannot put constraint of cost to security.
    Regards & Jai Hind Major P J Rao Retd.

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  20. Lovely article, however we always blame the politicians & beauraucrats what about our wonderful chiefs? Are they not accountable for the mess we are in? Should they be trusted? Most are content to tow the line, not rock the boat & get reemploymed as a governor/post in some govt body.The day we have a couple of chiefs who put their foot down at the trash hurled at the forces then it would have them thinking, Question is will that day come? Your guess is as good as mine

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  21. The politics and politicians were same earlier also but no one spoke then .It is seen that whenever BJP comes to power these things comeup.As far as prvileges to a soldier is concerned Nda govt has only done something .Why you do'nt remember Reward paid to you after 1971 war,your pension was lowered from 75% to 50% and span to 33yrs and civilians upgraded to 50 from 30%.No one cried.Those who are even now agitating are surely guided by some antinational elementsand also no other ESM organisation except IESM is responsible for turning a disciplined soldier into an indisciplined Factory Labour.

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