Tuesday, March 22, 2016

MUSINGS OF A GREAT VETERAN INVITED TO REPRESENT HIS ILK BEFORE THE RM's DARBAR - THE LIMIT OF DISSERVICE

Lt Gen Satish Bahri has circulated the following details, (With my comments juxtaposed in red), of what transpired at the last meeting of the veterans with the so called sympathetic RM :

RM started by saying that Rs 2000 crs had been distributed as arrears and pensions under OROP till date and the balance will be completed by 20 Mar 16. : Well,  Mar, '16 has come and gone, but I, (And I am sure many like myself), are yet to receive the arrears. So much for the continued false promises of the Govt, especially this RM, which is its hall mark.

Then he asked if there were any questions on OROP. A number of people like Col Arasu, Maj Gen NB Singh, Col Nain etc put up points. RM directed that now that the one man Judicial Committee has been setup all issues be referred to it. He pointedly said that if you send your points through DESW, to mark copies to him so that he can follow them up. He also said that if some one desires he can request for personal attendance to argue his point. Gen VK Singh further clarified it will be ensured all issues raised are dealt with sympathetically. Well, then again, it is typical of this Govt to continue its effort to hood wink, not just the simple soldier, but the entire Nation. Teh RM first asks the veterans, "Have you any questions on OROP, and then in the same breath, say, "Raise all issues on OROP with the one man judicial commission". Great!!! 
Is Gen V K Singh the one man  judicial commission? Since obviously he is not, who is he to assure the veterans, (On behalf of the Commission), "It will be ensured that all issues will be dealt with sympathetically"? Is he or the Govt directing the Commission on what to do?

Lastly, Maj Gen Satbir Singh raised the issue that four issues are outstanding regarding OROP, which have a total cost of approx Rs 800 crs only. The RM was quick to respond that money is not the problem but if you hold a gun to his head and demand then the govt is not going to accede to any request. He clarified that our continued fast at Jantar Mantar is putting up the back of the govt and it will not listen to anything under duress. He also clarified  regarding the claim by Satbir that Parliament has accepted the Koshiyari Committee report twice is incorrect. RM said that many committee reports are received by the govt and they are never accepted in 'toto', as it is the decision of the govt as to what it can and what it cannot. (I have seen it myself after being involved in the passage of Real Estate Regulation Act . The govt accepted/rejected some of the recommendations and improved on some).  The RM says, "If you hold a gun to its head and demand, then the Govt is not going to accede to any request". Great! The Govt, through the RM has made a few things clear to the Nation: 
(a)    No one in this largest democracy in the World, has a right to protest or agitate, even 
         peacefully and in a highly disciplined manner. To do so would not only debar the 
         person or group of people from receiving any justice, even rightful ones, from the Govt, 
         but also make the person or group of people subject to highhanded illegality 
         harassment and debasement at the hands of the Police.

(b)   Any one wishing/hoping to have their rights given to them, must go begging to the 
         Govt on bended knees, crawl before them and say, "Yes Sir, no Sir, three bags full Sir; I 
         am your humble and loyal servant; I beg of you to please oblige me."

Towards the end I raised the issue of Wg Cdr C K Sharma that he had been arrested and bodily removed by Haryana police even though they did not produce an arrest warrant. R M said that Haryana police is a law unto itself and passed some uncomplimentary remarks about it. However, he also seemed to have noticed, as I had written to him, that policemen and CAPFs are wearing disruptive pattern clothing and consequently army flag columns had to carry placards to identify themselves. He said that he had spoken and written to the HM to stop this practice. Under whose govt is the Haryana Police operating? One thing must be said of this Govt, "They are quick on the uptake". They learnt their lessons at JM, where they tried to dislodge the veterans in broad day light, in full view of the whole Nation and had to quickly step back. 
This time around, the Police went at the dead of night and yanked the sleeping soldier of the Indian Army, (The bravest of all in the 'Race'), from his bed and dragged him in his pyjamas to the police lock-up, most illegally, without any warrant.
As the RM, he is supposed to look after the welfare of all soldiers, including the veterans. What action did he take to have the Haryana Police charged for their illegal act upon a soldier on his charge? Should this act too not have been taken as an act of 'SEDITION'?

I have received a number of queries as to what had happened during the meeting even though IESM had omitted my presence, senior most retired officer, in their communications on this meeting, people somehow were aware that I too was invited. Mr R Chandrashekar or Gen VK had also brought out that due to the continued fast at JM we are losing sympathy of general public. I am also called by number of officers, JCOs and OR that why are we continuing at JM after achieving so much and why don't we negotiate amicably with the govt. Hope some one listens as I have tried my best. Well, well well, Satish Sir, as the senior most veteran, (The claim is debatable as many a chief are still alive and kicking), you did your comrades-in-arms (veteran soldiers), a great service by concurring with the Govt that the activities at JM are illegitimate and amounts to holding a gun on the Govt's head. We would have appreciated if you had to protest even politely. In fact it is the Govt which is repeatedly holding the gun of 'anti-nationalism' and the 'charge of sedition' on the head of each and every one who protests against it, even when it is for non-grant of rightful entitlements.

Where do we go from here? Is this the fate of all peacefully disciplined agitations as against the violent one recently seen in Haryana, where the Govt first abdicated all its responsibilities and then catapulted in quick time? 

Do we need to review our modus-operandi?

(Source- Samuel's world blog)

23 comments:

  1. The RM intentionally or unintentionally is killing the morale of the serving soldiers who will be veterans of tomorrow. His adamant attitude to decency is beyond a RM's stature. His every word is just to avoid a quick solution to a problem, just because he doesn't know the way the Armed Forces work and go about. He needs leadership training as an young officer in an Army training unit.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are well said and the truth is that. Is any ex-serviceman group understand this truth before civilian understand.If yes then why they are scattered. RM think He make fool all veteran always.please wake up now.And also I want to tell u one think I had a hike of RS 100/ orop per month there are lakh of veteran like me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The one man (Justice L. Narasimha Reddy) judicial Commission till now have no GOI website of its own and he never asked the veterans to give him points to examine and give his final recommendations. Is he working in isolation under the orders of the RM and Gene VK Singh?

    ReplyDelete
  4. The govt accepted/rejected some of the recommendations and improved on some points in the Real Estate Regulation Act The RM says, agreed as it required perfection it was done so. Here in the veterans demands and the Koshyari Committee report recommendations, there is no unreasonable welfare measures are being asked/recommended and if the government really respects the veterans they could improve upon the said recommendations. No one is holding a gun to his head and demand, if it happens then the present Government will be unseated. The veterans are giving space to the government with peaceful and disciplined protest movement and the RM is imaging that he is being gunned. It is we veterans who are suffering the wounds of insults inflicted by the government over last 280 days. This is an unjustified and unequal fight where we have to fight our own government with no one to support for our rightful dues.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Satish Sir, one's ego must not hamper the welfare of the veterans at-large. If one claims seniority, then he must bear the burden of leadership. Adamency is not decency.

    ReplyDelete
  6. If Parrikar and co enter into a purchase agreement with any foreign country for bayonets, they think that they have climbed Mount Everest hands down. Parrikar envies himself for working at the age of 60. Then better he resigns.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear sir,
    The RM is catapulted to the present important portfolio without seeing the impact on the long run, status of mind of the soldier is not toy as RM thinks of himself. how long he is going to be in this post for a period of only three years, later on either he has to quit or thrown out by the people in the election. all trouble creators for the ex army are rajya sabha member not from lok sabha

    ReplyDelete
  8. The talks are on round that in the OROP table for JCO/ORs at many places real time values were not used, the values are assumed. Also where both the values are missing the pension is arrived at previous yrs for which some datas are available. Ex. Havaldar Y having 20 yrs of service is given 7795 and no real time value is available upto 23.5 yrs .Hence same pension of 7795 is fixed for all upto 235 yrs. Is correct way of doing. Is it natural justice. The benefit of increment should have been given to the pensioner by notionally arriving some amount and adding it to the previously available real time value. More over talks are on round that values were based on assumptions and many places no real time values used . Is it true.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yes send him to Infantry school Mhow first for a week and then to Staff College Wellington for few weeks and then let him do the full course at NDC. If Prince of Wales can do regular military training before becoming King, what stops him to acquire some much needed knowledge? For God's sake, let him not openly criticize veterans at JM or uniformed people in service headquarters! As it is PM has more important things to do than keeping tag of what his ministers are doing?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, every defence minister if he is not a military personnel must be sent for military training. So are the defence ministry staff.

      Delete
  10. Failed to understand the reference and context, as also the text of the write up. Is it a blame game on half fact?

    ReplyDelete
  11. It is not only RM,but majority of politicians and bureaucrats who are biased against their own Armed Forces.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The GOI must scrap the Armed Forces and bring in mercenaries just like Pakistan. The nation doesn't deserve disciplined and high morale forces.

      Delete
  12. Simple.How NFFU and those allowances to babus get through the Govt of the Nation???.Who is Govt ?,of the people ,by the people ,for the people ? Definitely not babus/ beaurocrats.
    If,babus and police can get through what they want simply ; Why not soldiers get what is legitimate !
    Simply ,soldiers are not assertive of their legitimate Rights.
    They can't be passive and have approach of meharbani.
    Soldiers of post independence are brave and upright.That lot of Gen Bahri are brave and uphold soldiering values.The new generation and present crop of gens may be of different quality and grade.
    How much time is taken for orop and that rank pay???.
    It is struck at from that 80% to 100 % of orop ,without factoring NFFU and parity of allowences

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The bureaucrat's contention is that few IAS/IPS even blessed with NFU are not costing the nation, but the vast Armed Forces is a costly affair. If every veteran is used by the government in various ministries after ther retirement automatically, then there will be discipline in the government. The OROP is the ice berge, more trouble is in the offing for these unmindful lot.

      Delete
  13. The recommendations of one man judicial commission will be put up before the same bureaucrats and politicians who have appointed the Commission. The recommendations may or may not be accepted. During this time period so many older veterans may die ,thus reducing the burden on the exchequer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Time and tide waits for none, even for these politicians. They are digging their own grave. Directionless is the PM and he dreams a great India forgetting the execution part.

      Delete
  14. Orop tables are false max or min whereas no such data available for QS as given in the tables , everyone should be given min 03 three increasement benefits if they are tare taking actual data and how shq made the projected table lot of contradiction. Needs review by commission immediately to avoid complicacy in 7th CPC or late date

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, every half year of QS must have different scale of pension, but here they are bunched them together. Where is the justification in dividing the QS into 0.5 years of service?

      Delete
  15. 1. Hony NK and Hony Hav pensions reduced to the actual Ranks where as it was less by 1/- rupee only in principle.
    2. Reservist kept out of OROP whereas they serve in 1962 , 1965 & 1971 wars with china and Pakistan due to excess enrollment send as reservist.
    3. The defence officers can serve up to 60 years of age at par with civilian officers IAS / IPS and frequently compared with them for pay, allowance, and NFFU etc.
    In the protest rallies ,TV debates the focus point of OROP was a soldier who retires at the 17/19 years of service or 35-40 years of age to keep the forces effective and young. Jawan’s face much more difficulties in terms of non-family stations being deployed at Borders. OROP must be 70-75 % to compensate low pensions and difficulties in finding alternative re-employment in the middle age. However, it is vice versa the officers must be out of review of OROP but they are more beneficiaries than PBOR.
    (a) OROP pension hike for JCO’s and Hony officers– 300- 625 /- only.
    (b) OROP pension hike for NCO’s/OR’s – up to 2000/-only.
    © OROP pension hike for officers – Maj - 5600 & LtCol to MajGen– 8500 -8000 Per Month.
    (d) Due to OROP basic pension gaps increase between PBOR Highest rank Hony Capt and Col minimum rank of retirement up to Rs 20000/per month -
    The SubMaj and EQV are the highest rank in PBOR and Col rank is minimum rank of retirement in officer cadre have the difference in the pensions more than 20000/- in basic pension due to this OROP which is too much .
    It makes officers as super Brahmin and PBOR’s as Maha Dalits.The huge gap in pension may be reduced by giving 70-75 % pension for JCO’s / NCO’s / OR’s and EQV ranks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, the highest pension and the lowest pension must adhere to 12:1 ratio if not actual ratio in pay/perks between the Chiefs and the lowest paid Jawan.

      Delete
  16. New system of taking 1\2 (0.5)years of QS was never taken in any CPC. This will be a tactics for reducing increasement and disputes between any rank. It should be stateway yearwise to reduce futher litigation.
    This may create difference with few day QS service e.g 29 sep and 01 oct. Those having 8month 29 days will get less pension who those having 9 month in the year. This needs review

    ReplyDelete