Monday, July 6, 2015

Exclusive: Narendra Modi has betrayed the very trust of us soldiers: Army General on OROP - By Rifat Jawaid

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India’s army veterans have blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for betraying the men in uniform by not fulfilling his promises over One Rank One Pension. Retired soldiers have been on a relay hunger strike for over a month demanding that the OROP is implemented without further delay. 
Speaking exclusively to Jantakareporter.com, Major General Satbir (retired) said that PM Modi on 15 September 2014 in Rewari had assured that he will grant OROP “the moment government is formed.” He said, “But he’s (Modi) betrayed the very trust of us soldiers. So, in all my hosho hawaas (consciousness), I have no hesitation in saying that Mr Modi is responsible for causing injuries to hearts and minds of the soldiers of this country called Bharat. They call themsleves nationalists. If they were nationalists, they will honour the commitment made to the soldiers. Let Mr Modi come on TV to say that he doesn’t have money to pay to the soldiers, we will finish our agitation. But has he guts to say that to the country?”
In an extraordinary development, as many as 11 Generals sat on hunger strike on Saturday with their demands on OROP. They were joined by 15 more Generals  that included five Lt Generals, one Admiral of Indian Navy and 10 Major Generals on Sunday. Maj General Satbir said that the soldiers were determined to take their fight to its logical end adding that “we don’t leave the battlefield until we’ve either won or lost, or we are POWs or we’ve captured.”
He said, “Military training has taught us to finish our task. There’s no middle ground. It’s not a fight against the government. It’s a fight against injustice. 15 months time delay is unacceptable. We are hurt, we are angry with our prime minister, angry to the core. He’s gone back on his assurance. If his finance minister is not delivering, he should haul him up and tell him to clear the Rs 8300 crores. File is lying with the FM since 17 March 2015.”
The Generals were invited by the defence minister Manohar Parriker after the Army Chief General Suhag and the Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar reportedly intervened and facilitated the minister’s meeting with the protesting army veterans. Parriker has agreed to meet them again early next week.
Maj Gen Satbir said that there were 6,75,000 widows of the defence forces and over 24 lakh retired officers adding that “these thirty lakh believed in Modi, who betrayed them spectacularly.” Army veterans are also accusing the Modi government of being in contempt of the Supreme Court, which on February 16 this year had directed the central government to implement OROP.
A bench of Justices TS Thakur and AK Goel had warned the government of contempt if it failed to abide by its order within three months. Representing government, the Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand had assured the court of working out the ‘modalities within the specified timeframe.”
 Another officer, Colonel Teotia (retired) questioned the government’s intention to implement the OROP. He told jantakareporter.com that “if the  government wanted to do it, they would have done it in the first quarter of coming to power.” Colonel Teotia blamed the bureaucracy for not allowing the soldiers to meet the prime minister.
He said, “There are n number of lies in the bureaucracy’s briefings, which we want to point out. But we are not allowed to meet the PM.” A visibly pained Colonel said that the army had been denied the natural justice since independence. He said, “There’s something known as natural justice, which is where we’ve been suffering right since independence. By natural justice I mean that the aggrieved party should have been heard. 
No body listens to us. “Even if we go to streets, we are told this is not expected from the men in uniform. We are suffering, what do we do? We are not killing people, we are not burning buses. Although these people (politicians) understand just one language. That language is of disruption of smooth running of the country. That’s the only language these chaps understand.”
Colonel Teotia said the recent goings on had adversely impacted the morale of the serving officers, who were worried about their loved ones in case they died protecting the country.
“Unfortunately, we cannot cry in public. But surely when we go to bed at night, when lights are off we are forced to reflect as to what we have gotten ourselves into. This is how naxals are made. If somebody turns naxal today, I’m not going to blame the individual, but I will blame the bureaucracy and the politicians. There’s already a massive shortfall of officers. That’s perhaps why people are less inclined to wear the uniform for this country.”
Rifat Jawaid is the founder and editor-in-chief of jantakareporter.com
(SOURCE- JANTAKAREPORTER)

8 comments:

  1. Great write up!. Excellently brought out the distinctly mule headed nature of the FM and the babus, who are the sole causes of this situation today. Why can't they grasp, that you CANNOT compare a govt servant, who does NOT commit ANYTHING, with those who in full presence of mind, agree to stand in front of the enemy, knowing fully well that their lives and/or limbs will be lost. Ask ANY babu (Bureaucrats Always Bugger Up) to consciously give up ANYTHING for the good of ANYONE else other than their own selfish selves, and see the result!

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  2. 21 days of relay hunger strike, they are not bothered, they don't even have a pinch of prick on them, they are making fun of our legitimate demand, has someone from the govt visited Esms who are on hunger strike, I don't think so, they are taking it easy, we have to find different ways to appease them

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  3. dear sir,
    Let the modi come in public and openly declare I AM NOT ABLE FULFILL TO MY PRE POLL COMMITMENTS owing to financial crunch or my subordinates are running the government and they are not listening to my advice, particularly jaitley YOU COWARDS, LIARS BETRAYER OF INDIAN EX SOLDIER , hold your hands up. we captured power by giving false promises and withdraw your poll promises or dissolve the government, some samaritans may take over commitments and fulfill it, i am an ex foot soldier, i am not bothered about you and your kitchen government i am ready face anything but as a discipline soldier we will never indulge in violence, even if you push us to commit that sin, bharatha matha see your pseudo leader, hypocrites and who divide this country's secular fabric in the name of religion , bharatha matha save and salvage us

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  4. The bottom line and all the Tsmasha is for Rs. 8300/. Cr additional liability for a nation of 125 Cr. And our 56 inches chested leaders can't close this issue where all political parties, parliament, Supreme Court are in agreement that justice demands that OROP be granted to ESM . Yet the Trimoorti thinks otherwise. Pagal ho gayi hai SAARI BJP because their declaration "Denge lekin apni marzi se denge aur batayenge nahi kab denge " is understood only by the Trimoorti. At least provide some good excuse.....

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  5. I would like to ask Narender Modi that where is achhchhe din for Soldiers and veterans. They use to struggle for nation when they are in active service after sacrificing every thing. Even they loss their lives in the act of their service to save our nation at any cost but if they return in their family on the name of retirement in early age they use to struggle their livelihood day to day in their life. Is it punishment to serve honestly for our nation ? How much Government concerns over veterans fighting for actual right for 30 years ? How we believe from leaders before election they use to make big promise in front of veterans and after election they are not getting their actual right even after agitation also.

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  6. 3 WEEKS T-minus countdown seems to have begun for OROP DGL
    Here is an abstract of what's on behind the scene
    Principle of OROP as per Government order issued by D/o ESW, MOD on 24.4.2014

    Principle of OROP as per Government order issued by D/o ESW, MOD on 24.4.2014

    Definition of One Rank One Pension as per Government order issued by MoD (DoESW) : The principle of OROP implies that uniform pension be paid to the Armed Forces Personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length oi service irrespective of their date of retirement and any future enhancement in the rates of pension to be automatically passed on to the past pensioners.

    No.12(01)/2014-D(Pen/Pol)
    Ministry of Defence
    Deptt. of Ex-Servicemen Welfare
    D (Pension/Policy)
    Sena Bhawan.
    New Delhi the 24th April. 2014
    ORDER

    As decided in the meeting on OROP chaired by Hon’ble RM on 22.04.14, a Working Group is constituted as follows to finalize the modalities of implementation of OROP based on the principle specified in the previous meeting on OROP held on 26.02.14. The principle of OROP implies that uniform pension be paid to the Armed Forces Personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement and any future enhancement in the rates of pension to be automatically passed on to the past pensioners.

    2. The composition of the Working Group would be as follows:

    (i) Controller General of Defence Accounts Chairperson
    (ii) Jotnt Secretary (SSW) Member
    (ill) Joint Secretary (E). Deptt of Defence Member
    (iv) Addl. FA (Defiance Finance) Member
    (v) Representatives of the three Services Member
    (vi) Addl CGDA Member
    (vii) PCDA (P). Allahabad Member

    3. The Terms of Reference of Working the Group are as follows:-

    (i) To examine the proposal on implementation of OROP which was presented by the Services in the meeting on 22.04.14 to enable CGDA to prepare DGL after due deliberation on all aspects.

    (ii) To work out the detailed financial implications.

    4. CGDA would finalise the DGL and submit it to D/o ESW, MOD along with financial implications thereof within three weeks from the date of this order.

    5. Since substantial increase is anticipated in expenditure on OROP, FA (DS) would thereafter seek additional funds as per requirement.

    6. This issues with the approval or the Competent Authority.

    sd/-
    (Chahan Ram)
    Deputy Secretary (Pension)

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  7. Unfortunately we have a PM who is not trustworthy because he has no time frame spelt out to release orders on OROP. Can he be the role model of a messiah of good governance..In the forthcoming elections in Bihar & Punjab the effect of this will be seen and definitely he is not coming back in 2019 with this characteristics that is visible in other announcement of the PM over the past year like smart cities, bullet train ( a non starter for sure), adoption of one village by each MP, mass irrigation plan to touch each village, swacch Bharat Ganga cleaning etc etc ,

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  8. I would request the ESM representatives in the BJP including those who are part of the cabinet to show some teeth by submitting their resignations if not from the parliament. The fast unto death by the ESMscan follow just after that. That would be shocker for the government who so far is showing its teeth of arrogance in the matter of Sushma swaraj, Lalit Modi, Vasundhara Raje, Vyapam of MP by not accepting the truth.

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