By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 10th Nov 15
Ex-servicemen (ESM) leading the “One Rank,
One Pension” (OROP) agitation have rejected the government’s notification,
issued on Saturday, implementing the OROP award and spelling out its terms.
The award, which involves a pay out of Rs
8,000-10,000 crore to 2.5 million ex-servicemen, ignores five out of seven
demands that ESM leaders had spelt out and only partially meets the other two.
Satbir Singh, retired major general who
heads the United Ex-Servicemen League (UESL) says, “Ex-servicemen strongly
reject the government’s notification and will intensify their agitation for a
just award. Instead of One Rank, One Pension, the government has implemented
One Rank, Many Pensions.”
On September 5, after Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar announced details of the proposed award, ESM leaders had met
him to propose amendments to the award. But Satbir Singh and other leaders say
the government “completely and arrogantly ignored” their suggestions while
issuing the notification.
ESM leaders are now planned to extend the
agitation from Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, into a countrywide movement. “The
first major rally we will organise is in Ambala on November 15”, says Singh.
Based on its success, we will have another
rally in Delhi on December 13. That will be followed by rallies in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and
southern India.
The OROP agitation plans to increase its
visibility, reaching out to even non-military audiences by featuring celebrity
children of army, navy and air force personnel, including actors Gul Panag and
Priya Gill.
Gul Panag, whose father is a retired
lieutenant general, confirms to Business Standard that she is ready rally to
draw attention to the OROP cause. “I am happy to support them in whatever way
they want”, she said.
The OROP agitation has also implemented a
public funding model, in which ex-servicemen groups --- based on course and
unit affiliations --- are collecting donations for the UESL.
Business Standard examined the fund
collection of a sample ESM group, based on unit affiliation, which had
collected Rs 150,000. The army alone has more than 800 such unit groups.
“We are entirely self-sufficient in funds,
based on ESM contributions”, confirms Singh.
Meanwhile, celebrities are also helping to
gather funds. Sunita Garware, and ESM’s daughter and the wife of a Pune-based
industrialist, set the ball rolling with a cheque of Rs 5 lakhs. Others will
follow, says Singh.
A social media and digital media campaign
is also on the cards. Support is being mustered through missed calls to a
particular number (3.5 million calls already made) and text messages to another
number. This support will be demonstrated to the government, says Singh.
Within the ESM community, younger elements
are arguing for intensifying the agitation from a peaceful dharna at Jantar
Mantar to more intrusive and visible rallies, marches and “raasta roko” and
“rail roko” agitations.
Asked whether he is concerned the agitation
could spin out of control, Singh responded, “I hope it will not come to that. I
am confident the government will address our concerns”.
I dont think the people of India realise that our Civil services already have better benefits with the best benefit of all- their lives are never on the line!. All that work is done by the armed forces!!
ReplyDelete@ Guinder..Frankly your views are pretty myopic. Are you suggesting that other than Defence personnels, rest all are not helping in nation building. Everyone has a role and everyone does it to best( barring some aberrations). Derating other organisation doesnot help in furthering OROP cause
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