“The safety honour and welfare of the country comes first always and every time” is a well known phrase and no one can deny it. The officers and soldiers abide by this dictum to the hilt. However, does it so for our present crop and generation of corrupt, criminally inclined, self centred and self abiding leaders or for that matter for our worthy bureaucrats who are not too far behind them. There are many more categories which can be added to the list. Naturally, they all claim to have patriotic or nationalistic outlook, but their acts prove that for them the Safety Honour and Welfare of the Nation comes last always and every time. No wonder that even Supreme Court had to remark in context of its leaders and bureaucrats that “God only can Save India” or words to that effect.
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In the light of the above, where does the safety honour and welfare of the soldiers or even veterans, who stand by this dictum throughout their life, lie in the eyes of the people who control their destiny. Due to their continued indifference towards these gallant men, there is a growing desperation in the minds of all categories of defence personnel, for the reason that the Nation has almost deliberately overlooked their feelings and values to guard their future, knowing full well that they retire from active service much earlier and at a much much younger age, in comparison to their counterparts elsewhere.
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They are being left to sustain themselves on their meagre pensions, which have not kept at par with the overall increases being enjoyed by their serving brethrens. It implies that a person of a particular rank, who retired many years ago, gets much lesser pension, than the new retiree of the same rank gets now. In these hard days of inflation how can it be expected that the old pensioners would be able to survive with dignity as also make both ends meet. Government prefers to be a mute spectator to this problem, universally face by all the pre 2006 defence veterans, instead of finding a solution. It is amazing to think, how a majority Government can continue to ignore the just demand of OROP.
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It is also a well known fact that the Armed Forces Law, does not permit them to go on strikes, or to write to papers or to protest in any form against the Government, as others do and disrupt various activities and services of life beyond limits, to bring the ministers/officials on their knees to accept their demands. So a soldier is helpless, and at the mercy of the Government or the bureaucracy, and has to silently suffer by accepting everything doled out by them, whether fair or unfair.
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It is due to this major anomaly, that veterans all over India, have been waging their silent and peaceful protests, in the dusk of their lives. The situation arose, ever since the announcement and implementation of the 6th Pay Commission. It is an irony that the powers that be, are unable or unwilling to see and comprehend this disparity, degradation of their reputation, Izzat and the resources of these unfortunate class and have turned a blind eye and deaf ears to their protest for Justice. This 6th Pay commission has taken the cake amongst all the previous pay commissions, because it has performed the impossible. In that, the reputation of the Defence forces, which was to live for years and years to come, has been denigrated and degenerated in a single go. It has not only totally demotivated and demoralised the veterans, but also has adversely affected the morale of many a classes of serving soldiers and officers, who would also be veterans after a while.
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The limit of denigration has been such, that the veterans do not anymore, feel happy and take pride in owning their medals, earned for gallantry and service in hostile borders any more. They have been compelled to return them to their Supreme Commander. Unfortunately to their utter dismay, all these silent and peaceful protests for justice have not yet moved the Government to give them even an inkling of an assurance. Not even the worthy President, the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, whose interests and well being should have been closest to her heart, has shown any sympathy towards their cause. Pitiably, a State Minister of Defence was vocal in rejecting or expressing impracticability of acceptance of the demand on some frivolous considerations.
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The extent of painful and distressful agony, which the Armed Forces veterans, have been going through in the matter so far, in trying to persuade the Government to meet their humble and justified demands, even conceded by the Supreme Court in a similar case for Major Generals during September 2008, is actually unparalleled in the history of Indian Veterans. It appears unbelievable that the veterans have been compelled to adopt such means first time ever in the past six decades after the Indian Independence, to persuade the Government to meet their genuinely justified demands. It was always considered most unbecoming, of any retired officer to resort to such practices and means. But the present Government and its shameful and unjust bureaucracy, has compelled the soldier to do what they never did in the past.
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It may be appreciated, that the protest of the veterans is more for justice, equation amongst the rank structure of the present and that of the past, the reputation, the glory and the “Izzat” which each and every soldier in the Armed Forces stands for, survives in deep crisis, and is always prepared to lay down his life, for the safety, security, welfare and integrity of the Nation. The Indian government, in spite of its various assurances for granting the wishes of millions of its gallant veterans before the elections, has turned a Nelson’s eye towards their long pending grievances, especially the “One Rank One Pension” plea.
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It is indeed so pathetic, unthinkable or imaginable that in spite of the recommendations of various high ranking committees, public representatives, as well as highest judiciary, the government has not budged even an inch from their rigid stand. Pitiably, even the Defence minister, who should be most concerned about the welfare and well being of defence personnel including veterans, seems to have been deliberately ignoring their just cause, by declaring, non feasibility of OROP at every possible occasion on most flimsy, frivolous and unjustified grounds. He has unfortunately, never given any heed to the much larger number of recommendations and decisions in favour of this demand.
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It is a pity that our Netajis or a bureaucrats in their civil dress, are unable to understand and appreciate the pride of the soldiers and officers in uniform, which they wear day in and day out, and are always prepared to face any eventuality or perform any service for which they may not even be trained, but have to, when the Nation calls upon them to do so. This is particularly so, when all other inefficient and incapable departments frequently fail in their own jobs and duties, or become ineffective and helpless. Just a lip service and passing remarks of “Jai Ho” for a soldier, when he performs his duty, does not solve his domestic and financial problems. He still has to look after his family and bring up his children to face this cruel world. However, at the time when he needs the Government’s help the most, the Government and its officials turn themselves to other sides and leave the young retired/discharged soldier/veteran to fend for himself.
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It is a well known and established fact that the soldiers retire much earlier than their other counterparts anywhere else, and are losers in every respect including, their respect and honour, financially, government facilities and worst of all the post retirement benefits. The comparative financial loss due to early retirement as well as non sanction of OROP for each rank would be substantial, and may well be in lakhs. Who in this world, would ever realise and evolve solutions for this malaise, if the Government does not? With the government’s known and available resources there seems no difficulty in sanctioning this.
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Undeniably, almost 90 - 95% of the soldiers when they retire are very young, usually in the age group of 35 to 42, well disciplined and trained, physically and mentally strong and very fit. They can definitely form an effective nucleus for induction into most of the uniformed services like, BSF, ITBP, RPF, CRP, Home Guards, Coast Guards, Police and many such services whose men serve up to the age of 58 to 62. In the present environment, where the internal security has become a major head ache for the home minister, this trained manpower can provide yeoman’s service to the nation.
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It is also an established fact that all the services are deficient of their authorised man power. In any case the overall requirement of all such security related services have gone up so many times due to increase in population, crime rate, security threats and many related factors, but no departments seem to have given it a serious thought, and the situation is becoming from bad to worse. To overcome such a situation, there appears to be no tangible alternative in sight to bring in any improvement in the situation. As a result private security agencies are mushrooming all over with hardly any control. All types of personnel are being inducted to form this generally inefficient organisation. The government can certainly devise means and frame policies for induction of discharged/retired defence personnel into such services. This would partially help the defence veterans to start a second career to compensate for their truncated service in the defence forces.
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In view of this, it is not only a humble appeal but is strongly felt, that the Central Government should formulate policies, to not only ensure lateral absorption or sideways induction of younger lot of defence personnel/veterans, into paramilitary and police services, but also ensure welfare of older ie pre 2006 veterans, by enhancing their pensionary benefits to as close to the level of “one rank one pension” OROP as justifiably feasible.
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by Col LK Anand Retd
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