By Lt Col CR Sundar,
Tamil Nadu BJP ExServicemen's
Cell
The False News
of grant of OROP on 24 September 2012 by the Government of India, is
NOT TO BE COUNTED AS 'LOOKING AFTER' THE EX SERVICEMEN’.
Two events occurred in the
recent past. The events themselves are disconnected but together have a
catalytic effect in the transformation of veterans' world view.
The first was an announcement
by Mr. Khejriwal that he was planning to launch a political party. The
second was that veterans felt let down by the Congress government.
While the first was the outcome
of a long period of evolution in the political thinking of an honest man
who wants to deal with corruption, the second was blatant perjury from a
political party which everyone believes is the fountain head of corruption
in our country.
The Congress was at its
perfidious best when at noon one day we saw TV scrolls that the Central
Government had announced that OROP had been sanctioned. By evening we
started doubting the news and by the next day it was clear that they were
playing with our sensibilities. At the end of it the government earned a
collective BOO! from Ex Servicemen.
But all the same it is for the
good. The other day I was talking to a leading light of a Veterans' movement
in the North and he made it clear to me that veterans were not going to
support the Congress Party anymore and would henceforth support K's party.
His vehemence gave me the feeling that he has already had discussions and
would perhaps be getting a ticket for the forthcoming Parliamentary
elections. Even in Chennai similar stirrings are discernible.
This is good news because it
indicates that the veneer of veterans being apolitical is wearing thin and
veterans are slowly veering towards a positive attitude in favour of party
politics. I have been hoping for such a development for quite a few years
and am happy about it. For, there is no alternative to Ex Servicemen
joining political parties and influencing their welfare measures there from.
A retired officer from
Madambakkam who had just returned from USA tells me that in that country
be it at a mall or in a golf course it is always `veterans' and `marines'
who get preference. People stand aside for them and clap as they pass by. Have
we wondered why? The reason is simple. Many and in some cases most law
makers are Ex Servicemen. I am saying this in an appreciative way. That
country is a world leader because their people elect Ex Servicemen as law
makers as against our country where the lumpen elements get to win
elections.
The change in attitude that is
creeping in among veterans towards taking part in party politics is a good
thing because now Ex Servicemen will get a first hand view of the Indian
polity. While in service we were taught to consider every one not in an
armed forces uniform as riff-raff. In the political arena it is this so
called riff-raff who holds the power on the streets and in the field of
elections. If you do good for them, if they find you a worthwhile leader, if
they vote for you and for enough people like you then politicians will
announce from pulpits, as Obama did recently, that veterans have done
enough for the country and it is the duty of each and every citizen of the
country to do something for them.
The way I look at it, it is
immaterial to which party you belong. You may dump C party today or K's
party tomorrow. That is not what matters. What matters is that you should
be an active member of a party, work dynamically in that party to gain
their respect and then propagate your policy to the public from that
platform. I think recent events are bringing that about.
A word of caution to new
entrants into politics. Politics is all about people, not about leaders. Ms
Mamata Bannerjee got it right. When all the wizened Congress leaders of West
Bengal were bending to the Congress leaders of Delhi she devoted her time to
`trinamool' which in Bengali means grass roots. The problem with Delhi Congress
leaders is that you cannot bend low enough to please them. And when Mamata was
asked to bend she refused. She and her Trinamool Congress rose instead to
become the ruling party of West Bengal.
So veterans, keep up your
keenness to join political parties and work for the people while at the
same time earning respect for Ex Servicemen.
Lt Col CR Sundar,
This is a good opinion, though if the veterans join different parties; their effect is unlikely to be astonishing. We already have some "chamchas" in the main stream parties and they themselves have done precious little for the Faujis. Most of the seniors are looking for post retirement benefits or loaves of Office in the form of Governorship or as High Commissioners even if it means a demotion in stature. Last heard the ex-Navy Chief was steaming towards Ottawa to a position occupied by an Additional Secretary.
ReplyDeleteThe solution is to throw your lot with one party to start with. Concentration of Force is an important principle of war.
It will take ages for us to get close to the status of a US Veteran. Their lawmakers have taken part in wars and some have been POWs too. Ours is basically Baniya Fauj led by Baniya Political Leadership. Kargil, Parakram and 26/11 are recent examples (though I would salute and give full credit to the junior military leadership).
Coming back to the point, I suggest we throw our lot with one party. K and A (Anna) should be Ok. The C obviosly should be kept "at arms length".
K Pillai
I endorse the views of sh. Lalit ji in joining the political party of Anna/Kejriwal or else by-cote the elections.Because BJP is more cunning than the Congress in the welfare of the downtrodden.Every one know the fate of High Power Committee set-up by our late Prime-minister Sh.V P Singh.All the cols & gens participating as members of political parties opposed the one rank one pension except late Sh Inderjit Gupta of CPI.I am confident of Anna sharing with communists to steer the Nation out of the Mud and OROP will be first bill passed by this coalition one day.
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