Thursday, September 18, 2008

Ex- Servicemen Commission: Can it address ESM Grievances?

ESM Seeking Redressal

Cycle of Commissions: Hundreds Doing the Rounds

The government will soon set up an Ex-Servicemen Commission in order to streamline efforts to address the grievances of armed forces veterans and plan welfare schemes for them, Defence Minister A K Antony said today.

"After opening a new department in the Defence Ministry for ex-servicemen, the government is going to set up an Ex-Servicemen Commission soon to recommend various welfare schemes for them and their families," Antony said, soon after inaugurating a Sainik School at Thappa Gothra Khori village on 29 August 2008.
Govt to set up ex-servicemen commission soon: Antony
New department to look after ex-servicemen

Comments
Basically, Commissions are evolved by the bureaucracy to give another five year tenure to a retiring/ retired bureaucrat. In this case, a political person is also being given a position or being rehabilitated, perhaps for life. There is merit in the idea of a commission; it is the composition in the present form that veterans are opposing. Two examples that need to be mulled over by all.

Firstly, when the RTI organisation was formed, the bureaucrats grabbed all the appointments, both at the centre and state levels. There was not even one officer of the armed forces who was taken. Now, a few officers have been taken, maybe after Defence Forces woke up, but still not as the heads at centre or state levels. Therefore, the time to forward our just demands is now, not after the Commission is formed.

Secondly, there is an appointment under the aegis of the centre, known as 'Chairman - Rehabilitation Council of India'. It is an honorary appointment. The present incumbent is Maj Gen Ian Cardozo. About three years back, when his predecessor had completed his tenure, there was a move to appoint a political or a politically- sponsored person for the post. However, the various organisations and individuals dealing with disabled personnel agitated on the grounds that only a disabled person must occupy this slot. They succeeded and hence Ian was appointed.

For ensuring that the composition of the Veterans Commission should be as we the veterans want it, we need to aggressively plead the case with the Government against IAS bureaucrats being included in the Commission, as their aim would be to nullify "Redressal of Grievances of Armed Forces Personnel". The Bureaucrats have effectively sullied and nullified the RTI Act so much so, that the go slow ACT has put many proactive NGO's off into a spin and are seeking recourse in the courts!

We thank Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi (Retd) for the inputs. ESM and Veteran organisations need to get their ACT in the right perspective! Would the IESM Core Group kindly give due thought to the points raised. Can we expect the IESL to spearhead this noble cause?

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