IESM: OROP- Voices of Veterans

Tuesday, February 24, 2009 12:05 PM
Subject: Article 'OROP' Revisited

Respected Sirs,
I read the mail on the above captioned subject with interest. Without taking away credit from the Herculean efforts made by the IESM team and the success achieved so far in highlighting our demands in the media, I feel that a fresh look is needed at our strategy.

In that context, Admiral Ghose has clearly and openly expressed views which will give an entirely different direction to the struggle being waged for grant of OROP. Personally, I,too, had been getting a little uneasy that our efforts might not bear fruit looking at the response, or rather lack of it, from the ruling party. Even the head of BJP, Mr. Rajnath Singh, it appears (from feedback from Gen. Kadyan), is not fully committing itself. Perhaps, the reason is that in the current political milieu, these parties do not think that supporting the cause of veterans will enhance their election prospects. In the end, we all know that this is the only motivation for the politicians. And 'media fatigue' is bound to develop sooner or later as in all cases, even more sensational. After that we will have to think what next? Forming political parties is a good idea, but it has an unacceptably long gestation period which will not fit into our scheme of things right now.

As Admiral Ghose has drawn attention to the fact that the process of devaluation of services started with the 3rd CPC. The recommendations came into effect in the year 1975. (I cannot comment on the 2nd CPC because I joined just after its implementation). The recommendations were sorely disappointing and some of us then Sqn Ldrs found to our dismay, that we were equated with our juniors (in service) in respect of the pay and with some anomalies, juniors got more pay than their seniors! We did not think of any protest but dourly lumped it. More disappointing was the fact that the pay scales had such a predominantly built-in 'salary stagnation' element that we had already reached the end-of scale for the next higher rank (of Wg Cdr) in the lower rank (as Sqn Ldrs) with the result that as Wg Cdrs we did not get a 'Paisa' of basic pay rise for the next 7 years, but only DA increases till the 4th CPC. This did adversely affect the pensions of those of us who took premature retirement before the implementation of the 4th CPC recommendations and subsequent pension revisions.

I have indulged in a rather long discourse, which many seniors must be aware of, but it is to put the whole issue in proper perspective and also for the benefit of those who joined services later and to stress that it is the 3rd CPC which did grave injustice to the services and the trend followed for subsequent CPCs.

In conclusion, my opinion is that a change of strategy could be considered by the Core Group and as suggested by Admiral Ghose, try to fight for going back to the old system of 'service pension' which, I am sure would have a legal base (an old act of pre-independence time which is still valid), which might have been overlooked by not only the 3rd CPC but also by the Armed Forces Headquarters. And if it does have legal base, then we have a better chance of succeeding because then no government can take cover under any plea unless it dares to amend the law. I think legal brains of IESM could delve deeper into the subject.

Regards,
Shashank Bendre
Wg Cdr(Retd)

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