Dear Friends,
1. Veterans across the country have resolved to fight the injustice heaped on them by the successive Governments for the past sixty years. The IESM has become the unifying force of all ex servicemen of the country. It is encouraging to receive veteran organizations and individual veterans volunteering to join the Movement.
2. The rally on 8th Feb 2009 alongwith return of 2500 medals and the subsequent return of 3000 medals to the President on 21 Feb 2009 have received due attention of media to bring the true facts of our case to the people of our country. Inspite of making requests four times to the President the Supreme Commander for an audience with her during the “Return of Medal” events, we were denied the much desired meeting. Maybe the advisors had their say. On 21 Feb 2009 while at Rashtrapati Bhavan, we expressed our hurt feelings and anguish at denial of meeting with the President.
3. Gen Raj Kadyan and Gen Surjit on CNBC with Karan Thapar at prime time set the stage right for furtherance of our cause. Mr Manish Tiwari, the congress spokesman who had joined the CNBC Programme, was only putting forth untrue facts. He will not be allowed to get away by injecting false beliefs in the minds of the people. Measures are being taken to suitably counter his false statements on the TV. One Rank One Pension is only a slogan coined way back in 1985 and not what we are asking today. Friends, what we are asking is equity and justice in pensions ie Same Class of Defence Personnel in Rank and Length of Service must draw same pension regardless of their date of retirement. You cannot create classes within a class; doing so will be violative of article 14 of the constitution. This principle has been upheld by the Supreme Court in a recent judgment on 09 Sep 2008 in the case of Major Generals. Why the Government is not honouring this principle while granting pensions to the past pensioners (ie pre 2006) is what is hurting the veterans the most.
4. In a coordination meeting of IESM held at Gurgaon on 22 Feb 2009, some landmark issues have been discussed. These are:
Our Relay Fast at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi will continue and the site will also act as a coordination office of IESM. A mobile phone has been made operational with No: 93 131 61596.
The next instalment of return of medals to the President has been fixed as 14 Mar 2009. We expect that much larger number of veterans will return their medals on that day. All state, district, city, Kasba, Tehsil and village conveners of IESM, all ESM organizations and individual veterans to kindly get into “Operational Immediate” mode and start collecting the medals from the veterans and start leading from the front. The medals duly packed in transparent small polythene bags should reach Jantar Mantar, New Delhi by 13 Feb 2009. Medals can also be deposited by individual veterans at Jantar Mantar on 14 Mar 2009 between 11 AM to 2 PM. “Every village should become the collection centre and every Ex Serviceman should be the “Karya Karta of IESM”.
Blitzkrieg Campaign on an Op Immediate basis be launched throughout the country for membership drive. Every ESM organization and every ESM are requested to join the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) and make it “A FORCE TO RECKON WITH”. Let us now show the numbers and our ability to not only UNITE but continue to Act Unitedly”. Please don’t wait for a call” or a motivator. Please Volunteer” and also be a catalyst to spread the message. I am sure “We Can DO it”.
We are now ready for Political foray. Every one of the 150 present, with one voice, felt the need to make Indian Ex Servicemen Party at the earliest and fight the coming Lok Sabha Elections. There are over 62 big cantonments in the country with over fifty thousand votes of Serving Defence Personnel and their dependants with equal number of votes of ESM settled around these cantonments and another over 200 other military stations with 5000 to 30000 votes of Serving Defence Personnel and their dependents. There is a need to ensure that the serving personnel are registered as voters at their respective stations. ESM and, serving senior leaders need to rise to the occasion and make the Election Officers at respective stations to carryout door to door campaign to register defence voters to enable them to exercise their right to vote. The Election Commission and the Service Headquarters have already issued orders but the scheming bureaucracy and the politicians are coming in the way of registering the serving defence personnel as voters at their respective military stations/ cantonments. IESM Core Group will soon take a decision on the name and formation of Political Wing of the IESM.
Core Group members will start visiting various states and cities to encourage ESM to join the Movement and setup state, district, city, Tehsil Committees for planning and executions of events of IESM.
IESM documentary and CD on 08 Feb 2009 Rally are being made and will be available throughout the country for wide publicity of IESM aims and objectives.
We once again request all ESM to enlist the support of media as “Force Multiplier” of our Movement. Please ask your friends, wards and relatives connected with the media both Electronic and Print or having liaison with them to cover our Movement extensively. We need their support the most.
Plans are being made to start state wise IESM “Yatras” and rallies throughout the country over the next six weeks and then the hurricane of ESM will descend on Delhi with a Maha Vishal Rally at Ramlila Ground in the 1st /2nd week of April 2009, just in time to show case the strength of ESM to the political System of the Country. We are thankful to the Government for making the sleeping “Lion” Wake Up, and for heaping on us the grave Injustice by downgrading our status, respect and emoluments.
We will however carry out all our events and plans peacefully and within the democratic norms of discipline. We will ever be ready in the Service of Our Nation till the last breath. “Let us join and heave together”
With Kind Regards,
Jai Hind.
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
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