Date: Friday, 17 April, 2009, 10:10 PM
Dear Colleagues,
Advisory
The election advisory continues to be net-debated, which is a healthy sign. Those few who have disapproved of it are no doubt inspired by the value system that we all imbibed during our years in uniform. Their concern is not without basis; nor are we ourselves unaware or unmindful of it. However, such decisions are never based on a clear ‘black and white’ option. There is plenty of ‘grey’ in-between, where enough material can be found to support either side of the argument. Notably, while showing their disagreement with the advisory, none of the naysayers has offered any alternative that we could have followed. The PBOR continue to endorse the advice rendered on 12 Apr 2009.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM
Readers Responses
Dear Friends,
I have received the latest advisory to the ex-servicemen by the IESM. Here are my submissions for your kind consideration.
We have been witnessing over the past thirty years how some politically ambitious officers soon after retirement desperately trying to get for themselves some position and perks with the powers that be. They all start with taking up the cause of ex servicemen. Once their aim is achieved they are nowhere traceable.
Recently similar history is being repeated by the Netas of the so called Indian Ex servicemen Movement. This was nothing but a platform created to launch ambitious politically motivated self- serving individuals. About the movement part. It was nothing but moving the cause to the stage it was in in 1994 when we were fighting with the Pay Commission to have this concept of OROP accepted. They by exploiting the ex servicemen to the hilt have managed to get very near the political hierarchy of a political party. Now to make the final kill they are going around extolling the ex servicemen to vote for their mentors because they have put some of our demands in their Election Manifesto.
This party in their Election Manifesto for 1999 had also promised to give One Rank One Pension {OROP}. Once they came to power we went to them for fulfilling their promise. Their reply was a forthright rejection of our request. This happened at a time when 30 to 40 bodies of our valiant soldiers were coming down every day from the heights of Kargil. They did not care for even their sacrifices while giving a slap on our face. How can you trust them now.
I had in my earlier letter mentioned that putting this demand and more in the Manifesto is no problem for these Political leaders. If they do not come to power they say we cannot fulfill their promise and if they manage to squeeze into power then they couldn’t care less and have many excuses to refuse to do it.
In 2003 when the BJP gave a slap on our face by rejecting it, we called a rally at Ram Leela Ground and invited the Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Parliament. He incidentally was from the same Party. He on hearing us, promised to invite me for a hearing in the Parliament. After hearing me he made a very strong recommendation for granting us OROP. The strong recommendation was the result of our forceful presentation during which half of the members were moved to tears. Later during the tea break they promised that they would do their best to have our grievances redressed. The BJP Govt rejected their own Chairman’s report. Luckily for us the Govt changed and we got to the new Govt. They were kind to appoint a Group Of Ministers who gave full parity to PBORs with Fifth CPC on 26 Jan 2006. This in other words means OROP with Fifth CPC rates.
Now we were persuading the leadership to maintain this precedence and grant us full parity with Sixth CPC rates. Which in other words means OROP. The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri in my meeting with him on 14 Feb promised to do his best to get us full parity with Sixth CPC rates as soon as the PM was back in saddle.. He followed it up with his letter which was appended with my earlier mail to you all.
Before that could be achieved the political ambitions of the so called Netas had to take priority. Snubbed by the ruling Party after they burned the effigies of their top leaders they brought the opposition leader to plead their case in the Parliament. A leader who has been on various Committees with me and where he opposed the grant of OROP tooth and nail and later bringing another leader on their platform for making big promises, put the Govt off. No Govt can be brow beaten into doing what you want them to do for you.
Over the years if we were able to achieve any thing it was due to one single Mantra and that is go to the ruling party and not to the opposition and certainly not to the one which has hardly any chance of coming to power. Any body who does anything to the contrary is serving his own political ambitions and not the cause of the fraternity. This statement has been proved beyond any iota of doubt by the shenanigans of the Netas of the so called IESM.
Now a word about what you are being asked to do about your votes. Friends we are the only group of citizens of our great Nation who have had life times training for bringing about harmony and universal brotherhood in our Commands at whatever level. A training which is definitely required to bring about harmony amongst various religions to set our own Nation on the path for a glorious future. A Nation in which we say with pride that we are Indians first, a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or a Christian later. Nation needs us to fight the forces which are out to divide the Nation on the basis of caste creed or religion and not side with them. You have been asked by these Netas to side with the forces who are the very epitome of communal forces out to destroy the Nation from within. Would you like to sacrifice all that at the behest of your self seeking Netas. Please ponder over this submission of mine and then vote.
I know we are very incensed with the non acceptance of our demands by the present Govt. I wish to vouch for the fact that over the last 30 years of my involvement with your cause it has always been the Congress which had considered our problems sympathetically and found acceptable solutions. This time was no exception till these Netas by their unacceptable conduct of this so called Movement spoiled the show.
My appeal to all the brethren to follow your own faith and belief and vote for whatever Party you wish to. Do not be carried away by the appeal to vote for the BJP for they have put your demand in their Manifesto. When they were in power they rejected it . Now they are out of power with hardly any chance of making to the top they can promise the moon. Do not therefore waste your precious vote at least on this count.
I appeal to all our friends to send this mail to all your friends and acquaintances so that they can make their choice based on facts and not on empty rhetoric being spread by the misguiding Movement. I say this as I do not expect Chander Kamboj to pick up courage to put it on his Blog.
With warm regards and best wishes
Your Sincerely
Inderjit Singh
Dear Colonel,
I have had the pleasure to have met you when you visited the Jantar Mantar stall of IESM. We all are aware of the yeomen service you have provided to the cause of ESM, and not just for the OROP. There is life beyond OROP and we share that thought process. In fact we were looking forward to your joining us on the fast. Maybe other commitments kept you from the end of 2008 plans we had together.
You have been AT IT for a long time and it would be wrong on ANY ones part to ascribe motives to your selfless work. Equally, I for one feel you are unfairly using clairvoyent tones in your periodic outbursts..............daring Kamboj to pubish you in Report My Signal.
We at IESM are very open to criticism and still take your views to seriously analyze if we are going wrong anywhere. We are equally open to discussing openly, voices of dissent such as yours, since they bring about a lot of honesty in our dealings.We dont see any DANGER per se, in NOT assisting reach of your mails, but that would be constrained perhaps by space and the need to disseminate more important and thought provoking communications.
You have been at it for a long time. For decades, yes. Where are we after all this? So near you say? But successful? Despite the brave hunger strike only people of devotion like you can undertake? Yes Sir, there is power in numbers and by your self, you simply cant. It is something we have to put our head and heart together. In our different ways.
Each time whatever has been done is under the congress???? you say this with full knowledge that they have ruled for 51 years out of 60. Is that ALL they could do? Fortunately they did not do what couple of PMs wanted to do. Disband the defence forces. India they felt could be run by police wielding lathis!!!!
I am not going to narrate all these since I am confident you know much more about that Sir. What I wish you do, is to see the manifestos of the major parties of India. I suspect you will have the answers, at least to yourself, what its all about.
BJP is no saints. They would have their shortcomings, but when you mention what they did not do during the last stint - nearly one term, you forget we have ECHS today,and a lot more done in housing measures. The former you will recall had been with the MAAI BAAPs for around 3 decades if not more. Can they do more? if every political party does only 25% of what they say, and going about only by manifestos, they would do the security of India a lot of good.
Every segment in the democratic process looks for what a party is going to do FOR them. Whose agenda are we on???? Have we ever been seriously on Congress'?
Sir, this bit about IESM Netas. You got it wrong. We are not Netas. We are leaders. That is something we have been on average 35 years, and are just doing our bit to start a long innings. We are aware that some will go away.........dead, sick, or perhaps as you say to party politic...........but what you definitely miss is the sheer size of the movement that has been created. You CANNOT do it alone. Now you must realize there is a movement that will carry on after you and I are gone. That's something to think about.
As for circulation. Don't worry. Independent of Report My Signal, I will help other veterans read this. There are merits to mature, informed judgements.
Looking forward to YOUR joining IESM, and putting YOUR shoulders in a final "ALL TOGETHER HEAVE !!:
With Warm Regards,
Col RP Chaturvedi
Comment: ESM organisations are akin to a bubble or a glass house. We need unity of purpose least we bring down the bubble or the glass house by throwing stones. There can be only be one leader who can lead us to victory....the rest need to fall in line. The movement flourishes/ fails because it is the will of the majority which is at stake in a democracy. ESM do not subscribe to "Cash for Vote" syndrome so rampant on the streets. Indian democracy is certainly at crossroads! We need to introspect and look forward to a CHANGE for better or worse. It is the BJP who are seeking us and in turn confirms the respect for our apolitical stance as they see strength in our movement.
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