SCPC: Majors and PBOR continue to get a raw deal

Absolutely no doubt that service personnel of the rank of Majors and their equivalents have been given a raw deal through the implementation of the 6CPCR; for that matter, all ranks who had to retire before completion of the possible full tenure of the service. This occurred due to the concept that physical fitness associated with each rank is demanding and hence beyond certain age it is not possible to employee a soldier in a particular rank. This, in a way, is a misconception. True! Age related fitness is paramount in battle condition during war or training. But, is there no scope to employee the soldiers in suitable alternative administrative posts and permit them to continue to be employed?

Our leaders in the field of HRM in Service HQ faulted in the past and continue to fault to ensure employment to soldiers till the age of sixty. Besides, they doled out such posts to civilian counterparts and threw the soldiers literally on the street to fend for themselves with so called reservation of a small percentage of posts in the civil market. They did not even see the necessity to monitor effective utilization of the reserved posts. You and I are to be equally blamed, because either we did not have the courage to challenge this injustice in the court of law or we were too naive to understand the implication of early retirement.

Notwithstanding, we must remedy the ill of the ESM; not by seeking subsidies out of sympathy but by introduction of suitable statute. If subsidies come about promptly and in a dignified manner, we should have no objection whatsoever. It shall be accepted as a gesture of goodwill from a grateful nation.. But when such measures are to be fought for and given grudgingly, I find it difficult to accept.

The remedy lies in fighting UNITEDLY to claim APIP. The pension that is considered as due to a soldier who retires after any pay commission must be awarded to the soldier who retired prior as well, in the same rank and with the same length of service. Besides, it has to be ensured that the pension-award for a soldier amply compensates for deprived service. We, the ESM have to ensure that the Pay Commission consults us, before they recommend pay structure for the services, as that pay structures affects our pension as well..

I do not see much difference in the oppression by the British of Indians before Independence, and that of ESM by the present Democratic Indian Government. We are enslaved by draconian service conditions. We have to struggle to get ourselves freed.

Questions which remains to be answered

how many of us realize the true nature of our problem?

how many are willing to fight for the remedy?

how many know how to fight?

I, for one, am fighting to the best of my ability by highlighting to the Defence Minister the incorrect approach of the Administrative Officialdom in interpreting the Absolute Parity in Pension (APIP). I feel encouraged from two letters I received from Shri AK Antony, in my reply to my so called verbose and pompous paper on APIP. I am hopeful that something worthwhile may happen in this process. Some may sneer ‘What a Hope?’. They may be justified based on their experience. But this is what I am capable of.
Maj Gen RN Radhakrishnan (Retd)