Sentiments about 'neglect' of servicemen are common discussion points in service circles- messes, bars and social gatherings. We all hope, and PRAY that the Indian National Milieu will some day behave more empathetical with the Defence set up. They would... but for the sibling rivalry ridden 'babus' we feel. Correct? Yes, perhaps. But only just.
Question: Why are MOST of us only content to TALK about it? Why don't we step forward ourselves to contribute our effort to improve matters?
Illustrations:
1. In trying to improve ECHS services, we had requested volunteers to operate as Regional Liaison Cell members and Polyclinic Liaison Cell members. We got volunteers to man (only one or two each ) JUST 7 Regional Liaison Cells. 227 Poly clinics need manning. Just a handful have received attention! Where are the rest? BUSY?
2. Membership of the IESM can do with improvement. Lots of praise about the good work being done is received. So if you like the good work, why not JOIN and refer people to JOIN. When we like food in a restaurant, we refer our friends to that, don't we?
3. We all crib about the 'lack of knowledge of matters military' amongst the citizenry. How about doing something about it? Do you connect well with kids? (Most Grand fathers do). Can you identify schools that would allow you to talk to kids and talk about the '' Making of a Soldier- How does he do the seemingly impossible?' OR ' Positive Attitude as a Battle winning factor - in War and in Life'? Or such like. Remember, Positive strokes only . There is ample negativity going around in media anyway. AND I AM referring to Pan India. NCR is Not India. Sounds familiar? Yes, there are many more states/ parts of this great country.
4. Appreciate IESM work? Can you influence corporate to assist our aims of awareness through CSR activities? Sports matches, marathons, golf tournaments etc to commemorate military history milestones like Kargil Divas 26 July, or Vijay Divas 16 Dec?
5. Fund Raising? Now that we have 80G applicable?
6. A concluding question, if your answer to ANY ONE question above is YES.
Question. What are you waiting for? If the answer to my last question is that you are too busy (with grand children, work, earning money, sickness, family commitments etc), please be informed that the 'indifferent citizenry' is ALSO busy with the same. So let us respect that too.
With Warm Regards,
Col RP Chaturvedi,
Member IESM Steering Committee and ECHS Division Coordinator
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Caught in camera by Tehelka that the drug and arms mafia had links with Socialite Politicians
TEN YEARS ago, the Indian Navy suffered a disgraceful defeat. The humiliation was inflicted not by any inimical foreign power, but by powers-that-be in New Delhi’s South Block. In December 1998, the then Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, was unceremoniously booted out at the instance of ‘honourable’ defence minister George Fernandes, who could not make him bootlick.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, a staunch nationalist, expected to be the last person to hurt the country’s honour, had his compulsions to back the Defence Minister. Fernandes was playing a key role in letting the government survive, acting as go-between with Tamilnadu chief minister Jayalalithaa. The Defence Minister’s main job, in fact, was to rush to Chennai to satiate her routinely. Bhagwat’s refusal to have vice admiral Harinder Singh, enjoying Fernandes’ confidence, as his deputy was the ostensible reason for the sack. Actually, the purpose was to teach a lesson to the service chiefs; they were harming entrenched interests doing deals in South Block.
In July that year, defence secretary Ajit Kumar had conveyed Fernandes’ instructions to the service commanders that they should seek prior approval of the ministry before intercepting any vessel suspected to be carrying narcotics and arms. The three service chiefs jointly wrote back that interdiction operations in the Andamans were ’mandated operations’, which did not require the ’prior approval’ of the ministry.
Read the full account:
No honour please, you are Indian Navy Chief
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, a staunch nationalist, expected to be the last person to hurt the country’s honour, had his compulsions to back the Defence Minister. Fernandes was playing a key role in letting the government survive, acting as go-between with Tamilnadu chief minister Jayalalithaa. The Defence Minister’s main job, in fact, was to rush to Chennai to satiate her routinely. Bhagwat’s refusal to have vice admiral Harinder Singh, enjoying Fernandes’ confidence, as his deputy was the ostensible reason for the sack. Actually, the purpose was to teach a lesson to the service chiefs; they were harming entrenched interests doing deals in South Block.
In July that year, defence secretary Ajit Kumar had conveyed Fernandes’ instructions to the service commanders that they should seek prior approval of the ministry before intercepting any vessel suspected to be carrying narcotics and arms. The three service chiefs jointly wrote back that interdiction operations in the Andamans were ’mandated operations’, which did not require the ’prior approval’ of the ministry.
Read the full account:
No honour please, you are Indian Navy Chief
Sunday, November 1, 2009
IESM: Perseverance- The success formula for OROP
It is necessary that we Ex- Servicemen reduce our rhetoric and silence those who so far are attempting disunion within us- by overwhelming their influence; and who at the same time have acted as if they had all the Veterans in their pockets.
Do not be deterred from your intentions by the fact that this or that majority resolution does not suit you. Such resolutions may be altered in the course of time. But the disgrace of separating here without accomplishing any results can never be blotted out; should such happen it would be equal to a crime against our cause which is the cause of the whole ESM Community. But the form can be found in which minor differences of opinion can be resolved in harmony, which the striving for a higher universally acknowledged ideal, common to us all- our legitimate demands.
Now friends, our sense of duty must be stronger than our self- will; our love for the cause must make us forget personal injustices we may have suffered; our entire thinking, feeling, and wishing must be consumed by enthusiasm for the work of rescue which we have to perform in common with the aim of righting the injustices inflicted on ESM, be it Pension Parity or any other in the interests of our ESM brotherhood.
But perhaps one or other among you may say: “These are but words, phrases which cannot stand before the real facts as they exist.” In answer we need only point to the rich experiences in life that nothing comes without hard work to fight injustices- "No pain no gain". The proof is that what has been achieved till now is because of our perseverance. We must march ahead without looking back!
Lt Col James Kanagaraj (Retd)
Blog Moderator
Do not be deterred from your intentions by the fact that this or that majority resolution does not suit you. Such resolutions may be altered in the course of time. But the disgrace of separating here without accomplishing any results can never be blotted out; should such happen it would be equal to a crime against our cause which is the cause of the whole ESM Community. But the form can be found in which minor differences of opinion can be resolved in harmony, which the striving for a higher universally acknowledged ideal, common to us all- our legitimate demands.
Now friends, our sense of duty must be stronger than our self- will; our love for the cause must make us forget personal injustices we may have suffered; our entire thinking, feeling, and wishing must be consumed by enthusiasm for the work of rescue which we have to perform in common with the aim of righting the injustices inflicted on ESM, be it Pension Parity or any other in the interests of our ESM brotherhood.
But perhaps one or other among you may say: “These are but words, phrases which cannot stand before the real facts as they exist.” In answer we need only point to the rich experiences in life that nothing comes without hard work to fight injustices- "No pain no gain". The proof is that what has been achieved till now is because of our perseverance. We must march ahead without looking back!
Lt Col James Kanagaraj (Retd)
Blog Moderator
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