IESM knocks President's door for OROP

18 APRIL EVENING
Dear Colleagues,
The IESM Governing Body met from 1000 to 1230 hours today. CK Sharma, Aditya Jaini, Rajan Sriniwas, Chander Kamboj, Harwant, Sharan Ahuja, Vinod Gandhi, Rakesh Chaturvedi and self attended. The members were updated on continuing efforts for OROP and the upcoming rallies – in Ghamar (UP) on 25 April and in Hisar (Haryana) on 06 May 2010. The minutes of the meeting will be circulated as per SOP.

In the afternoon session we were also joined by our esteemed colleagues; Colonel Nair (Kerala), Sqn Ldr Dhiman (HP), Colonel Raina (J&K) and Colonel Sidharth Bose (Chhattisgarh). We are grateful to them that they came all the way to participate in the interactive session. They made useful suggestions that would be deliberated in the appropriate fora.

Regular telephonic contact with the ESM across the country continues – Gurmel from Gurdaspur, Hari Singh from Hisar, Ahmatullah from Kupwara, DR Singh from Lucknow and several others. The ESM are aware that we have been shortchanged again and OROP has not been given, notwithstanding the information spread to the contrary. There is infectious eagerness in the environment to follow whatever the Movement plans and decides to do.

To maintain pressure on the government, a letter has again been written by me to the President on 12 April 2010. It is reproduced below:
Quote
This letter may kindly be put up to the Supreme Commander
Hon’ble Supreme Commander,
I draw your kind attention to our letter dated 8th March, 2010. May I again request the Supreme Commander to intimate the date and time of her convenience where she could receive the medals from the Ex-Servicemen, who have been long pursuing their demand of `One Rank One Pension’. The silence on part of the authorities can not unfortunately, make the problem disappear. On the contrary, it could only further strengthen the resolve of the Ex Servicemen to seek justice.
I may also mention that I have received a reply to my earlier letter to you dated 11th January 2010. This has come from the Army Headquarters vide their letter No. B/39027/29(5)/MOD/AG/PS-5 dated 19th March 2010 (copy attached). It is merely a routine reply that does not address the issue raised. It is a well-known fact that the committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary did not address the issue of One Rank One Pension. It only addressed the enhancement of pensions under `related issues’. It is submitted that there is no relation between pension enhancement and the just demand One Rank One Pension that is based on principle of equity.

With best regards,
Yours sincerely,
Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil
Hon’ble President of India
& Supreme Commander of Armed Forces
Rashtrapati Bhawan
New Delhi – 110 004
Copy to:
Hon’ble Prime Minister
Hon’ble Defence Minister
Unquote

Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM