OROP issue: IESM to deposit medals to Prez

Respected Sir/Madam,
The following report -- released by the United News of India news agency on November 24, 2010 -- is for your kind perusal. I request you to further publicise the issue.
With regards
Abhi

OROP issue: IESM to deposit medals to Prez By Abhijit C Chandra
Bhopal, Nov 24 (UNI)
There was a time when the proud mantle of defending the nation adorned their able shoulders but today they are fighting for their due against their own country's government.
A delegation of ex-servicemen (ESM) under the banner of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) will go to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday to deposit medals and submit a memorandum inked in blood to the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces Pratibha Devisingh Patil.
This will be preceded by a ESM rally at Jantar Mantar from 1000 to 1400 hrs. IESM Chairman Lieutenant-General (Retd) Raj Kadyan led a similar delegation on August 22 but the President did not receive the delegation, which returned with the medals.
"It is pertinent to mention that the all-party Standing Committee on Defence's firm recommendations to grant One Rank One Pension have not been accepted by the Centre," said IESM Vice-Chairman Major-General (Retd) Satbir Singh.
The latest rejection is of a set of recommendations by 31 members of Parliament headed by Congress MP Satpal Maharaj on May 7 and repeated on August 27 whereas Defence Minister A K Antony recently quoted -- in Parliament -- the recommendations of July 2009 by a bureaucrats' committee.
"The larger question here is the civilian control of the Armed Forces, which actually means control by elected representatives and not bureaucrats. It is common knowledge that ESM have been forced to launch a movement to express anguish as a result of injustice heaped on them," the veteran claimed.
The bureaucracy has all along been treating the military unfairly, he alleged while adding that resentment is increasing each passing day. Downgrading of status and an "unfair" compensation package of emoluments by the Sixth Central Pay Commission further intensified resentment.
"We have also decided to enlist support of other social segments, all political parties, MPs, chief ministers and legislators and have written to them regarding demands and sought their help to raise these issues in Parliament to press the Centre for early acceptance," Maj-Gen Singh explained.
The Supreme Court has taken the historic step of constituting the Armed Forces Grievances Redressal Commission that includes General (Retd) Ved Prakash Malik -- of Operation Vijay fame -- and former Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-Gen Vijay Oberoi.
"However, the Commission is only a recommendatory body and not an adjudicator body. Hence, it is open to the Centre to accept or not to accept its recommendations," Maj-Gen Singh pointed out.
The Armed Forces Tribunal decided in ESM's favour in 90 per cent of 4,000 cases that came up since last year but the Centre has not implemented even one judgement, he added.