Reference Set up Armed Forces Grievances Redressal Commission: Court
Dear Chander,
My heartiest congratulations to you, IESM and to all who put their shoulder to achieve this.
I have been through all the mails, some laudatory and some skeptical. All that I want to bring out that though the Babus would try to stall the recommendations; they will be more careful now after what has come out in the Telecom & Adarsh scandals.
I feel the recommendations of this commission should stipulate a time limit for the Govt to act; failing which the petitioner should be able to come back to the commission. The Commission should then have the Powers of Direction much like the Supreme Court. After all this commission has been set up to take load off the Supreme Court.
If the above not be so, the petitioner will have to approach the Supreme Court, thus making this Commission a farce.
Regards
Maj Gen Tahiliani, Veteran
Dear General VP Malik,
It is indeed quite redeeming that Hon'ble Supreme Court has constituted Commission for the defenceless ESM's who have been at the receiving end of injustice so far. Inclusion of general of your pre-eminence along with Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi will be much reassuring for the entire defence community.
This is the time even Ex Service -Welfare Deptt should have Retd defence people at decision making level to ensure that in future Capt CS Sidhu do not have wage one arm battle for so long & widows Majors who fought so many wars would not have to subsit on Rs 80/- per month pension. Hopefully the Commission would be able to bring back the glory to the services -of which I only saw fading shades when I joined in 1964. Your task is onerous with obstacles at each stage which like mine clearing has to be done carefully.
Wishing you all the best
Air Cmde Raghubir Singh(Retd)
Pune
Setting up of commission
Dear Sirs,
My heartiest congratulations to Lt Col B K Sharma for the splendid job.
Without waiting for the commission to be set up we must form a committee to consolidate grievances of all ranks.
The committee should include rep from all ranks or take into account the written views of all ranks. It is only the strong and filtered points that should be put forth to the commission. Any individual wishing to go beyond committee view should be free to do so.
Finally the commission is an excellent platform for airing our grievances and we must make optimum use of it
Regards
Avtar Singh
Lt Cdr
CONGRATULATIONS
Dear Col Sharma
While thanking Brig Kamboj and Col Rao, I take this opportunity to greet and congratulate you and your team for successfully winning the case of Rank Pay in the Supreme Court. This might have put the Babus of Ministry of Defence and the political bosses running the Government to big shame for deliberate injustice to Defence Services.but the chances are less as they have become hard nuts to crack with blind support from the political system.
Regards
Brig J S Ahuja
Dear Veterans
The efforts of IESM are now beginning to tell upon the bureaucracy and the judiciary. Thanks to the untiring efforts of Col BK Sharma and his team, the apex court has ordered formation of the Armed Forces Grievances Redressal Commission.
Without sounding pessimist, I wish to caution that since the orders of this commission are only recommendary in nature, there is still leeway with babus to shred commission orders and find lacuna through interpretations. Babus will continue to do what they are good at: delay, defer, postpone, appoint more committees to examine details, paint illusory pictures of repercussions and so on. If babus can defy recommendations of parliamentary committees and Apex Court orders, the orders of this commission are not going to be any different.
However, the difference will be that orders of Apex Court appointed Commission will carry more weight than piecemeal petitions sent to Government earlier. It is also hoped that since the grievances of serving soldiers too are channelled through this forum, the serving Chiefs will be able to muster courage to exercise more pressure on the authorities for quick redressal.
At the same time, we the Veterans, should not slacken our efforts in continuing to build pressure on powers that have betrayed us so long. We should also be prepared to hear new explanation from politicians and babus: that the matter is under consideration of Grievances Commission. Babus will also use this forum to duck-back any pressure building on them. We have to keep all options tuned up to achieve our aim: OROP.
Veteran Ram Gulrajani Chennai
PS
Since the term 'Armed Forces' include all uniformed personnel trained and authorised to carry and operate arms, it therefore includes all para military forces including police. It is hoped this Commission is exclusively for 'Defence Forces' which comprise Army, Navy and Air Force.
Dear Brig Kamboj Sir,
I felt elated to learn the news on 15 Nov when I recd. a mail from RDOA's courtesy.
Many veterans have expressed deep pessimism. To them, let us convey that inspite all adversities and tangential difference in opinions, our dedicated teams have succeeded in obtaining this long impacting SC order.
One feeling that comes to my mind, is - Hon. Raksha Mantri should retrospect and identify the elements which has been dilly dallying with all the issues now slated by SC order for being dealt by the Commission. These elements should be immediately shunted out of MoD and new hands inducted..
Also point to note, although the Commission's charter is recommendary in nature, the SC will continue to monitor impletntation of its recommendations. So we are not to fear.
My heartiest congratulations to IESM Core Gp, RDOA , RMS thru your magnanimity and other ESM orgs for achieving this marvellous fete.
I tend to agree with suggestions of Capt D ' Silva Christopher IN from USA that we may approach SC for induction of one member each from Navy and Airforce in the Commission.
Best Regards.
Col JL Chatterji
My Dear Brigadier Kamboj,
Formation of Armed Forces Grievance Commission is a memorable achievement.
But, journey hereafter should be well planned.
All of us have ideas, some workable, some not.
There are overlaps and contradictions too.
I order to get the maximum benefit, there should be intense debate and analysis of various ideas and alternatives.
I suggest that a core panel be formed to shoulder this responsibility.
Also, one person be nominated to receive inputs from all those who wish to put forward ideas and suggestions.
He may be designated as co-coordinator or any other appropriate title.
This person may collate and group the inputs, and these may then be debated by the core panel.
IESM must have done considerable work in this direction.
But, since the Armed Forces Grievance Commission has been formed, there should be virtually no topic that cannot be placed before them - be it JCOS & OR's pension entitlement having been reduced from 75% to 50%, functioning of Sainik Boards & response of civil administration, reduction of facilities of veterans in a cascading manner, and so on.
This co-ordinator can receive ideas, group them, and feed them to the core group, which may generate debate and input of ideas, and make out self-contained separate cases for taking up.
General Satish Bahri and General Yogi Sharma can be valuable advisers and soothers of ego clashes.
You may consider my suggestion, and place it before the appropriate persons for consideration.
Regards,
Anand
Major General A. K. Gupta
Services Commission Setup By The SC
...RARELY ...RARELY COMES THOU ...THE SPIRIT OF DELIGHT.
Thoughts of an average ESM
It does make one feel vindicated but certain doubts remain...And they are basically the time frame and implementation obligation of the G O I Since the decisions by the commission are going to be Recommendations only..and they will land up in the lap of babus (the advisers to the politicians) again ..there must be included some safe guards so that recommendations by such a high powered commission are implemented without undue delay and not kept waiting in files with some observations or the other.
There can be a penalty clause for unwanted red-herrings and awards made applicable from retrospective effect.
This will be best commission so far to locate,analyse and solve the genuine and long pending grievances of the services and should be empowered to ensure its decisions are implemented expeditiously.Ideal would have been to locate analyse and shoot the problem
The setting up and functioning of the commission will certainly help improve the image of the services as a wanted and respected segment of society and should help attract aspirants. Amen
Major Mehandru
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