Veterans need to be pragmatic

Dear Colleagues,
No doubt everyone by now is aware of the landmark SC judgment of 15 Nov 2010 ordering the setting up of an Armed Forces Grievances Rdressal Commission. Our deep gratitude to Col BK Sharma and the RDOA for fighting the legal battle to get this done. Our ‘well done’ also to the thousands of Ex Servicemen who joined or supported the struggle and succeeded in sensitizing the society and bringing the OROP issue centre-screen, that forced even the apex court to sympathetically remark, “…They are compelled to resort to public protests and even return their war medals …”
Euphoria aside, one needs to look at the development analytically. Inevitably, there are pros and cons. On the plus side, this amounts to acceptance of the long overlooked reality that the defence forces have a problem that needs resolution. Secondly, inclusion of two of our most renowned veterans in the panel is a great positive. Having been through the grill and grind of soldiering they not only fully understand the life of a soldier and the plight of an ESM, their empathy should almost be a given.
But there is also a downside. In the early days of our struggle in 2008, the govt had conceded our demand of instituting an ESM Commission. Our visualization was of a commission with statutory powers, akin to the Women’s or the Minorities’ Commission. What has come about is only a “recommendatory body not a adjudicatory entity.” It will be “…open to the Central Government to accept or not to accept its recommendations…” This puts our fate back into the hands of the bureaucracy. The SC does add a palliative, “…though of course since such recommendations will be coming from a high-powered body the central Government must give due weightage to the same.” Experience shows otherwise. There have been other high-powered entities like the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Defence, which could be considered even weightier, that have had their recommendations summarily rejected by the government. They stood reduced to a mere sheep in wolf’s clothing.
Without being overly sceptic, one has to be pragmatic. Prima facie, it seems logical not to relax our guard and continue with the struggle. Concurrently, we will be preparing a comprehensive case for submission to the commission.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM