Veterans Welfare is above Politics

Reference IESM Letter to BJP: click here
Dear Gen Satbir,
Sorry for taking long in responding.
I have gone trough your letter to the hon'ble Shri Advani Ji. I am deeply impressed with your display of all pervading knowledge, even though flawed for some matters and the erudition. Three cheers for that. but that is all where the cheers end.
I am deeply dismayed by the initiative of yours. you and your great team seems to have learnt nothing from what I have been screaming hoarse to convey to you. why should you? Driven as you all are by your political ambitions. How does it matter if the cause for which you are pretending to be working goes for a six. Do you know by your shenanigans you had already made the task of achieving our aims a very difficult one and now with your such missives you are making it an unachievable one, despite your drum beatings about you being on the verge of achieving it. The great Chander will bear me out for he heard what the hon'ble RM had to say when he went along with me for his meeting.
Thanks to him who by his signals makes people believe what you say and also make veterans contribute enormous amount of money.
Some times back I had stated what the reply of the BJP government was when they were in power. It seems that you have either forgotten or ignored this in consideration of your personal political ambitions, the veterans be blown. That is as follows about the two issues that were of paramount importance to us.

OROP
This was considered in consultation with the ministry of finance, department of pensions and the same has not been found acceptable due to its larger financial and administrative considerations.

33 years conditionality
This was examined in consultation with the ministry of finance, department of pensions and the same has not been accepted on the premise that 33 years conditionality is a cardinal principle governing the pension structure and modification of it will have huge financial and administrative repercussions on civil side too.

For your kind information both these were more than adequately addressed by the present Government soon after they came to power. For OROP they gave parity with Fifth CPC and for the 33 years conditionality they reduced the effect to the most minimal amount. Now that has also gone, Perhaps you know this and also what this 33 years conditionality was all about. I called it a day light robbery on the pensions of soldiers. On OROP they set the precedence for future CPC's to give full parity to the veterans with their rates.

For a few friends who questioned my remarks about the political mentors and political ambitions of those at the helm of your outfit, i suggest please go through this mail very carefully. you would realize what this man with thirty years of seeing this tamasha says.

When OROP was ignored by the Sixth CPC, I represented and got a commitmetnt from the hon'ble RM to get full parity with Sixth CPC. That mail also i had put on the net.

Then your jamboorie started and vitiated the atmosphere for us all and stalled all initiatives of the only Government that was not only willng but most sympathetic to our well being. I quote the extracts of the letters of hon'ble RM on this issue for your's and all our friends information.

The honble RM's commitment
I am in receipt of your letter dated 14th feb 2009 regarding restoration of full paruty in pension of sixth pay commission rates. I have already forwarded your request for necessay action.

The only purposes your mail has achieved are of securing your own political ambitions, irrespective of whether the BJP comes to power or not and fooling unwary veterans to contribute more generously so that you continue doing what you all are. For God's sake stop making the task unachievable by your gimmickry.

Earlier we had one organization to contend with, now we have two to ruin matters for us achieving the ultimate. I used to tell them to shut their shop for a year or so we would achieve everything for the veterans, Now besides appealing to them if they are listening I appeal to both of you to quietly sit back and enjoy the fruits of your plunder while we appeal to the leadership to do the needful.

You dont seem to have learnt any thing form the demand of a JPC. In this the entire opposition is arraigned against the Government and still they refuse to concede. you think the opposition will line up lakhs of people to support you? That too the BJP who had rejected these demands when in power out of hand. I dont think you understand that the government in power has all the powers to meet your demands. The opposition only plays politics to extract a pound of flesh for themselves. Further their support only makes the Government reluctant to help. This is precisely what has happened.

My appeal to you and all those who have made you what you are to shut your shop for a year or so and enjoy the fruits of your plunder whle we in our own humble way try to get the leadership to concede our submissions. Can we hope to have a positive response? we shall be anxiously waiting to hear from you.
Best wishes
Lt Col Inderjit Singh
Chairman
ALL INDIA EX SERVICES WELFARE ASSOCIATION
M 35 PALIKA BHAWAN, RK PURAM, SECTOR 13, NEW DELHI 110066