Dear Veterans,
I am pleased to learn that some friends who earlier destroyed a very serious effort to bring about a Common Agenda as opposed to unity, have again woken up to the need for unity through our friend Gen Bahri a respected member of the IESM. In Oct 2010, after reading my posts on our efforts for the last thirty yeas, many Veterans desired that I took the initiative to work out unity amongst us all. Moved by similar sentiments I relented and took up the Challenge. What happened then I am sure you would like to know before you tread on this dangerous and unachievable course again without taking appropriate measures if you really can, for avoiding repetition of such a disaster. Here is what happened. This was written in response to a friends mail to me recently, who accused me recently of destroying the unity of Veterans.
UNITY
In 2010 I had received a lot of mails for initiating the process of unity amongst us all the ESM Orgs. Moved by these sentiments I invited all the orgs for working out a Common Agenda and not Unity on 21 Oct 2010, which all could present to the leadership when they got the opportunity to meet them. This primarily because having failed twice earlier in trying to get the best I wanted to work for what we could all bite and sustain. (What happened to it, read on.) I had been given an appointment by the RM and I thought if we could work out this Common Agenda we could all go together and present the same to the RM on 23 Oct 2010. What all happened to that initiative is given below in brief just to refresh your memory.
THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
1) MOVED BY THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED BY YOU ALL I TOOK UP THE INITIATIVE TO INVITE ALL ORGANIZATIONS FOR WORKING OUT A JOINT MEMO ON 21 OCT.
2) THE IESM PROMPTLY REJECTED THE INVITATION ON ACCOUNT OF SHORT NOTICE. GP CAPT VK GANDHI, WHO HAS NOW COME OUT WITH THIS IDEA, WAS THE ONE WHO SENT THAT MAIL I THEN SOUGHT FROM THEM THEIR INPUTS SO THAT THESE COULD BE INCORPORATED..BRIG CHANDER KAMBOJH INFORMED THAT HE WOULD BE ATTENDING IN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY.
3) SUDDENLY I GOT ANOTHER MAIL THAT IESM WOULD COME AND GEN SATBIR, BRIG KAMBOJH AND COL JOSHIPURA WOULD ATTEND. THEY INCLUDED BRIG KAMBOJH IN THEIR LIST EVEN THOUGH HE SAID THAT HE WOULD ATTEND IN HIS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY.
4) MEETING WAS HELD AS SCHEDULED. THE DRAFT MEMO PREPARED BY US WAS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL AND LOT OF GOOD SUGGESTIONS WERE GIVEN BY THEM ALL.
5) AFTER THE MEETING ALL SUGGESTIONS WERE INCORPORATED AND FRESH DRAFT CIRCULATED TO ALL FOR APPROVAL SO THAT IT COULD BE GIVEN TO THE DEFENCE MINISTER JOINTLY ON 23 OCT. DURING MY ALREADY SCHEDULED MEETING WITH HIM. COL JOSHIPURA SHOWED KEENNESS TO ACCOMPANY. THE PERMISSION FOR HIM WAS ACCORDINGLY OBTAINED TO INCLUDE HIM IN THE DELEGATION.
6) ON 22 OCT GOT A MAIL FROM GEN SATBIR THAT THE MEMO SHOULD NOT BE PRESENTED YET. IT WAS THEREFORE HELD BACK.
7) ON 23 OCT WHEN COL JOSHIPURA WAS CONTACTED TO COME HE SAID THAT HE WAS TOLD THAT THE IESM HAD NOT YET TAKEN THE DECISION SO HE COULD NOT COME. HE DID NOT GET BACK. OBVIOUSLY THEY DECIDED AGAINST GOING TO THE RM WITH US. BRIG KAMBOJH IN HIS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY WENT ALONG.
8) THE ENTIRE INFORMATION ALONG WITH THE LETTERS GIVEN TO THE RM WERE PUT ON THE INTERNET FOR YOU TO KNOW. IN RESPONSE TO THAT MAIL THE IESM CHAIRMAN SENT ME A MAIL ASKING ME TO COME TO THEM ON 16 NOV FOR WORKING OUT THE COMMON STAND.
By this move they had first stalled the move forward from where we left on 21 Oct and then destroyed the work put in by so many including himself and his other companions. Having destroyed it then in their desperation to take all the credit they called a meeting for working out a common stand afresh. The Chairman IESM had personally addressed this mail to me and also sought my views.There was no mention at all of what had already been done on 21 Oct 2010. Had their mail said that we meet to finalize the draft already worked out I would have gladly participated. I also told him to correct their bye laws for no direct enrollment of individual members and show honest intentions before seeking unity. There was no response to that.
But NO. Why should they,when they had different agenda.That could happen only if their intentions were honest. The only sane person in that team was my old friend Chander who also accompanied us to the Meeting with the RM on 23 Oct 2010.
EARLIER UNITY EFFORTS
FIRST INITIATIVE -1982
When we raised the Association one of the Charters was that we should bring all Veterans Organizations under one flag. In 1982 we decided that we should form a Confederation under Trade Unions Act if we want to make the best of the privileges. We got every thing ready. The basic requirement of a Confederation of no individual members of it was ensured. All existing major Organizations came forward except the IESL. On the eve of clinching the matter, some of us were bought off by politicians and the initiative fizzled out. Its aims and ideals were basically similar to those proposed by Gp Capt VK Gandhi with definite clause for no direct individual membership for ensuring practice of what we professed and instilling confidence in smaller organizations that they would not be swallowed up after we get going with their support.
SECOND INITIATIVE - 1997
We lost the first battle, but never gave up. There arose another opportunity to motivate Organizations to work in unison for common case by forming a Confederation after the Fifth CPC report came out. We were successful in bringing all seven major recognized organizations together into a Confederation. We were successful in getting the IESL also that time. We started meetings regularly. The bye laws were got readied by us. When we got to setting it up, this time personal egos played havoc. Despite the breakup we managed to have a common memorandum signed by all except a few. On the basis of that Memorandum we were able to successfully get three of our seven submissions accepted from the Prime Minister during our Meeting with him on 26 July 2001. For other four he appointed a Committee under RM, which was to give its report in three months. What report it gave is a separate story.
Can you achieve even a semblance of unity with such politically motivated and self seeking friends? You will all agree with me if I said NO. All this is a big tamasha which ultimately ends up in dividing us all even more unless we eliminate our NETAS from the proposed exercise. They should however be assured that we would help them achieve their political ambitions once we have achieved the basic goals. And why not? After all they are our kins.
The IESM that has initiated this effort must first display its honest intentions by stopping direct enrollment of members. Whatever membership they have can be transferred to another set up under Societies Registeration Act. What ever Organization they then form or join, seeks membership of this Confederation that is formed ultimately.
Let the IESM and IESL first put this basic rule right before any thought can be spared for working out any unity with them.
Regards
Inderjit Singh
I am pleased to learn that some friends who earlier destroyed a very serious effort to bring about a Common Agenda as opposed to unity, have again woken up to the need for unity through our friend Gen Bahri a respected member of the IESM. In Oct 2010, after reading my posts on our efforts for the last thirty yeas, many Veterans desired that I took the initiative to work out unity amongst us all. Moved by similar sentiments I relented and took up the Challenge. What happened then I am sure you would like to know before you tread on this dangerous and unachievable course again without taking appropriate measures if you really can, for avoiding repetition of such a disaster. Here is what happened. This was written in response to a friends mail to me recently, who accused me recently of destroying the unity of Veterans.
UNITY
In 2010 I had received a lot of mails for initiating the process of unity amongst us all the ESM Orgs. Moved by these sentiments I invited all the orgs for working out a Common Agenda and not Unity on 21 Oct 2010, which all could present to the leadership when they got the opportunity to meet them. This primarily because having failed twice earlier in trying to get the best I wanted to work for what we could all bite and sustain. (What happened to it, read on.) I had been given an appointment by the RM and I thought if we could work out this Common Agenda we could all go together and present the same to the RM on 23 Oct 2010. What all happened to that initiative is given below in brief just to refresh your memory.
THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
1) MOVED BY THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED BY YOU ALL I TOOK UP THE INITIATIVE TO INVITE ALL ORGANIZATIONS FOR WORKING OUT A JOINT MEMO ON 21 OCT.
2) THE IESM PROMPTLY REJECTED THE INVITATION ON ACCOUNT OF SHORT NOTICE. GP CAPT VK GANDHI, WHO HAS NOW COME OUT WITH THIS IDEA, WAS THE ONE WHO SENT THAT MAIL I THEN SOUGHT FROM THEM THEIR INPUTS SO THAT THESE COULD BE INCORPORATED..BRIG CHANDER KAMBOJH INFORMED THAT HE WOULD BE ATTENDING IN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY.
3) SUDDENLY I GOT ANOTHER MAIL THAT IESM WOULD COME AND GEN SATBIR, BRIG KAMBOJH AND COL JOSHIPURA WOULD ATTEND. THEY INCLUDED BRIG KAMBOJH IN THEIR LIST EVEN THOUGH HE SAID THAT HE WOULD ATTEND IN HIS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY.
4) MEETING WAS HELD AS SCHEDULED. THE DRAFT MEMO PREPARED BY US WAS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL AND LOT OF GOOD SUGGESTIONS WERE GIVEN BY THEM ALL.
5) AFTER THE MEETING ALL SUGGESTIONS WERE INCORPORATED AND FRESH DRAFT CIRCULATED TO ALL FOR APPROVAL SO THAT IT COULD BE GIVEN TO THE DEFENCE MINISTER JOINTLY ON 23 OCT. DURING MY ALREADY SCHEDULED MEETING WITH HIM. COL JOSHIPURA SHOWED KEENNESS TO ACCOMPANY. THE PERMISSION FOR HIM WAS ACCORDINGLY OBTAINED TO INCLUDE HIM IN THE DELEGATION.
6) ON 22 OCT GOT A MAIL FROM GEN SATBIR THAT THE MEMO SHOULD NOT BE PRESENTED YET. IT WAS THEREFORE HELD BACK.
7) ON 23 OCT WHEN COL JOSHIPURA WAS CONTACTED TO COME HE SAID THAT HE WAS TOLD THAT THE IESM HAD NOT YET TAKEN THE DECISION SO HE COULD NOT COME. HE DID NOT GET BACK. OBVIOUSLY THEY DECIDED AGAINST GOING TO THE RM WITH US. BRIG KAMBOJH IN HIS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY WENT ALONG.
8) THE ENTIRE INFORMATION ALONG WITH THE LETTERS GIVEN TO THE RM WERE PUT ON THE INTERNET FOR YOU TO KNOW. IN RESPONSE TO THAT MAIL THE IESM CHAIRMAN SENT ME A MAIL ASKING ME TO COME TO THEM ON 16 NOV FOR WORKING OUT THE COMMON STAND.
By this move they had first stalled the move forward from where we left on 21 Oct and then destroyed the work put in by so many including himself and his other companions. Having destroyed it then in their desperation to take all the credit they called a meeting for working out a common stand afresh. The Chairman IESM had personally addressed this mail to me and also sought my views.There was no mention at all of what had already been done on 21 Oct 2010. Had their mail said that we meet to finalize the draft already worked out I would have gladly participated. I also told him to correct their bye laws for no direct enrollment of individual members and show honest intentions before seeking unity. There was no response to that.
But NO. Why should they,when they had different agenda.That could happen only if their intentions were honest. The only sane person in that team was my old friend Chander who also accompanied us to the Meeting with the RM on 23 Oct 2010.
EARLIER UNITY EFFORTS
FIRST INITIATIVE -1982
When we raised the Association one of the Charters was that we should bring all Veterans Organizations under one flag. In 1982 we decided that we should form a Confederation under Trade Unions Act if we want to make the best of the privileges. We got every thing ready. The basic requirement of a Confederation of no individual members of it was ensured. All existing major Organizations came forward except the IESL. On the eve of clinching the matter, some of us were bought off by politicians and the initiative fizzled out. Its aims and ideals were basically similar to those proposed by Gp Capt VK Gandhi with definite clause for no direct individual membership for ensuring practice of what we professed and instilling confidence in smaller organizations that they would not be swallowed up after we get going with their support.
SECOND INITIATIVE - 1997
We lost the first battle, but never gave up. There arose another opportunity to motivate Organizations to work in unison for common case by forming a Confederation after the Fifth CPC report came out. We were successful in bringing all seven major recognized organizations together into a Confederation. We were successful in getting the IESL also that time. We started meetings regularly. The bye laws were got readied by us. When we got to setting it up, this time personal egos played havoc. Despite the breakup we managed to have a common memorandum signed by all except a few. On the basis of that Memorandum we were able to successfully get three of our seven submissions accepted from the Prime Minister during our Meeting with him on 26 July 2001. For other four he appointed a Committee under RM, which was to give its report in three months. What report it gave is a separate story.
Can you achieve even a semblance of unity with such politically motivated and self seeking friends? You will all agree with me if I said NO. All this is a big tamasha which ultimately ends up in dividing us all even more unless we eliminate our NETAS from the proposed exercise. They should however be assured that we would help them achieve their political ambitions once we have achieved the basic goals. And why not? After all they are our kins.
The IESM that has initiated this effort must first display its honest intentions by stopping direct enrollment of members. Whatever membership they have can be transferred to another set up under Societies Registeration Act. What ever Organization they then form or join, seeks membership of this Confederation that is formed ultimately.
Let the IESM and IESL first put this basic rule right before any thought can be spared for working out any unity with them.
Regards
Inderjit Singh
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