Date: Thursday, 15 January, 2009, 10:38 PM
Dear Colleagues,
The relay fast continues. The Haryana ESM are sitting out today. Karnataka arrives Jan 16. Today there were 21 visitors at the battlefront, including Veteran Air Marshal MS Bawa.
Among the new IESM members are Lt Gen RS Dayal, Lt Gen Depinder Singh, Vice Admiral JJ Baxi and Vice Admiral AC Bhatia. Our hearty welcome to all these senior veterans. We look forward to their guidance.
Our colleagues in Navi Mumbai are sitting on a two-day fast. A report appearing in DNA is reproduced below:
Quote
EX-ARMY personnel plan two day dharna at CBD, Mumbai
The demand for OROP for retired servicemen across the country will be taken up in the city as well. Ex- Army personnel from Navi Mumbai will sit on two-day dharna at Belapur Railway Station on Jan 15 and 16 from 10 to 5 pm. Currently a relay hunger strike is being held by members of IESM at New Delhi in a bid to remind the government to implement the OROP at the earliest.
The decision to hold the dharna in the city is a means to show solidarity towards fraternity's efforts in bringing about a change in the pensioning system of ex-servicemen.
"OROP is highly emotive issue wherein two soldiers of same rank with equal length of service retire to find out that they get different pension because they retired on different dates. The absolute irrationality towards this disparity is inexplicable," Lt Col (Retd) DP Singh Aluwalia said. "The reasons cited by officials are based on the lack of fund and the possibility of civilian pensioners seeking similar demands. Both grounds are too flimsy. For having defended the country at the best of age and then having to retire so as to keep a young army, the amount of Rs 600 crores shouldn't be a big deal. Likewise, comparing serviceman's duties to that of the civilians is uncalled for. Unlike servicemen, civilians have no rank, retire late in their life and are not exposed to life threatening risks or disabilities," Brig Dharm Prakash said.
"Our demand is that pension should be at par to that of rank and duty, it shouldn't be different because the retirement dates were different. It's sad that veterans who gave the best of their years in defending the borders and fighting terrorists are forced to fight for their physical survival after retirement on insufficient and irrational pension.," the Brigadier added.
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A happy Army Day to all defence veterans and families as well to those still in uniform.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM
Filling the submarine gap
1 day ago
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