IESM: Twentieth Day of Rally for Justice at Jantar Mantar

Photo by Brig Lakshman SinghDear Colleagues,

Today the Punjab Brigade is manning the Jantar Mantar battle front. It has been a very exhilarating experience to share the floor space with Taran Taran
toughies and exchange fauzi banter. Age may be showing on most of them but the fire of zeal burns bright in their eyes. Looking at their determined faces one feels reassured that we will achive our aim.

They are all outstanding in their own way. But for record, we have two athletes of international fame from the sixties. Hav Bachan Singh of SIKH LI and Naik Hoshiar Singh of Bombay Sappers were long distance runners in the sixties.

Bachan Singh is carrying memorablia of old photos and paper clips that he shows with great pride. Even without this faded and dog-eared documentation, his blazer pocket speaks for itself.

An Hony Capt from Baraich (UP), Ved Pal from Bhiwani (Haryana) and Havildar Ahmatullah Khan from Kupwara (J&K) were among those who called to express support for the cause.

Thank you all.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM

Demands of Ex Servicemen: The Headquarters IESM at Delhi is on Relay Hunger Fast with effect from 16 December 2008
“Our demand for ‘One Rank, One Pension’ has long been pending. A Parliamentary Committee on Defence recommended grant of one-rank-one-pension in 2003, but it could not be implemented due to change of guard at the Centre. Even the Congress party, which heads the present coalition government at Centre, supported our demand in its manifesto. In 2002, Congress president Sonia Gandhi endorsed the demand speaking at a rally in Chandigarh and then President A.P.J Abdul Kalam also supported the demand while addressing both Houses of the Parliament. But it is distressing that the demand has now been rejected by the Government without giving any reason,” said IESM vice-chairman Major General (Retd.) Satbir Singh.
Other major demands include constitution of an ex-Servicemen commission with necessary statutory powers and provision of giving them representation on all committees and lastly employment of Jawans till sixty years by absorbing them in Para Military Forces as recommended by the Sixth Central Pay Commission.
The demand of ex-servicemen, Lt Gen Kadyan said, was not money, but a fight for "justice and equality." He said the present situation had caused "intra rank as well inter rank disparities" with personnel holding senior ranks getting lower pension than their juniors, who retired later.
Eliminate discrimination

All Concessions including Military Service Pay (MSP)/ Pension to be with Retrospective with effect from 01 Jan 2006. Existing pensioners should also be entitled to get all benefits that accrue to pensioners who retire now. When all other government employees are getting their pay and pension arrears from 1.1.2006, to deny it to the defence personnel by recommending that the MSP be paid only prospectively is discriminatory. The arrears should be paid from 1.1.2006.

The contentious Sixth Pay Commission is silent about OROP and has in fact widened the disparities between ex-servicemen. A sepoy retiring on December 31, 2005, will draw Rs 4,667 per month throughout his life as pension. His compatriot retiring on January 1, 2006— the date from which the Sixth Pay commission comes into effect— will draw Rs 6,540 per month, a difference of 40 per cent.