Date: Saturday, 21 February, 2009, 9:53 PM
Dear Colleagues,
The contingent from Bawal (Haryana) continues to man the Jantar Mantar venue.
Depositing of Medals
It was a successful day for our ongoing struggle today. We collected some 3,000 medals and laid these out on the table. Media, present in full force, had a field day with their cameras and pens. The medals were then handed over at the Rashtrapati Bhawan à la 8 February.
The depositing of medals is perhaps the severest form of peaceful protest by soldiers. It has had a good visibility. We need to do it regularly till our OROP demand is met. It has been decided to deposit the next instalment of medals on Saturday, 14 March 2009 at 1530 hours. We request veterans across the country to send their medals town/ city/ village wise to Jantar Mantar, New Delhi by 1100 hours on 14 March. These should be duly inventoried with owner name and address clearly written on the strip.
Some of us had worn a pocket placard today reading ‘Medals deposited/ surrendered/ returned. Since the medals are intended to be taken back once our demand is met, ‘Medals deposited’ may be a more appropriate term to be worn.
Contact with Politicians
I had a brief meeting with the BJP President Shri Rajnath Singh today. While thanking him for his support for the OROP demand I pointed out that the wording ‘will be seriously considered’ does not inspire the required confidence among the ESM. I suggested that a firm yes/no commitment be made and a definite timeline set for implementation. Further, the point should also be included in the NDA agenda. He gave an assurance to get this done.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan
Chairman, Indian Ex Servicemen Movement
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