IESL: Let us be more proactive

Birth of IESL
Two generals were farsighted enough to see through the politicians, and founded Indian Ex-Services League in the early 1960 on the lines of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League (RCEL), but down the line subversion crept in. Literally none of the service officer community, either was in the past or is now, aware of the existence of IESL. Strangely no one of the presidents of IESL seems to have taken note of the minimum participation of the officer community in the IESL and considered any possible effort to rectify the deficiency. Perhaps it suited them.

Registered body
IESL is a registered body, registered with Government of India vide letter 2(2)RECGN/IESL/KSB/A/2000 dated 04 Jan 2001 with its head Office at Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. It is registered under a proper Memorandum and the Article of Association. Every State is expected to organize a state level and district level units and get affiliated to the IESL. The affiliated units at state level are duly represented through their President/ General Secretary as representative in the council at Delhi. IESL is also an affiliated member of RCEL UK. The Patrons are the President and the supreme commander of the Indian Defense Forces incumbent is the Grand Patron in Chief and the other three patrons being the three chiefs of staff, during its formation. Subsequently, the Defense Minister assumed patronage as Patron in Chief and Marshal of the Indian Air Force as additional patron. (What a patronage? Soon presume the Defense Secretary also may become a patron, say Deputy Patron in Chief. The president of the IESL is elected from among the State delegates by the State delegates and holds office for a period of three years. The affairs of IESL are under the control of a council of members, duly elected. Membership to IESL is by application routed through the President of State Level unit and is for life. The fees are collected directly by the head office who in turn distributes 30% each to the State and District units. There is some ambiguity on distribution of the shares due to the state and district level units. We have seen that the application directly submitted with the due membership fees have been accepted and membership accorded. But how does a retiring serviceman come to know of IESL? According to the brochure of IESL, the whole country is supposed to be observing Ex-Servicemen Week in the first week of September every year. Is any one aware of it? How strange? Recently the AHQ seems to have sent out a letter to the Commands to take steps to promote membership to IESL, but how sincere has been the response to this instruction, is questionable. Had IESL played a dynamic role precisely with which purpose it was created, we might not have to face the present crisis forcing us to take to the streets, holding ‘rallys, fasts and dharnas’ as the common helpless citizen at times resort to with no specific gain, unless an element of possible destruction of public property or mass scale disturbance of peace is involved.
Maj Gen RN Radhakrishnan (Retd)
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LET US BE MORE PROACTIVE

What are the rights of the Ex- Servicemen
Pension Parity, Health Care, Disability Compensation, Education or Vocational Training, Easy Housing/ Loan facilities, Legal rights and other benefits extended to all those who have been honourably discharged from THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES.

According to data complied by ESM Welfare Department under MOD, about 2.6 million are ESM, or 0.022 percent of the civilian population (1.15 billion). This number includes those who served for the duration of their military careers and those who served for only a short time, such as Short Service Commissioned Officers. Given such an insignificant percentage of the population, the government has neglected their rights and systematically failed to provide/ diluted the benefits for these retired servicemen.

The 'light man' and his lantern- The night chowkidar walksThe MOD is primarily responsible for administering the various programs through the Ex Servicemen Welfare Department which is solely staffed by civilians whose dedication to the cause is a suspect. The intended programmes do not impact nor do they reach the lowest rung of retired sepoys. Most of the programmes are Officer centric who only comprise 2% of the total ESM population. The focus is geared to employment generation for all retiring Officers instead of ensuring employment for all sepoys who retire from active service. Security Agency scheme initiated by DGR sucks... only to demean the armed forces in general. All you need is to see the security guards posted as Chowkidars... a combat soldier reduced to a comic figure!

Understanding the Chinese mind

Dear Brig Harwant,
The article "understanding the Chinese mind" (click me) is an apt analyses of the Chinese mind and reflects continuity in Chinese civilisation's perspective and their continued sense for history. We lack this foundation totally because our perspectives are based on legacies handed over by outsiders. There is no Indian perspective on a continuum but rather 'safe keeping' of legacies handed over by the British which tend to lead to situational conflicts. Safe keepers do not always make the best perceivers. What we perceive as potential threat could thus have a cause elsewhere obscure to our perspective. Remember had Nehru not behaved as a British sergeant major, the Bandung Conference could have turned out to be differently. The fact is that the Chinese Revolution introduced muscle into the Chinese to re look at their geo strategic nuances just as the British did for theirs at the signing of the Shimla Agreement with their muscle behind them then Nehru however behaved simply as safe keeper for the once British Perspective without either the muscle to back this up or any will to engage in new situations. In fact why Chinese may appear as a potential threat in our thinking is simply because we have not reconciled to the idea that we cannot run a modern nation state on colonial precepts as we learn from second hand thinking, simply through bad book keeping at the foreign office, expect others to be doing the same. Have we ever wondered what our neighbours are thinking about the threat we pose? Say Sri Lanka?, Myanmar, even PAKISTAN? there is a need to be more open in our strategic assessments. We do not have one single friend around in our neighbourhood which is not a good image for a big country like ours! Are we pushing others creating a vacuum and China is filling it ! After all were we not to have sought JK ceasefire in 1948 may be we could have averted the 1962 War and border discomfort that may grow into a conflagration.

As for threat we do not have to point to China alone- our home front is getting better cultivated! Go to any remote village of a Uttarakhand (UK) and you will find nothing but disgust for those in Delhi who are now addressed as 'Indians' a word now coming into usage even in Yamuna Ravines and by ex soldier's! Villages are being vacated as farmers become bankrupt due to failing crops and diminishing returns, no irrigation, no schooling no facilities. Khanduri's roads in UK serve only the tourists and most money is pocketed by Non Garhwalis who operate businesses from Delhi etc. I have travelled across these villages where Sainiksangh is implementing various schemes and not surprised at the state of disaffection and despair- corruption is so rampant and open in Uttarakhand. Speaking to a professor of Srinagar University (UK) and listening to his concerns when I pointed out that farmers are abandoning their land in the North the Chinese will have no trouble in extending a claim line- the professor was blunt that Chinese would at least clear up corruption and bring some order and revive the dead farmer! It time we start examining our own failings seriously.
thank you,
Vice President
Maj Gen APS Chauhan (Retd)
Sainiksangh

IAF celebrates 77th anniversary

Celebrating Air Force Day... by: Amit Tiwari
Published: Thu, 08 Oct 2009 at 10:10 IST
Ghaziabad. The Indian Air Force has been celebrating its 77th anniversary on Thursday. The Air Force Day celebration begun at Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad

The Air Force Day celebration of IAF begun with various air display Para Motor and powered Hang Glider performance.

The various aircrafts of IAF displayed stunts during the celebration. The Air Force Day Parade has been marked by fly past of three Mi-17 helicopters in Vic formation trooping the Air Force Ensign at a height of 60 Mtrs and speed of 80 Kmph.

This was followed by a Chakra formation comprising of three Mi-25 and Mi-35 fighter copters. Fighter jets such as Mig 21, Mig 29, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, and Sukhoi 30 Mk1 also displayed their might during the full dress rehearsal.

The IAF also displayed the newly inducted Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) for the first time on Thursday.

A spectacular rifle drill by air warriors was also displayed during the celebration.The 28-member rifle drill team's performance with a motto Drill to Thrill was a treat to the eyes. It is worth mentioning here that the IAF was officially established on October 8, 1932.
IAF celebrates 77th Anniversary
IAF Aircraft