IESM a Model of Transparency..Team

Front: Gen Satbir VC , Col Chaturvedi Member , Gen Jaini Member, Wg Cdr Sharma Treasurer, Brig CS Kamboj Member

Rear: Cdr Sharan Ahuja Secy Gen 2 , Gen Kadyan Chairman , Gp CaptGandhi Secy Gen 1, Hony Lt K Pandey Member




Col Chaturvedi , Member , Maj gen Renjen member, Col Raman , member

Newly Elected Team


Dear Veterans,
AGM and elections of IESM have been conducted smoothly from 1030h to 1500h on 27 Nov 2010. The AGM was attended by about 700 veterans from 12 states of India. Veterans came from as for as from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra (Mumbai, Pune and Kolhapur), Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Chandigarh.
Preliminary report of the activities of the day are given below.
AGM was conducted in an orderly manner and balance sheet for the year 2009-10 was adopted with voice vote.
Rajiv Varun and company were retained as Charetered accountant for the year 2010-11.
Election for the Chairman's post was held and Lt Gen Raj Kadyan was declared winner for the post of Chairman. Total votes cast were 556. Invalid votes 5, Votes for Gen Kadyan 539 and vote for Col TP Tyagi were 12.
Four members were elected unopposed to the appointments of the Governing body. Thereafter the agenda points were discussed in detail and the consent of the house was taken on the points. Detailed report of the meeting will be sent to all on compilation.
Results will be published in the press shortly.
Regards,
Gp Capt VK Gandhi VSM
Gen Sec IESM

IESM resolves to break the OROP deadlock

Dear Colleagues,

The IESM had their AGM today at NOIDA. It had a very encouraging attendance with large number of ESM coming from 12 different States. Many important issues were debated and decided by a majority vote. Details will be circulated as the minutes of the meeting.
In the elections that followed, the entire governing body was given a fresh mandate for another two years. We all feel humbled. The verdict is also an endorsement of the direction the Movement has been following. We are fully conscious of the fact that a heavy responsibility has been placed on our shoulders to steer the Movement and to keep the pressure on the government in pursuit of our demands. I would like to give an assurance on behalf of the team that we will continue to do our best in our effort to come up to your expectations. We will request your continued support and your patience in resolving our vexed and long-pending issue of OROP.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM

Report of All India ESM Rally Organised by IESM at Jantar Mantar on 28 Nov 2010

Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
The All India ESM Rally, organised by IESM, was held as per schedule, today – 28 Nov 10, from 10.00 AM to 2.00 PM, at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. The rally was a grand success.
Many ESM organisations, from many states attended the rally. Besides NCR, the states represented were- Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Individuals from many other states were also present.
Highlights

•Total attendance around- 5000.

•Total number of ladies, including very large number of widows who were present at the rally- 200

•New veterans who signed the memorandum going to The President in blood- 1440.

•New medals collected- 5000.

•Medals collected earlier, sent to President but brought back as The President did not receive personally- 6000.

•Total medals sent for being deposited to The President on 28 Nov 10- 11000.
(Medals already deposited with the President 22,000)

•Veterans who went to The Rashtrapati Bhawan for depositing medals and the memorandum- 10.

•Veterans who gave a talk at the rally Chairman, Vice Chairman IESM and others- 35

•Maj Gen AJB Jaini, very efficiently managed the time

•TV satellite links deployed by media to cover the rally

•Media reporters and cameraman at rally site around- 20

•On scheduled time 10 veterans, from all three services and all ranks, in a police vehicle, left for the Rashtrapati Bhawan, for depositing the medals and the memorandum.

What happened at Rashtrapati Bhawan
1. Three months ago, by a formal letter, Chairman IESM had informed The President of India, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, that military veterans will be depositing medals on 28 Nov 10. A few days ago, The President proceeded on a foreign tour, without her staff having the courtesy to inform the IESM about her tour.
2. On being informed by the staff that The President cannot receive the medals as she is out on a foreign tour, the veterans’ team decided not to deposit the medals with the staff.
3. The veteran team then handed over a copy of the memorandum and the sheets having the signatures in blood of 1440 veterans.
4. The President’s staff accepted the memorandum but, refused to handle the sheets having signatures in blood. The staff said that the medical authorities had advised them not accept the sheets containing signatures in blood.
5. The veterans’ team, returned to Jantar Mantar with the medals and the sheets containing the signatures in blood.
6. A copy of the memorandum to The President is appended below.
7. The photographs taken at the rally are being processed and shall be placed on the three weblogs mentioned above in the header of this email.
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj
Rally Photographs: Click here for the slideshow

A MEMORANDUM FROM THE EX-SERVICEMEN OF INDIA TO SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVI SINGH PATIL, THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA AND THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE ARMED FORCES
To,
Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil,
Her Excellency, the President of India
and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces
New Delhi - 110011
EX-SERVICEMEN OF INDIA SEEK JUSTICE WITH REGARD TO PENSION
AND RESETTLEMENT
Your Excellency,
1. With extreme anguish, we the former soldiers of India express our deeply hurt feelings to our Supreme Commander on the indifferent attitude of the Government towards our genuine demands.
2. After exhausting all other options, we the Ex Servicemen were forced to take to airing our demands in public. Our main demand is 'one rank one pension' implying equal remuneration for equal work. The demand is for justice and not for money per se. unfortunately, the government continues to ignore this demand. They have yet again rejected this demand that had been supported by the All Party Standing Committee on Defence in their report tabled in the Lok Sabha on 07 May 2010. The existing situation, where a pre-2006 pensioner gets less pension than their juniors who retired after 1.1.2006, is highly anomalous and the veterans cannot reconcile to it.
3. The government also continues to contest in the courts every legal decision that goes in favour of the Ex Servicemen. It is pertinent to mention that Armed Forces Tribunal had in the last one year decided around 4000 cases of armed forces personnel. Nearly 90 percent of these cases were in favour of the Ex Servicemen and were against the authorities, but the MoD is not complying with the tribunal's orders. This has been stated by head of the country's highest military tribunal, Justice (Retd) A K Mathur recently. It is beyond one's comprehension as to why the Government is not giving their due to its veterans, who have devoted their all and have demonstrated their patriotism, bravery, valour and courage and have in great measure assisted the country in strengthening its sovereignty and integrity?
4. In order to arouse the conscience of the countrymen the Ex Servicemen have also had to resort to depositing their medals. This serious development could have far-reaching consequences. For a soldier to part with his medals that he has won at great risk to his life and limb, is a tough decision and is reflective of his extreme disenchantment with the government's obduracy.
5. Ironically, the Service widows were kept out of the purview of government orders dated 8 March 2010, where the pension of junior commissioned officers and other ranks were enhanced. When this was pointed out in a letter to the Hon'ble Prime Minister, the government's reply was that the enhancement for widows had not been recommended by the Cabinet Secretary's committee that was constituted in the wake of widespread disenchantment with the Sixth Pay Commission. This was a strange response where the government has claimed to be bound by the dictate of a subordinate committee that the government itself had constituted. Whether it is a mere excuse to deny the Service widows their genuine dues, or whether this is an admission of the tail wagging the tiger, it makes strange and sad commentary.
6. Under the circumstances, the Ex Servicemen have no choice but to continue with their struggle for justice.
With best regards,
Jai Hind
Yours sincerely,
Sd xxx
Lt Gen (Retd) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Sd xxx
Maj Gen Satbir Singh
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement

IESM: Rally Demands Grant of One Rank One Pension

Dear Colleagues,

A very successful rally at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi was held today as scheduled. There were 5,000 ESM from different States and 200 Service families in attendance. High enthusiasm was palpable. The venue had large presence of electronic media and the event was well covered. Some 5,000 additional medals were voluntarily deposited. After the rally a party proceeded to the Rashtrapati Bhawan to hand over the medals and the memorandum. Since the President did not receive the medals in person (she is out of the country), these were brought back as per plan while the memorandum was handed over to the staff.

Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM

Press release ...ARMED FORCES GRIEVANCES REDRESSAL COMMISSION AND ONGOING STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE BY EX SERVICEMEN

DATED: 23 NOV 2010
PRESS RELEASE
ARMED FORCES GRIEVANCES REDRESSAL COMMISSION AND ONGOING STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE BY EX SERVICEMEN

Dear Members of the Media

1. The formation of the Armed Forces Grievances Redressal Commission, “Suo Moto” could not have occurred if particular segments of our polity had not bear sensitized on OROP and other veterans issues. The Hon’ble Judge Sh.Markandey Katju even quotes Chankya and NDTV show, apart from medals return and burning of artificial limbs. Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM) which has brought about this landmark (almost revolutionary) occurrence, with the judiciary virtually divesting (albeit for a good cause) the executive of its basic function of governance- all these years past, no one else has been able to move the establishment one wee bit.

2. The Supreme Court has taken the historic step to constitute Armed Forces Grievances Redressal Commission, where besides two retired judges of the Supreme Court and two senior retired Defence Officers (Gen Ved Malik, Former COAS and Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, Former VCOAS). However, the commission is only a recommendatory body and not adjudicatory body. Hence, it is open to the Govt to accept or not to accept its recommendations. Though, the court has directed that since such recommendations will be coming from high powered body, the Govt must give due weightage to the same. It is here the doubts arise in the minds of Defence Personnel and the people of India that since the recommendations of the commission will be reviewed by the bureaucrats whose track record for the past six decades has not been to give fair justice to the Defence Forces, it is yet to be seen if any positive outcome would be achieved.

3. It is pertinent to mention that strong recommendations to grant OROP by All Parties Parliamentary Standing Committees on Defence have not been accepted by the Govt; the latest being the recommendations made by 31 MPs of the Parliament headed by Sh. Satpal ji Maharaj a Congress MP on 07th May 2010 and again repeated on 27 Aug 2010 where as Mr. AK Antony the RM recently in the Parliament quoted recommendations of Jul 2009 by a Committee of bureaucrats. The larger question here is the civilian control of Armed Forces which actually means control by the elected representatives of the people and not the bureaucrats. It is a common knowledge that the Ex Servicemen have been forced to launch a Movement to express their anguish is the result of the injustice heaped on them. The bureaucrats all along have been treating the military unfairly. The resentment has been increasing by the day. Downgradation of their status and unfair compensation package of emoluments by the 6th CPC have further intensified the resentment.

4. Under the circumstance, the ESM have decided to continue their struggle till all their demands are accepted. To highlight all these issues to the people of India, a Big Rally by the ESM will be held at Jantar Mantar New Delhi on 28 Nov 2010 from 10 AM to 2 PM. After the Rally, delegation of ESM will go to Rashtrapati Bhawan to deposit medals and memorandum signed in blood by the ESM with the President. They have also decided to enlist the support of other segments of the society, all political parties, MPs, CMs, MLA and have written to them regarding their demands and sought their help to raise these issues in the Parliament to press the Govt for early acceptance of these demands.

With Regards,

Jai Hind

Yours Sincerely,

Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Mobile: 9312404269, 0124-4110570
Email: satbirsm@gmail.com

Rally at Jantar Mantar New Delhi on 28 Nov 2010 from 10 AM to 2 PM

DATED: 23 NOV 2010
PRESS RELEASE

Dear friends,

1. Press Release dated 23 Nov 2010 regarding a Big Rally by the ESM will be held at Jantar Mantar New Delhi on 28 Nov 2010 from 10 AM to 2 PM. and depositing of medals and submission of memorandum signed in blood by the ESM to the Supreme Commander on 28 Nov 2010 is circulated. Maximum participation of ESM is requested.

2. You are requested to circulate it to the maximum ESM. Translation in the local languages may please be carried out and the same may please be got published in local media.

With Regards,

Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,

Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Mobile: 9312404269, 0124-4110570
Email : satbirsm@yahoo.com

ESM sitrep 10 Nov evening

Dear Colleagues,

A report on the 07 Nov rally at Beri in Haryana, appearing in the Hari Bhoomi newspaper, is attached. Also attached are two photographs showing some of the ESM attendees and families. It may be of interest that out of those who attended the rally, 276 new members have already joined IESM.

The dynamic veteran Hon Capt Jai Singh Rathi, VrC is the convener of five districts of Haryana namely, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Hisar and Fatehabad. Under his leadership ESM of these five districts have taken a decision that in future for organising any rally they will not demand or even take any money from the IESM Headquarters; they will instead do so on contributory basis. For the 07 Nov rally, this norm was followed for all expenses – transport, venue arrangements including stage, public address system, and shamiana etc, shawl gifts to the widows as well for tea and food packets for all participants. We compliment Captain Rathi and his team and salute the community spirit of the ESM.


Best regards,


Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM



Chairman IESM



262, Sector-17A
Gurgaon- 122 001
Tele: 91+124-4015262