DATED: 09 Nov 2011
PRESS RELEASE
“DEFENCE VETERANS AGAINST INJUSTICE”,
DEPOSIT MEDALS AND SIGN MEMORANDUM IN BLOOD
VISHAL RALLY AT JANTAR MANTAR
NEW DELHI ON 12th NOV 2011
Dear Members of the Media
1. Defence Veteran’s peaceful protest Movement throughout the country for the past over forty months, deposit of over 22000 Gallantry and Distinguished service medals and Memorandums signed in their blood by over one lac and fifty thousand defence veterans to the Supreme Commander the President of India and numerous letters and meetings with the Prime Minister, Raksha Mantri and other authorities, the Govt at the Centre has not accepted their genuine demands, their main demand being “One Rank One Pension” (OROP). It seems that the Govt. yields only to non peaceful agitations. The defence veteran’s are getting restless now and their patience is running out and before some misguided and volatile elements resort to unacceptable methods, the Govt. should grant their justified demands.
2. The Defence Veterans, their families and supporters have now resolved to intensify their protest Movement across the country to highlight the grave injustice which the Govt at Centre is doing to them by not accepting their genuine demands in total disregard to the services rendered by the erstwhile soldiers. The graver injustice has been done to the Defence Widows who are in receipt of family pension, by excluding them from the ambit of enhancement of pensions of JCOs and Other Ranks carried out in Mar 2010. Thus the weakest and the neediest segment of pensioners was leftout. The discrimination against the widows has caused great consternation among the entire Ex Servicemen community. The case was taken up with the Prime Minister by the IESM for extending the enhancement of pension to the Defence Widows; the same has not been carried out so far.
3. The Govt’s indifferent attitude towards the Defence Forces is unexplainable especially keeping in mind the hostile environment prevailing on our borders both at land and sea. A nation to survive in such hostile environment has to keep its forces well equipped, well trained, motivated and contented. It needs to be understood that service veterans are the extension of service personnel. Any injustice to the veterans also adversely affects the serving soldiers who will be the future veterans. These aspects need to the holistically addressed by the Govt.
4. Out of the cases filed in various AFTs, over 90 percent in have been won by the Defence Personnel in the last one year, but Govt is yet to implement the judgements. The recommendatory AFGRC ordered by the Supreme Court which was to be affective with effect from 15 Jan 2011 has been dispensed with by the Govt. The SC had passed this judgement after deliberating upon the illtreatement being meted out to the Defence Personnel by the Govt.
5. A petition filed by independent MP of Rajaya Sabha Sh. Rajeeve Chandersekhar was being heard by the Petition Committee of the Rajaya Sabha. The Govt is not mentioning any thing about the Committee while giving reply to the question being raised by MPs regarding the non grant of OROP. They continue to quote two years old Committee of Secretaries.
6. The Govt has not also paid any heed to the recommendations of All Party Standing Committee on Defence Comprising 31 MPs strongly recommending OROP three times in the last one year. The way the Govt treats the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committees and gives credence to the Report of Committee of secretaries who are biased against the Defence Forces speak of the apathy of the Govt has towards the Defence Forces.
7. A Vishal Rally will be held by the Defence Veterans at Jantar Mantar New Delhi on 12th Nov 2011 from 10 AM to 3 PM under the aegis of Indian Ex -Servicemen Movement (IESM) to peacefully protest against the Govt apathy and negative attitude towards their genuine demands. Thereafter, a delegation will leave for Rashtrapati Bhawan to deposit medals and memorandum signed in blood to the President. Lt Gen Raj Kadyan, PVSM,AVSM,VSM, Chairman IESM has already written to the President to accept the medals and the Memorandum herself by granting audience to the delegation of Defence veterans. The Military Veterans have also decided that incase the president herself does not accept the medals and the Memorandum, they will bring these back.
8. The media is cordially invited for the event and is requested to cover it extensively to bring to the notice of the people of India the ill-treatment being meted out to the Military by the Govt for which they hold the bureaucracy mainly responsible.
With Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
