AN APPEAL TO SMT.SONIA GANDHI FOR OROP

 AN APPEAL TO MRS SONIA GANDHI TO GRANT JUSTICE TO THE DEFENCE PERSONNEL

Date:  14 Sep 2010 To, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Congress President & UPA Chairperson, 10 Janpath, New Delhi -11 AN APPEAL TO MRS SONIA GANDHI TO GRANT JUSTICE TO THE DEFENCE PERSONNEL Dear Madam, 1.   We the veteran defence personnel of India appeal to you for your personal intervention to grant justice to the Defence Personnel. The Govt has not only not considered our genuine demands but has adopted indifferent attitude towards us.   The manner the Govt is contesting the Court Rulings given in favour of Defence Personnel, reveal its intentions and attitude towards our demands. 2.   The main demand of “One Rank One Pension” (OROP) which means Same Rank-Same Length of Service-Same Pension irrespective of the date of retirement. The All party Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence with the strength of 31 MPs while tabling its report on 07th May 2010 has strongly recommended grant of OROP to the Defence Personnel holistically.   Over four months have passed, the Govt has not taken decision on this important demand of Defence Personnel having far reaching consequences on the profession of arms.   The chairman of the Defence Committee Sh Satpal Ji Maharaj has once again written a letter to Defence Minister on 27 Aug 2010 strongly recommending the grant of OROP (Copy attached). 3.   Majority of the 740 MPs support our demand of OROP, however it is reliably learnt that one or two senior bureaucrats in the Govt want to teach lesson to the veteran soldiers for airing their views in public, depositing medals and signing memorandum to the Supreme Commander in blood.   A copy of the letter of Sh.Rajeev Chandrashekar and independent MP written to the PM on not accepting the enhancement of pension of MPs  till OROP is granted to the Defence Personnel is enclosed for your perusal please. 4.   While passing a very significant and important order, the Supreme Court has asked the Govt to consider setting up of Separate Independent Commission headed by a retired judge both for serving and retired members of the Armed Forces.  A bench comprising of Justice Markandey Katju and T. S. Thakur asked Attorney General GE Vahanvati and Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to forward the suggestion to the Govt and get its response by October 18, the next date of hearing of the rank pay case.  The following other observations have been made by the Supreme Court:- (a)  The forces are disciplined, that is the reason why they do not hold violent rallies.   BUT THEY ARE RETURNING MEDALS IN PROTEST.   They have done so much for the country, but they get a feeling that bureaucrats don’t hear them. (b) There is discontentment amongst the serving and the retired armed forces personnel highlighted by recent return of medals, burning of artificial limbs and fratricidal assaults.  (c)   Armed Forced have many grievances which are not being properly addressed by   the Union Govt.  (d)   SC slammed the Govt for making Defence personnel run from pillar to post for getting their salary disputes resolved.  “The day the soldiers are forced to fight for their salaries, it would be a sad day for the country, the bench remarked”. 5.  The above order of the SC bench and its observations clearly reveal apathy, neglect and negative attitude of the Govt and bureaucracy towards the grievances of pay and pensions of Defence Personnel.  6.   Madam Sonia Gandhi, we the defence personnel are asking for equity and justice which the Govt should have considered and granted to us.   The Supreme Court in its order on 08 Sep 2010 critisised the Govt for making the  defence personnel run from pillar to post for getting their salary disputes resolved. The apex court said the sane advice of Chanakya was valid even today and it was unfortunate that army personnel are forced to knock the doors of the court for rectifying their salary anomalies”.  However, SC graciously did not mention the complete quote of Kautalya to the King Maurya given 2000 year back. Excerpt from a letter from Kautilya to Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, mentioned in the formers 'Arthashastra', about 2000 years ago. “Pataliputra rests each night in peaceful comfort, O King, secure in the belief that the distant borders of Magadha are inviolate and the interiors are safe and secure, thanks only to the Mauryan Army standing vigil with naked swords and eyes peeled for action, day and night, in weather fair and foul, all eight pahars (round the clock), quite unmindful of personal discomfort and hardship, all through the year, year after year. To this man, O Rajadhiraja, you owe a debt: please, therefore, see to it, suo motu, that the soldier continuously gets his dues in every form and respect, be they his needs or his wants, for he is not likely to ask for them himself. The day the soldier has to demand his dues will be a sad day for Magadha for then, on that day, you will have lost all moral sanction to be King!”   7.  Madam we feel the Govt must be considerate towards the armed forces who are the strongest pillar of our democracy and once again appeal to you to intervene in the matter and ask the Govt to grant OROP at the earliest.  With Kind Regards, Jai Hind                                   Yours Sincerely,  Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM, Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement Mobile: 9312404269, 0124-4110570 Email : satbirsm@gmail.com  Copy to :- Mr Manmohan Singh Hon’ble Prime Minister Of India, 7 Race Course Road, New Delhi 110011 Sh. A.K. Antony, Defence Minister, 104, South Block, New Delhi    Gen Vijay Kumar Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC, Chief of the Army Staff Integrated HQs of Armed Forces (Army) South Block, New Delhi-110011  Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma, PVSM, AVSM, ADC Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff Integrated HQs of Armed Forces (Navy) South Block, New Delhi-110011 Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, PVSM, VSM, ADC Chief of the Air Staff Integrated HQs of Armed Forces (Air Force)  Vayu Bhawan, New Delhi-110011

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