Saturday, June 27, 2015

COMMEMORATIVE RELAY HUNGER STRIKE


Dear Sir/ Ma'am, 
We have concluded the thirteenth day of the relay hunger strike. The fasting at Jantar Mantar continued today with volunteers from MANSA, BHIKKIWIND & ABOHAR in Punjab consisting of an officer and eighteen JCO/OR. 
Nagrota in Himachal Pradesh was added to the list of protesting centres, the strength at Jantar Mantar crossed 250 with fifty officers and over 271 JCO/OR being present. 

UFESM HAS DECIDE TO DEDICATE SUNDAY 28 JUN AS A COMMEMORATIVE DAY IN MEMORY OF ANOTHER GREAT VETERAN Fd Marshal SFHJ Manekshaw, MC, padma vibhushan, ADC on his eighth death anniversary. Large number of veterans are expected to come and pay homage to this great captain of War who was treated shabbily by the establishment. We invoke his blessings for this on going struggle. 
COME ONE COME ALL. As a tribute to the great leader several "Generals" will sit on hunger strike alongwith others. 
IMPORTANT TO NOTE
On a personal intervention by GOC-in-C Hq Western Command the question of boycotting government sponsored or organized functions has been reviewd by UFESM. It has been decided that in defference to the Army Cdr's request for attendance at the function on the '65 war being organized by HQ Western Command, all veterans are advised to attend the same albiet with black arm bands as a mark of protest for the delay in OROP . This arrangement has the approval of the Army Cdr. Notwithstanding the above this arrangement will be effective across the board for all service related functions involving veterans till 15 July 2015, when the matter will be reviewd again bu UFESM. The instructions regarding government functions remain unchanged.,


Col Anil Kaul, VrC Veteran
Media Advisor & Spokesman
UFESM   

Thursday, June 25, 2015

An open letter to Hon PM of India

Dear Sir

I am pained to see the embarrassment being inflicted on your Govt due to promises made without thinking.
I would like to suggest an out of box idea to you. As it is your own Def Min feels the army has lost its relevance due to no war in last 4 decades. Thus is there a need for Defence forces  at all? To man the borders increase the PMF and disband the army/handover the security of the seas to the State Marine Forces and the air  force can be run by AI pilots or many others pilots who are jobless.

See the positives:-

  1. You would have hijacked another Congress idea as stated by Nehru that he will look after the security of the country with the police
  2. The entire defense budget will be there for populist schemes and subsidies.
  3.  No scams in defense procurements.
  4. PMF retire at 60 years so no OROP demand.
  5. You have a chiefs who will bend over backwards to oblige any suggestion so there will be instant acceptance from the army.
  6. The land bank of army will become free to be sold to Adani, Ambani and other corporates who can drive your make in India and of course Sharad Pawar will back you fully to complete his scheme of sale of Cantonment land.Majority strenthened.Hurrah.
  7. Not to forget you would become first leader in the world to take such a step thus Noble Prize for peace and host of other prizes would follow some thing that MMS tried desperately via his talks with Pakistan.
How to do it is simple give the forces 2 years to resettle their personnel. These people can go on study leave and look for alternate employment by 2018. By when it would be nearing elections thus giving you Lakhs of Crores for your schemes. 

The Army's equipment is as it is obsolete it is unfit for any real use thus the scrap value will add to your kitty.(Try OLX)

Imagine no army no veterans no OROP.

Thus you become a legend for world to follow.

With Regards
A soldier.


SOURCE [exservicemen-INDIA]

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

முன்னாள் ராணுவத்தினருக்கான ஒரே பதவி, ஒரே ஓய்வூதியம் திட்டத்தை செயல்படுத்த வேண்டும்: அன்புமணி ராமதாஸ்

முன்னாள் ராணுவத்தினருக்கான ஒரே பதவி, ஒரே ஓய்வூதியம் திட்டத்தை செயல்படுத்த வேண்டும்: அன்புமணி ராமதாஸ்
முன்னாள் ராணுவத்தினருக்கான ஒரே பதவி, ஒரே ஓய்வூதியம் திட்டத்தை செயல்படுத்த வேண்டும்: அன்புமணி ராமதாஸ்
சென்னை, ஜூன். 24–
பா.ம.க. இளைஞரணித் தலைவர் அன்புமணி ராமதாஸ் வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிக்கையில் கூறி இருப்பதாவது:–
இந்திய பாதுகாப்பு படைகளில் பணியாற்றி ஓய்வு பெற்ற வீரர்களுக்கு ஒரே மாதிரியான ஓய்வூதியம் வழங்க வேண்டும் என்ற முன்னாள் ராணுவத்தினரின் 42 ஆண்டு கால கோரிக்கையை ஏற்பதில் மத்திய அரசு தேவையற்ற காலதாமதம் செய்து வருகிறது.
இக்கோரிக்கையை வலியுறுத்தி கடந்த 14 ஆம் தேதி நாடு தழுவிய போராட்டம் நடத்திய முன்னாள் படைவீரர்கள் அடுத்த கட்டமாக உண்ணாநிலை உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு வடிவங்களிலான போராட்டங்களில் ஈடுபடப்போவதாக அறிவித்திருக்கின்றனர்.
இந்திய ராணுவத்தில் ஒரே நிலையிலான பணியில் ஒரே கால அளவில் பணியாற்றிய வீரர்களுக்கு அவர்கள் கடைசியாக வாங்கிய ஊதியம் எவ்வளவு என்பதைக் கருத்தில் கொள்ளாமல் ஒரே அளவில் ஓய்வூதியம் வழங்குவது தான் ‘ஒரே பதவி.. ஒரே ஊதியம்’ திட்டத்தின் நோக்கம் ஆகும்.
முந்தைய ஐக்கிய முற்போக்கு கூட்டணி ஆட்சியில், இக்கோரிக்கை குறித்து அளிக்கப்பட்ட மனுவை ஆய்வு செய்ய பகத்சிங் கோஷியாரி தலைமையிலான மாநிலங்களவைக் குழு அமைக்கப்பட்டது. அக்குழுவின் பரிந்துரையை ஏற்று ‘ஒரே பதவி.. ஒரே ஊதியம்’ திட்டத்தை செயல்படுத்த முந்தைய அரசு ஒப்புக்கொண்ட போதிலும், கடைசி வரை இத்திட்டம் நிறைவேறவில்லை.
கடந்த ஆண்டு நரேந்திர மோடி தலைமையிலான புதிய அரசு பதவியேற்றவுடன் இத்திட்டம் உறுதியாக செயல்படுத்தப்படும் என்று அறிவிக்கப்பட்டது. ஆனால், அதன்பின் ஓராண்டுக்கு மேலாகியும் அதற்கான நடவடிக்கை எதுவும் எடுக்கப்படவில்லை. இத்திட்டத்தை செயல்படுத்த 2014–15 ஆம் ஆண்டுக்கான நிதிநிலை அறிக்கையில் ரூ.1,000 கோடி நிதி ஒதுக்கீடு செய்யப்பட்ட பிறகும் இத்திட்டத்திற்கு செயல் வடிவம் கொடுப்பதற்கு மத்திய அரசு ஏன் தயங்குகிறது? என்பதை புரிந்து கொள்ள முடியவில்லை.
பிரதமரும், பாதுகாப்புத் துறை அமைச்சரும் இத்திட்டம் தொடர்பாக அளித்த வாக்குறுதிகள் எதுவுமே நிறைவேற்றப்படாமல், காற்றில் பறக்கவிடப்பட்டு வருவது நிச்சயமாக நல்ல செயலாக இருக்க முடியாது.
இந்த நிலையை உணர்ந்து, நாட்டைக் காக்க போராடியவர்களுக்கு நன்றிக் கடன் செலுத்தும் வகையில் ‘ஒரே பதவி.. ஒரே ஊதியம்’ திட்டத்தை உடனடியாக செயல்படுத்த வேண்டும். அதுமட்டுமின்றி, போர்ப்படையினரின் ஊதியம் தொடர்பான விஷயங்களைத் தீர்மானிப்பதற்காக தனி ஆணையத்தை அமைக்க வேண்டும்.
இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறியுள்ளார்.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Meeting of UNITED FRONT of EX-SERVICEMEN ORGANIZATIONS at the office of IESL on 22 June 2015

Meeting of UNITED FRONT of EX-SERVICEMEN ORGANIZATIONS at the office of IESL on 22 June 2015
Dear Veterans,


Consequent to the formation of United Front of Ex-Servicemen Organisations, a meeting of Heads of the Organisations was held at the office of IESL, Chankyapuri on 22nd June 2015. The agenda of the meeting was to elect the new office bearers of the United Front & to carry forward the agenda of OROP till its successful culmination.

The following were unanimously elected Office bearers of the United Front:
1. Brig Bhagwan Singh - Convenor
2. Sgt V.N. Mishra - Co-Convenor
3. Capt. Balwan Singh - Co-Convenor
4. Col. S.S. Sohi - General Secretary

Advisory Committee
The following have been nominated to the Advisory Committee:
1. Capt. B.S. Bhatti
2. LDG Ved Pal Rathi
3. Nb. Sub. G.S. Sidhu

Treasurer : Ris Maj Om Prakash Ahlawat

Media Co-ordinator Team: 
1. Col C.J.S. Khera (will continue to handle UF blog as before)
2. Col. Kaul
3. Col. Dinesh Nain
4. Brig. Kartar Singh

It was unanimously decided to separately open an account of the United Front and all donations/contributions will be deposited in this new account and accounted for separately.

It is likely that the next meeting of United Front may be held on 26th June 2015 to add more committee's / names of individuals to existing committee's if approved by the house.

Brig. Bhagwan Singh expressed his inability to accept the approintment of Convenor as he is scheduled to leave India shortly for a personal visit to US. It was however not accepted by the house and the house further unanimously decided that Brig. Kartar Singh, Vice President IESL will take on the Convenor responsibility in his absence.

--------------------------------------

Regards,
Brig. Bhagwan Singh
 

Sunday, June 21, 2015

O R O P OPS MAHASANGRAM - PRESS STATEMENT 21/6

Subject: Press Note UFESM

Dear Sir/ Madam,
Even As the on going hunger strike by veterans enters the seventh day, it seems that the Govt of India remains unmoved towards coming to a decision on OROP. It is indeed sad that despite the outpourings of resentment coming from across the country from the striking ESM, with support from most sections of civil society the government is preferring turning a deaf ear so far. The security and welfare of those who gave their all for the Nation's security seems to be of no concern to the powers that be.
To add insult to injury A major portion of the mainstream electronic media has preferred to ignore the issue totally despite real time information and news being given to them on a daily basis. The only vestige of importance being the regional electronic and to a large extent the print media who have been supportive of the cause. The mainstream print media has also ignored the plight of octogenarians and even some 
nanogerianarians who could be in a totally different line of fire while waiting eternally for the announcement.. The fate of widows and orphaned children as also those with combat disability has been left hanging on the file laden tables of the Ministry of Finance that despite all its yogic contortions, the PMO  cannot have them  moved.
In view of this stalemate, UFESM has convened a coordination committee at 1100 h at Jantar Mantar on 22 June 2015 to finalize the next course of action including escalation of protests as also form of Direct action. 
Once finalized the details will be conveyed to all concerned.
Col Anil Kaul, VrC Veteran
Media Advisor & Spokesman
UFESM  

(SOURCE: email FROM UFESM)

Friday, June 19, 2015

ESSAATN team met Hon member of Parliament Shri R Anbumani


A memorandum was Handed Over by Dist President Veteran Hav S Chinnasamy.
Hon MP was very supportive and already aware about OROP. His partry's Support was sought. Incidently PMK is an ally of NDA.



Wednesday, June 17, 2015

RALLY ON 16 JUNE 2015:PHOTOS


Gen Sec ESSAATN thanks  DS Dharmapuri ,Veteran NK  M Malligarchunan , Dist President, veteran Hav S Chinnasamy and their team for making the event a Grand success. It is their untiring efforts that made it succesfull in achieving the goals and meaningfull contribution to the community.




Before the Meeting Raised slogans.
 



Adressing the gathering Legal Adviser Veteran SGT SV Krishnan
The Stalwarts of ESSAATN
              Verteran NK M Malligarchunan,  DPI Dist Sec
              Verteran Hav S Chinnasamy,  DPI Dist President
              Veteran SPR Lukas Babu, Exec Member 
              Veteran Sub Maj G Naagarajan , State President ESSAATN
              Veteran Hy Capt A Ganesan , Vice President, ESSAATN



  
STATE PRESIDENT G NAAGARAJAN  adressing the Gathering.
Section of the Veterans Gathering



Saturday, June 13, 2015

DILLI CHALO-UNITED FRONT OF EX-SERVICEMEN


EX-SERVICEMEN’S  “DILLI CHALO” 

CALL  FOR
MAHA SANGRAM RALLY  ON 14 

JUNE  FOR O.R.O.P.

Source: SANJHAMORCHA BLOG

IMPORTANT DECISIONS TAKEN IN COORDINATION COMMITTEE MEETING
 Unity Efforts
Office bearers of 31 Ex-servicemen association of India met in Delhi on 6 June to explore possibility of unity. The meeting was successful and united front of Ex-servicemen was formed on 6 June 15. United Front of Ex-servicemen vowed to fight for OROP till issuance of notification of OROP. It was decided that a MAHA SANGRAM RALLY will be held as planned on Jantar Mantar on 14 June 2015 SUNDAY and RELAY HUNGER STRIKE will start at Jantar Mantar from 15 June till Government issues notification for OROP.
Office bearers of the organizations met again on 10 June to coordinate all actions required for the planned agitation. Gen sec announced that in this meeting all are equal and will have equal say and responsibility for this agitation.  It was decided that the new organization will be called UNITED FRONT OF EX-SERVICEMEN.  All agreed that rally and hunger strike will go on as planned. Following teams were made to ensure smooth conduct of rally and hunger strike.
  1. Advisory council
    1. Lt Gen Balbir Yadav  IESL
    2. Maj Gen Satbir Singh IESM
    3. Brig Bhagwan Singh AIEWA

  2. Admin Council
    1. Brig Kartar singh  IESL                     9414431440
    2. Gp Capt VK Gandhi  IESM                9810541222
    3. Lt Col BK Sharma  RDOA                 9817351203        
    4. Sgt Misra NEXCC                               9811810393
    5. Mr Ankit Gupta  C4F                          9818604804

  3. Media Committee
    1. Col Anil Kaul IESM                            9810272291
    2. Col Nain  Team ANNA                       9417057774
    3. Col Rajeev Kakkra RDOA
    4. Hav Sultan singh

  4. Financial Commitment   it was decided that pool of funds may be made to meet the expenditure of rally and hunger strike.
    1. All organizations were requested to pool some token funds
    2. IESM promised that the organization is spending funds on buses for their members to attend the rally on 14 June 15. Apart from this expenditure IESL will pool Rs 1 Lac for the expenditure.
    3. IESM committed that balance funds would be contributed by them.

  5. Finance Committee
    1. Wg Cdr CK Sharma IESM               9312219302
    2. Col Sareen

  6. Medical Emergency team                         IESL   
  7.                         Two doctors will be available on the site. Details are given below
    1. Major P Chingalamba                     8527377775
    2. Major VV Mathur                            9971569458
    3. Two ambulances will be standby

  8. Stage security                                                    C4F

  9. Tent management and security at Jantar Mantar.            
    1. Gp Capt Kataria                                    AFA
    2. Hony Lt K Pandey                         IESM

  10. Overall control of rally  IESM                Capt VK Gandhi
RegardsGp Capt VK Gandhi VSM
Gen Sec IESM
Flat no 801, Tower N5
Narmada Apartments
Pocket D6 
Vasant Kunj
Nelson Mandela Marg
New Delhi. 110070
Mobile   
09810541222

Monday, June 8, 2015

OROP -PUBLIC MEETING AT DHARMAPURI- INVITATION







The Fuss About One-Rank-One-Pension (OROP) - By S.G.Vombatkere


07 June, 2015
Armed Forces (army, navy, airforce) Veterans are chary of going public on defence matters particularly on issues of their own rights and entitlements. This is because of years of service in a strict disciplinary environment under the Army, Navy and Air Force Acts of Parliament, which expressly deny them the fundamental rights of freedom of speech & expression. Thus there was a time when Veterans believed in staying out of the news. But times have changed. Politicians and bureaucrats have tested the Veterans' patience.
Short history
The demand for One-Rank-One-Pension (OROP) dates back to the 1980s. Nothing much happened until the Congress promised OROP in its poll manifesto in 2004, but the UPA government rejected the OROP demand in December 2008, resulting in Veterans returning over 22,000 gallantry, war and service medals to the President of India along with symbolically signing a letter with their own blood in 2009. Under the Indian Ex-Servicemen's Movement (IESM) banner, Veterans have been taking delegations to the Ministry of Defence, writing letters to the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, and holding peaceful and dignified rallies and public demonstrations.
With continuing pressure from MP Shri Rajeev Chandrashekhar and IESM, the the Parliament Standing Committee on Defence studied and accepted the concept and definition of OROP in 2013. OROP was featured in the UPA government's budget in February 2014 and was reflected in an executive order to that effect in the same month. After the BJP-NDA government came to power, granting OROP was mentioned in the budget speech in July 2014, and the MoS for Defence confirmed it in the Rajya Sabha in December 2014.
During the campaign for the 2014 general elections, BJP PM candidate, Shri Narendra Modi, made a promise at a Veterans' Rally in Rewari, Haryana that, if elected to office, he would ensure OROP. In March 2015, during PM Modi's much-hyped visit to the troops on Siachen glacier, he volunteered the statement that the OROP demand would be fulfilled. However, even after two successive governments have agreed to OROP, and the PM's promises on its implementation, Veterans see OROP as a distant and receding light at the end of a tunnel.
What is the fuss about OROP?
But first, what is OROP? OROP simply means “uniform pension for military personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement, and any future enhancement in the rates of pension be automatically passed on to past pensioners”.
The reason for demanding OROP is that Veterans who have retired earlier receive much less pension than those who retired more recently. It can be argued that this also happens in other government jobs, so why are Veterans making such a fuss? To answer this perfectly valid question one needs to know some little-known facts concerning the military, at least insofar as service, retirement and pension are concerned.
One, Armed Forces (AF) personnel are compulsorily retired at a very early age, and retirement age depends upon their rank. Early retirement is necessary to “keep the army young” because older men cannot fight battles which make huge demands on stamina and strength. Soldiers (Sepoys, or in general, Jawans) who have not been promoted to NCO or JCO rank retire compulsorily after just 15 to 17 years of service, when their age is 35 to 37 years. Sepoys who are promoted as NCOs or JCOs retire at age 45 to 47 years. Officers compulsory retirement age is connected with rank as follows – Major-50, Lt Col-52, Col-54, Brig-56, Maj Gen-58, Lt Gen-60, General-62, noting that promotions depend both on performance and severely limited vacancies due to the rigid pyramidal rank structure. That is why, of all AF retirees, soldiers constitute about 90%.
Two, a soldier who was retired, say, in 1986 would receive pension on the basis of his salary according to the Fourth Pay Commission, while the pension of a soldier who was retired after the Sixth Pay Commission (20 years later) would be considerably higher because successive Pay Commissions fix salaries according to the rising cost indices. Thus, a Havildar (NCO) who retired earlier with over 20 years of service may receive less pension than a soldier who retired later with only 15 years of service. As an example for the officer cadre, the pension of a post-2012 retiree Colonel was Rs.35,841, whereas a pre-2006 retiree Major General’s pension was Rs.26,700. These disparities are grossly unfair because the soldier is retired compulsorily at an age depending upon his rank, and his pension is fixed upon the pay according to the CPC in force at retirement.
Three, compulsory retirement after just 15-17 years of service at age 35 years means that the soldier is effectively denied salary earnings of 25 years which other government employees (including the police forces) receive because they retire at age 60 years. There is negligible scope for lateral entry into government service even for soldiers who retire without disability attributable to military service. He is forced to seek employment to supplement his meagre pension at a time when his family and other commitments are just beginning to increase. This, along with lower pension of earlier retirees is a combination which makes for near-destitution of a soldier who served in hard conditions to defend the nation. For comparison, a CRPF policeman retires at 57 years age, and CRPF authorities are pressing for the retirement age to be increased to 60 years.
Four, there are huge differences in the military officer cadre vis-a-vis IAS and IPS. Consider the rank of Maj Gen, to which only 0.8% of officers get promoted because of the command-control-discipline rank structure of the army, after about 30 years of service. But the equivalent rank (in terms of salary) in the IAS is Joint Secretary (JS), which 100% of IAS cadre attain after only about 18 years of service, and about 80% of IPS cadre after about 20 years. It is this unfairness in parity in addition to early retirement age which is at the root of the OROP demand. Further, and even more unfairly, the Jawan is equated with a Class D government employee.
Public cost
There has been much discussion regarding what OROP would cost the exchequer. Many opined it was unaffordable, and further that other government servants would also demand OROP if granted to Veterans. However Veterans maintain that OROP cannot be withheld from them because some others, whose conditions of service and promotions are entirely different, also demand OROP.
MoD sent the final proposal to implement OROP for Rs.8,300 crores to Ministry of Finance on 17 February 2015. Adding Rs.8,300 crores to Rs.43,000 crores of Defence pensions, the total is Rs.51,300 crores per annum. Veterans argue that when the BJP-NDA budget allowed Rs.5.72 lakh crores as “revenue foregone” to provide concessions on corporate tax, commercial tax & customs duties to business houses for just one year, hesitating at spending less than one-tenth of it on Veterans who have given the best years of their lives for the nation's defence was a deliberate slight.
Deliberate neglect of Veterans
There was no member in 6CPC and earlier CPCs to represent soldiers, who form not merely the single largest segment affected by the decisions of 6CPC, but also form the only segment that is denied fundamental freedoms under Articles 19(a) and 19(c), and have conditions of service, promotion and retirement that are adverse when compared with other categories under consideration of the 6CPC.
The Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare (DESW) was set up in 2004 within MoD, to formulate policies and programmes for the welfare and resettlement of Veterans. However, without a single serving soldier or Veteran in its setup, it has actually been working at cross purposes with Veterans' welfare. Factually and outrageously, as a matter of policy DESW contested all cases won by individual Veterans in courts of law, including one case concerning a paltry Rs.702 per month won by a disabled soldier after litigating in a High Court.
Last word
A large section of the public including legislators, are ignorant of soldiers' working conditions – early retirement, non-family stations and long separations, continual life-threatening stressful situations, risks on-the-ground and in-the-field, high casualty rate, strict disciplinary regime under military law, denial of fundamental rights, etc. The tragedy is that they are not even interested in knowing, let alone understanding.
After promises have remained unimplemented, very recently PM Modi made a statement that OROP was not clearly defined. This raised doubts among Veterans regarding which vested interest has sown this “doubt” in the PM's mind, though most believe that these are IAS-sourced machinations. This belief is supported in large measure by the composition and conduct of successive CPCs and the attitude and manner of functioning of the Department of Ex-Servicemen's Welfare (DESW) under MoD, outlined earlier.
Veterans hold Mr. Modi accountable to promises made as PM-candidate and later as PM. Sensing the growing disappointment and anger among Veterans, the PM is reported to have tweeted that Veterans have waited 40 years and should not mind waiting a little more to solve the OROP muddle. IESM has demanded that government commit a definite date by which OROP would be implemented, failing which a peaceful, dignified Maha-Rally would be held on Sunday 14 June 2015 at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, with simultaneous rallies in some state capitals and other cities with a large Veterans' presence. This is to be followed by an indefinite relay fast starting 15 June.
Government's continued neglect of veterans is actually a double whammy on the country. On the one hand, valuable trained manpower is being lost, and on the other hand impecunious soldiers are joining the ranks of the unemployed or under-employed and exacerbating the current high levels of country-wide discontent.
It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that OROP is a matter of simple justice. Some Veterans say that governments playing with their patience at the behest of vested interests that delay or deny OROP, are figuratively playing with a bomb with a slow-burning fuse. Only time will tell whether the Maha-Rally will result in grant of OROP, or whether the vested interests succeed in destroying the bond between the soldier-veteran on the one hand and the government on the other.
Major General S.G. Vombatkere, VSM, retired in 1996 as Additional DG Discipline & Vigilance in Army HQ AG's Branch. He holds a PhD degree in Structural Dynamics from I.I.T, Madras. He is Adjunct Associate Professor of the University of Iowa, USA, in international studies. With over 400 published papers in national and international journals and seminars, his current area of interest is strategic and development-related issues. 
E-mail:sg9kere@live.com

(Source- Countercurrents.org )