OROP: PM Modi's promise aside, veterans want deadline-linked implementation

New Delhi: As the nation is celebrating 69th anniversary of the Independence Day this 15 August, those who protected the country all their lives are staging a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar to press the government to implement their 33-year-old demand of One Rank One Pension (OROP). They suddenly became a “security threat” ahead of the national festival and their peaceful demonstration, which is continuing for nearly two months at Jantar Mantar, on Friday witnessed a “barbaric crackdown” of the city cops who “misbehaved, heckled and roughed up” the war veterans. Their makeshift shelter was dismantled and belongings were taken away. They were finally allowed to continue with the protest at the same spot after Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju spoke to Delhi Police chief BS Bassi. The protesters were agitating with placards depicting OROP lying in a coffin which is being carried by PM Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Defenece Minister Manohar Parrikar on their shoulders. [caption id=“attachment_2393784” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Firstpost[/caption] In another caricature, PM Modi is being asked whether he is listening to US President Barack Obama who had said while addressing the United States servicemen, “So long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known. When you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you’ve served us - because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care that they need when they come home.” In more bad news for them, former Army Chief of Army Staff General VP Malik, who was mediating between the government and the ex-servicemen on the request of the Prime Minister’s Office, withdrew himself from the liasioning on account of “big gap on the issue between both the sides”. The crux of the disagreement lies in which pension scales should be applied in compensating soldiers - the rates of 2011, which the government wants, or those of 2014, which are naturally higher, and the choice of the military community, reports NDTV quoting its sources. Although Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar reiterated yesterday that the government will fulfil its promise of OROP, the veterans remain skeptical. This despite PM Modi once again reminding the services during his I-Day speech that he will make sure OROP goes through. “The issue of ‘One Rank One Pension’ came up in front on every government. Some even made small promises. Issue could not be solved,” said Modi as he spoke from the Red Fort ramparts. However, he assured that his government is committed to the cause and will do something about it very soon. “I assure the servicemen and I am saying it under the Tricolour from the Red Fort- we have accepted OROP. Some talks are still on.” After Modi’s speech, ex-servicemen announced that they will continue to boycott all government functions, including the felicitation ceremony of the men in uniform after the Prime Minister failed to give any deadline for the implementation of the scheme. “The government had accepted OROP in principle much in March this year when the Ministry of Defence had given a detailed proposal in this regard to the Ministry of Finance. We wanted announcement of the specific date which the prime minister failed to do that. It is extremely disappointing. We are feeling cheated. And therefore, we have decided that we will boycott all government function, including facilitation of the men in uniform or the war veterans,” said Major General (retired) Satbir Singh, who is spearheading the campaign for the implementation of OROP under the banner of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM). The veterans have been pressing for uniform pension for defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement. The soldiers say they fell “terribly let down” with the “politicisation” of the Indian military. “If a person as high as the prime minister, defence minister and finance minister has failed to act on his words, then whom to trust. Therefore, we are feeling terribly let down,” they told Firstpost. “It is extremely unfortunate that those who sacrifice everything to protect the nation and serve it at times of natural calamities without caring for their lives have to sit on hunger strike for their legitimate demand. We are not asking for moon. Give us a date of implementation of OROP. We will end our protest. We are not unreasonable people. We have faith in our government,” said Colonel (retired) Ravinder Nath of Infantry Regiment, Special Frontier Force. But at the same time, he cautioned the dispensation at the Centre that if their demands were not met, PM Modi would “lose his locus standi”. The government, though, has steadfastly refused to settle on a date for the implementation of OROP and that will leave many veterans feeling uneasy. Explaining the genesis of their demand, he said, “Army jawans retire at the age of 30-35 and junior commissioned officers (JCOs) at 40-42 when most of their family responsibilities are still ahead of them, while civil administrative officers like IAS, IPS, IFS and IRS retire at 65. Sixty percent of Army officers retire at the age of 54 and below from major to full colonel. Only 2-5 percent of them make it to brigadier and 0.8 percent attains the position of major general, who retires at 58. A still smaller number are lieutenant general and retire at 60. There is one chief of 15 lakh men in uniform. But civil servants get routine promotion and retire from the ranks of secretary and joint secretary, who is considered equal to a major general. Where is the comparison? Army jawans spend 70 percent of their service period in field areas far away from their families. As a result, he has to manage two establishments – one his own and the other is his family. Even if we get postings in peace areas, only 15 percent can stay with their families because of the dearth of accommodation.” Asked what if the similar demand spring from para-military forces, he said, “There is only one paramilitary force which is Assam Rifles. The rest (CRPF, CISF, BSF, ITBP, SSB and the state police) are police battalion and comes under the Police Act. Their personnel retire between the ages of 57 and 60 years. They earn more increments and therefore must not be equated for pension.” Asked if the government has not come to any conclusion on implementation of OROP because it would need an additional expenditure of Rs 8,400 crore on the current defence pension budget, which is around Rs 54,500 crore, the prompt reply came, “If the government does not have funds for defence personnel, then it should disband the armed forces and send its bureaucrats to protect borders.” Former commander Ravindra Pathak of the Pension Cell of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement trains the gun on bureaucracy alleging that it is bureaucrats who are the biggest obstacle to the OROP. “The political control of the defence forces has gone into the hands of bureaucrats and they are the biggest obstacle to the OROP. They have prejudice against us because they wield power with pen, which is not visible to everyone, but we have power that is visible to every individual. Hence, there is a contradiction,” he added. Pushkar Bajpayee, who was sergeant at the Air Force, says OROP is attached to their sentiments with which the government is playing. “The government should stop talking about the OROP if it is not willing to fulfil its pre-poll promise. For god sake, please stop making fools of us. End this, we are not going to get anything. Stop playing with our sentiments,” he added. Addressing the veterans at an election rally at Rewari in September 2013, Modi had promised to implement OROP. However, the prime minister’s recent statement that OROP is a “complex” issue and it has “several definitions” came as a surprise for them. Major General (retired) Satbir Singh, who is spearheading the campaign for the implementation of OROP under the banner of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), told Firstpost, “OROP is neither a complex issue nor has several definitions. There is only one definition of OROP that was given by a Committee of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary constituted by the Manmohan Singh government. The same definition was adopted by Parliament and the President had described it as an urgent need. The same definition was also accepted by the incumbent government. If the prime minister was not clear about it, why did he assure us that the scheme will be implemented if his party comes to power? The non-implementation of the scheme is because of the lack of will power and determination.” He added that the government has “breached” their trust and “betrayed” the 6.45 lakh widows of war heroes, 24 lakh ex-servicemen and 15 lakh serving servicemen. Brigadier (retired) Gurmeet Kanwal calls for a “credible” assurance to the veterans. “The day a soldier takes his oath, he swears allegiance to Naam, Namak, Nishan and has never faltered. Indian veterans also need to be given a similar assurance, but one that is credible,” he writes in one of his articles published in Hindustan Times .