Treat the military with respect (English version of article published in Amar Ujala) 03 Nov 17
A recent report of senior decorated veterans being manhandled and pushed away from their protest venue at Jantar Mantar by the Delhi police, was largely ignored by the media. However, social media was abuzz with the news, including videos of police highhandedness. The last time it happened was pre- Independence Day of 2015, when police roughed up aged veterans, even tearing their clothes, resulting in a national outcry, compelling the local police commissioner to tender an unconditional apology.
This time, possibly a media gag ensured that police action went largely unnoticed. While the orders of the NGT on evicting protestors before 09 Nov is in existence, the same should have been resorted to with more tact and courtesy and been implemented for all protestors, not the veterans alone. Breaking their structures by force and roughing them up, only increased anger against the government.
The last few years has seen the military being brought down in stature and salary, thus lowering its prestige and enhancing internal disgruntlement. The OROP agitation has been ongoing soon after the present government came to power, seeking the same not for the present veterans alone, but also for the serving, who would become veterans, with passage of time. The demand for OROP is based on simple and sound logic.
It is only the armed forces, who recruit a soldier on contract for seventeen years. Thus, ninety percent retire between the ages of thirty-five to forty-five. In every other government service, state or central, the retirement age is sixty. Thus, by the time the individual serving in central or state services retires, most of his family responsibilities are over. Further having served for a longer duration, as compared to a soldier, his pension is automatically much higher.
A soldier who retires between thirty-five and forty-five, has his responsibilities at a peak. He has growing children and aging parents, with nothing else but a meagre pension to subsist on. OROP would enhance his pension to those retiring in the same rank at present, thus making up the shortfall due to lack of requisite government service to some degree.
The term OROP when expanded means one rank, one pension. The government announcement resulted in one rank, five pensions as they have accepted revisions, not yearly but after five years. Thus, with the same rank, there would be five different pensions.
Despite the Reddy commission, established to resolve OROP issues, having submitted its recommendations over a year ago, the government claims the same is under study, further enhancing anger within the veteran community. They claim that the government is only seeking to delay the issue and ignore justified demands.
The seventh pay commission was allocated to the armed forces, almost a year after all others. The reason was that it was brought down in stature to even below that of the state police forces, to whose rescue they come at the first sign of trouble.
The government has refused to enhance the Military Service Pay (MSP) of the Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), keeping it at par with their juniors. The JCOs assume their appointment post considerable service and are an essential part of the armed forces system. To consider them equated with their juniors, is resentful. The case has repeatedly been taken up, but the government is unrelenting. It has impacted morale and increased resentment within the organization.
The officer category has also been deprived of their free rations in peace stations and granted a meagre allowance in lieu. The army has projected an enhancement, but there has been no response. Simultaneously, the government is adopting a variety of measures including ordering an equivalence commission to degrade the status of armed forces officers against their civilian counterparts in other services.
The armed forces as an organization are bound by silence, unable to criticize or vent their anger. They continue to perform, while remaining disgruntled and unhappy. The hierarchy has attempted to raise these problems with the government, with little success. An outcry on social media by the serving, indicates the hurt and anger within the community.
Its only voice is the veteran community, which has understood their difficulties and problems and hence is their spokesperson on various forums. It is this voice which the government now seeks to suppress, for if it grows, it could impact political parties in forthcoming elections. Political leaders including the prime and defence ministers visit troops for photo ops during festivals, seeking to gain political mileage, while ignoring their genuine demands.
The common Indian respects and supports the armed forces, as they are always at the forefront whenever required and have done more for nation building and nation unification than any political party or organization. They have been the first to respond during natural calamities, riots and when others have failed. They have sacrificed life and limb but never let the nation down in front of any threats to national security.
However, for other central services, this respect is anathema, hence they resort to every measure to ensure it is degraded in stature. While the serving maintain silence, the veterans protest on their behalf, raise their voice to spread awareness amongst the communities of the breaking of promises by the government. They seek to inform the nation that while the government makes statements supporting the armed forces, the reality is that it seeks to degrade its stature and deny it its rightful dues.
It does this, aware that the service cannot protest nor raise its voice. With the veteran movement gaining ground, enhancing national awareness while raising its voice on behalf of the serving, the government has now begun targeting them, especially as elections in two crucial states are around the corner. The veteran community would never be subdued nor pushed into silence, since it represents those who risk their lives for the nation. It would always support the common soldier in its battle for his rightful dues.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army