Role of army veterans (English version) Rakshak news 14 Jan 18
January 14th is armed forces veterans’ day. It is a day when veterans would be felicitated by the serving and briefed on ongoing schemes impacting them. The armed forces are possibly the only service, where veterans are cared for and respected all through life. This is because of a close bonding between the serving and them. In most infantry regiments, where the men are recruited from a common region, there would always be veterans and serving belonging to the same village, hence a veteran would be aware of the happenings of the battalion in which he served for the greater part of his life.
Over the years, the role and participation of the veterans has seen a dramatic shift. Apart from contesting and challenging the government for their rightful dues, OROP being a prime example, veterans have taken it upon themselves to fight for the rights of the soldier. Battle for rightful dues for veterans does bear logic as it concerns even the present serving soldier, who would be a veteran tomorrow.
However, suggesting and criticizing those in the hierarchy for present policies impacting the serving may be wrong. In many cases, veterans are neither aware of the goings on in service HQs, nor of the efforts being made by the hierarchy to resolve these issues. By taking to social media and adversely commenting only adds fuel to existing fires within the organization, as it results in spreading rumours. Since in multiple cases, veterans and serving remain together on same social media sites, their comments, based on limited knowledge affects morale.
The veteran movement was neither prominent nor in the limelight, though it had been in existence for decades, till the commencement of the OROP agitation. The first phase of the agitation brought them out into national limelight. The disciplined agitation, led by aged war veterans gained sympathy and support from all sections of society. The incident, when they were assaulted by the police on pre-Independence Day 2015, was flashed as government highhandedness and resulted in police officials apologizing for their actions.
It pressurized the government to act and announce the OROP. Subsequent rallies and protests were almost a blackout by the media on government directions. Though the announced OROP was below expectations and anomalies remained, most agitators were satisfied and withdrew from the protests, feeling they had won the battle. The core group remains and battles on, knowing it must win the final war as a service to future veterans.
The armed forces veterans, most of whom retired early, as a fighting force must have a young profile, have been ignored by the government the moment they hung their boots. While there are reservations in job employment schemes in almost all categories, there is no monitoring or enforcing agency. Thus, states and the centre ignore the policy, leaving the veteran to survive on his limited pension, which when compared to any other government service is low, since he has served for a shorter duration.
The veterans, who are professionally qualified, motivated, determined while being physically and mentally fit are ignored, and those recruited are put through costly training schedules. Side stepping them into central police forces, state police, multiple industrial establishments including ordnance factories would change the complexion of these organizations, as the work ethos, experience, culture and dedication of the veteran is vastly different from his civilian counterparts. The veteran, with a family to support and only pension as his sole means of survival is compelled to undertake low paying security jobs as an alternative.
Realistically, veteran issues have been ignored by every government because they are not a force which can impact vote banks, the only power house politicians listen to. Their spread across the nation, lack of a central organization with branches at district levels, inability to unite and unable to communicate as one, has made them ineffective. Unless different veteran organizations, spread across the nation, representing different services, join hands, adopt an apolitical structure, challenge the government on its anti-veteran approach, they would remain ignored and their demands given low priority. They would be compelled to approach courts for issues, which any government can easily resolve.
It has only been the armed forces which continues to care for him, maintains contact and opens facilities to him for his welfare. Since it is the service which takes care, the veteran is duty bound to return to the service a similar gesture. The armed forces do not desire much from its veteran members, except that they become their spokespersons, sharing amongst the national population the positives of the service, the sacrifice of its members and project the right image. It also hopes veterans challenge those who adopt an anti-armed forces approach as those serving remain duty bound to maintain silence.
Ultimately, the veteran and the serving are one family, one fraternity, which together can spread the correct message of the armed forces across the nation. If the veterans desire to be recognized as a national power, then multiple veteran organizations need to join hands, ignore political leanings and challenge the government’s anti-veteran approach. It is only by being united will the veteran movement bear fruits.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army