Veteran affairs, army and Miscellaneous – Maj Gen Harsha Kakar (Retd.)

July 14, 2020

When veterans ask questions The Statesman 14 Jul 2020

https://epaper.thestatesman.com/2748388/Kolkata-The-Statesman/14TH-JULY-2020#page/7/2 When veterans ask questions 14 Jul 2020 In a recent letter addressed to the President and Prime Minister, 144 veterans have raised multiple issues concerning the current tensions in Ladakh. They have claimed that the incident at Galwan occurred ‘because of failure at one or more levels in the political, civil and military establishments,’ and have demanded an inquiry […]

February 16, 2020

Bridging the veteran and serving gap Samman Magazine Jan 2020

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WA8hGhyVeTmVWseRQyehwpQNr0mFD5oY/view Page 16 Bridging the veteran and serving gap Samman Magazine Jan 2020 The advent of social media in the last few years changed the methodology of protesting and displaying anger against institutions and organizations. It has also given a sense of anonymity to the protestor alongside a platform for spreading their opposing views and comments. Social media has become […]

November 13, 2019

Can military veterans be curbed (English version) Rakshak News 13 Nov 19

http://www.rakshaknews.com/vishesh/can-ex-servicemen-be-suppressed Can military veterans be curbed? (English version) Rakshak News 13 Nov 19 In recent days there has been an intense debate on whether the armed forces can issue guidelines or a code of conduct for veterans. Some basic rights, including those of protest, forming unions and speaking in public on service matters are not permitted for serving personnel. They […]

October 22, 2019

Health care system is failing veterans 22 Oct 19

https://epaper.thestatesman.com/2382966/Kolkata-The-Statesman/22TH-OCTOBER-2019#page/7/2 Health care system is failing veterans 22 Oct 19 In April this year, the MoD directed that the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), created for military veterans, handled by the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare of the MoD, would function under army control but remain under the same department of the MoD for release of funds and approvals. This was […]

August 1, 2019

Caring for veterans and their families (English version) Rakshak News 01 Aug 19

http://www.rakshaknews.com/vishesh/such-may-be-the-care-of-ex-servicemen-and-their-families Caring for veterans and their families (English version) Rakshak News 01 Aug 19 On Kargil Diwas, a report in a newspaper stated that a war hero from Kargil, Satpal Singh, who was awarded the Vir Chakra for bravery, was employed as a traffic policeman in Bhawanigarh, a small town in Sangrur district of Punjab. He joined Punjab Police on […]

June 18, 2019

Should bureaucracy deny veterans their due The Statesman 18 Jun 19

Should bureaucracy deny veterans their due? Should bureaucracy deny veterans their due 18 Jun 19 In a letter of 05 Apr this year, addressed to the Directorate of Ex-servicemen Welfare of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Comptroller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), a part of the same ministry, queries the logic of initiating the OROP revision due on 01 […]

January 25, 2019

Veterans need to be responsible Samaan Magazine Jan 2019

http://indianarmyveterans.gov.in/showfile.php?lang=1&level=2&&sublinkid=1449&lid=1044 (pg 34) Veterans need to be responsible Samaan Magazine Jan 2019 Across social media, veterans are out with vengeance blaming the senior hierarchy for all ills which the armed forces face in the present time. Almost every day a new subject arises, and the blaming of the hierarchy commences. In recent times it has been OROP, non-grant of NFU, […]

January 12, 2019

Why are veterans angry with the government (English Version) Rakshak News 12 Jan 19

http://www.rakshaknews.com/vishesh/why-is-the-ex-servicemen-dissatisfied-with-the-government Why are veterans angry with the government? (English Version) Rakshak News 12 Jan 19 Military veterans as a community are becoming more disgruntled by the day against the present government. This was the government, when it assumed office in 2014, post promises made by Modi in Rewari in 2013, which veterans hoped would restore to the armed forces its […]

October 16, 2018

Politicizing the Indian army is destroying its internal fabric The Quint 09 Nov 17

Events in the past one year has brought the military, mainly the army, into limelight for all the wrong reasons. While it has continued with its tasks of maintaining national security, dominating the Line of Control (LoC), ensuring a near normal environment in Kashmir thus enabling the government to commence dialogue through an interlocutor, it has been witnessing criticism from […]

September 18, 2018

Transformation or restructuring? The Statesman 18 Sep 18

A recent conference at army HQs discussed the restructuring of the force. Few have termed it as a transformation exercise. Transformation would only flow from a realignment of objectives, roles and tasks, none of which appear to have been announced till date. None is likely to even be announced as neither the defence ministry nor the HQ Integrated Defence Staff […]