“Enough is enough”
It has been so painful to watch visuals of Veterans and Veer Naris sitting on a dharna outside the residence of FM Jaitley,
the whole day and late into the cold winter night. It smacks of utter indecency,
insensitivity and arrogance that he did not bother to meet them, even though a
fortnight earlier he had promised to revert to them within a week. It is even
more shameful and despicable that Delhi Police did not permit other veterans to
bring them food and blankets, obviously at his bidding.
Our hearts go out to all those aged, infirm, and yet so indomitable
veterans and ladies who have been carrying on with our struggle for justice on
behalf of the entire veterans family. Even though many of us are unable to join
them, being located outside Delhi, we fully share their anguish, anger and
sense of humiliation.
Our struggle has gone on for over 200 days, but the Govt. has
brazenly ignored it. Instead it has planted misinformation, clamped down upon
media coverage, and quite shortsightedly even sowed divisions within our ranks,
disregarding the irreparable harm that would cause to the very fabric of the
Armed Forces. It is hardly a secret that Jaitley, goaded on by Babudom, is cussedly thwarting a just
resolution, as retribution for his electoral defeat. His arrogance and myopia
are driving veterans into a corner, and there is clear and present danger of an
imminent showdown.
It is high time that PM intervenes and brings us back from the
precipice. He had received overwhelming support from the Defence Forces
fraternity during the Lok Sabha polls, and he should not let that goodwill be
eroded further.
Name me one country in the world where Veterans have had to come
out on the streets to demand justice. In the Indian context, it is
unprecedented for a struggle to go on for over 200 days in an absolutely disciplined
and peaceful manner, despite provocations. But, time has now come to say – “enough is enough”. We cannot let elderly veterans and veer-naris suffer any more indignities,
hardship and neglect at the hands of a callous Govt. There is no need to
explain anything further to the Govt., media or public. Issues are crystal
clear and our contention has been approved by two Lok Sabhas.
The selfless patriotism of the Armed Forces has never been in
doubt – we have demonstrated it time and again during wars, counter-insurgency operations,
riots and civil disturbances and natural calamities. Republic Day is an
occasion when the entire Nation watches with immense pride the Armed Forces in
their full ceremonial regalia. The Beating
of the Retreat, which marks the
end of Republic Day celebrations, should also mark the end of our self-imposed
restraint if the Govt. continues to be unyielding. Martyrs Day the following morning would be an
appropriate occasion for us to launch the next phase of our struggle from the Amar Jawan Jyoti.
The lead up to the present situation stems from the history of 42 yrs struggle started by Col Inderjit Singh in 1983. Throughout these yrs, representations were received by the RM/MOD, delegations heard, promises made, even after Parliament's standing committee's recommendations were accepted by the House unanimously but no follow up action initiated.Only, the UPA-2 Govt, before demitting office, set the ball rolling by an allocation of Rs 500 Crores.
ReplyDeleteThe period of 42 yrs saw the Veterans of the country being taken for granted & no political party or leader including the PMs ever thought of attending to the major issue with seriousness it deserved. Why, if it is asked, the answers are as follows. Firstly, Indian Defence Services, have all along been given a step motherly treatment & "Kept in Place" by even not allowing the Chiefs a direct approach to the PM, something which was prevalent till Mrs Gandhi's tenure. Not only this, as so very aptly described by Admiral Arun Prakash(Retd) in his article "3 Invisible Men", the Services are nowhere in the Rules of Business of the Govt, but are a Department under the Ministry Of Defence. This means, the Def Secy is the head with the RM being the political boss. Therefore, the current political dispensation's attitude is no different & the Executives in the Ministry take full advantage of this & ensure that Pay Commission after Pay Commission the Services are brought down in the order of protocol/order of Intra Services order, IAS,IPS & other Civil Services Vs Defence Services. Parliamentary Democracy being the form of Govt, the Services have to perform role(s) assigned by the Civilian Govt, of which Executives being an integral part take full advantage.
This being the background of the Govt's attitude plus of course the weakness amongst the ESM of being divided in their approach to OROP, till the start of the present agitation in Jun 15. The night of 19 Jan, in front of FM's residence, pales in gravity when compared to the brutal assault of disciplined & peaceful agitating ESM on 14 Aug 15, at Jantar Mantar. The whole nation saw it repeatedly on TV & read it in print media too but the Govt, barring an lackadaisical action against junior police & civilian employees, turned a blind eye to it.This was just on the eve of the Independence Day. Will this have happened in the world of today. USA once experienced it over 60 yrs ago & had to suffer dire consequences. We Veterans, took it with a pinch(actually a Tablespoon) of salt & continued the protest peacefully & in the same disciplined manner.
The following 2 are also the 1st in the world & India can take mocking pride for it, Till date, neither the President, The Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, nor the PM. The Executive head of the Govt, have thought it correct to meet the delegation of the Veterans. As many as 15 Retired Chiefs of the Army, Navy & Air Force have written to the President & PM/RM but still the issue is considered one which does not warrant intervention by the PM himself.
Yes, the Govt can claim to have announced OROP & even issued the implementation letter but then it is totally against what was discussed in the dialogues with no less an authority but the RM him self. The anomalies were not being addressed till after 19 Jan 16. Why were the Veterans forced to protest that day/night, could not the issues been discussed as have been done now by the Min of State(Finance). This gives an impression that unless the Govt's hand is force it will not act, is this a case of "Minimum Govt Max Governance" .
You have summarized the issue so succinctly.
ReplyDeleteThe Neta-Babu combine has indeed been conspiring to put the Armed Forces "in their place." After the 1971 War when the Armed Forces were deservingly receiving adulation from the entire Nation, this combine deliberately generated controversy around an innocuous remark of the charismatic FM Manekshaw to "cut him down to size." The Babus cunningly resurrected the ghost of a 'military takeover' that characterized much of the Nehruvian era.
All political parties tacitly endorsed this ruse, since they feared loss of their own relevance under a 'supposed' military dispensation. The fact that India was vastly different from Pakistan and all other Third World countries where coups had taken place, was deliberately ignored. The Babus kept fanning those irrational fears to maintain their supremacy.
Now things have come to such a pass that we cannot afford to back down. If we give in now, we will never get another chance. The Neta-Babu combine will continue to ride roughshod on our genuine rights and grievances. If our current peaceful struggle is not getting results, we must re-strategize and take the struggle to its rightful conclusion. OROP alone is not the issue in contention. The damage sought to be done by the 7th Pay Commission is far more sinister. We all therefore need to unite and speak in "one voice."
To start at the begining the traitor Nehru ran away with the bowl of freedom that the whole nation churned for at great cost. He, knowing the value of brand name Gandhi, then usurped the surname of the Father of the Nation to fool the masses perpetually! He did not disband the Congress as desired by Gandhi and continued to use the tricolour also as the party flag, the difference between the ashok chakra and the charka not being that discernible to the gullible! The list of crimes of this dynasty of a supposedly democratic country is endless. I said supposedly as, atleast in retrospect, it should be obvious to all but the utterly uninformed that there is nothing even remotely resembling democracy in this country. The Right to Information Act, the only pro democracy law in this country as on date, simple, clear and unambiguous , has been turned into a farce by the very information commissioners employed, empowered, equipped and paid to enforce it and also by the courts. It has happened because the information commmissioners, whose job is simpler than that of a munsif, have been given the status, pay and perks of election commissioners and chief secretaries to state governments that the commissions have been turned into rehabilitation centers for the worst clerks of the ias and ips variety after their retirement from regular service! I have said clerks because given their job description the IAS lot is expected to be nothing but good clerks and practically they are worse than the lower division clerks over whom they lord over!
ReplyDeleteAmoung the three organs of our Constitution the law-makers are controlled by the people, bureaucracy (yes, bureaucracy, because without the active support of the bureaucracy no politician can do any wrong!) and finally the judiciary; the law-enforcers are also controlled by the law-makers and the judiciary. And then there are the ears and eyes of the people- the media waiting to sensationalise every news involving the misdemeanour of these authorities. Inspite of such strict supervision and control all that we can hear these days are about politician-bureaucrat-underworld nexus even though the fact remains that none, worth the name, from this unholy nexus have ever been punished by the holier-than-thou judiciary.
So now think how bad a system can be which is not only NOT subject to supervision but also kept beyond critical observation. Well isn’t our judiciary is just that? And do I need to recapitulate that quip: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely?
Please read my blogs at http://raviforjustice.blogspot.in
Thanks for expressing your candid views. While I sincerely welcome reasoned debate, may I urge you to refrain from using derogatory labels for any personality, living or dead. Labels do not strengthen one's argument, but instead trigger unnecessary acrimony, which mars healthy discussions.
ReplyDelete