Rank One Pension" The Ex Servicemens Agitation has Shamed India, Thanks to the BJP
Friends, you are aware that I served in the Air Force and took premature retirement and am now abroad as the executive director of an American company. Yesterday, I was called for a a discussion on an official matter. After it was over my nominal boss, an Arab asked me a question. He asked me why are Indian soldiers agitating for a denied pension. He also added that it was unheard of in any country for such an agitation to take place and in a way had shamed India. He continued further and made a cryptic remark that " You Hindus in India do not know how to take care of a fighting force and the result is that in every battle with invaders, mostly Muslims, you were decisively beaten not once but tens of times over 900 years". I was in fact stunned by his assessment, and had no reply.
One Rank One pension is a long standing demand of the Armed Forces, but the ante for the agitation has been upped in the last 2 years . As it stands two parliaments and all political parties have accepted OROP as a necessity and approved it in parliament. Narendra Modi made it an election promise and even after coming to power announced to troops in Siachen Glacier that it was his good fortune to sanction OROP to the troops.
Yet OROP one year down the line has not been approved and as per my information deleterious tactics are being employed and an effort being made to water down the concept of OROP. This has forced the ex-servicemen to start an agitation for this and a relay hunger strike has commenced at Jantar Mantar at Delhi.
Before I write further let me enlighten readers that great empires from the Roman to the Ottoman empire and now the USA have ruled the world only on military might. The army like the Roman Praetorian guard in Rome were always looked after. In India, history is created with a legitimate demand hanging fire for 30 days and now when an agitation has started some worthies are saying why not wait for an another year. I wonder whether people realise the effect this agitation is having on the army morale? My information is that the morale is going down as today's soldiers will retire tomorrow. So it affects the entire army.
The BJP has shamed India. Can you think of an agitation in any country from USA to Bangladesh and Burma and Ceylon to China where an army has to agitate for a legitimate demand ? Unfortunately, the BJP has stoked the embers and the flames have risen. Alas where will India go and if ever it becomes a great power?
Like it on Facebook, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.