Dear Military Veterans
According to media report, Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) has planned to organize a demonstration ('maha rally') in New Delhi on Sunday, June 14. A meeting of all the ex-servicemen organisations is also scheduled to be held on Saturday, June 6, at Dhaula Kuan in the national capital against the Modi government's continuing delay in implementing the much-promised one-rank, one-pension (OROP) for the 25 hundred thousand strong community around the country.
It saddens every patriotic Indian that military veterans have to fight for OROP (which was denied to them for over four decades by successive governments). But it is not merely OROP or the issue of Captain Saurabh Kalia & five other soldiers (which is being presently projected in media) who’s mutilated bodies were returned by Pakistan in which External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has promised to move International Court of Justice (ICJ) after getting nod from Supreme Court of India (SCI).
But it is basically the question of disgraceful manner in which military is being treated in India and for this mainly senior / top brass of Indian military, the serving and Veterans, are to be blamed and Indian military will not come out of this disgraceful situation unless the following is done:-
(1)- First of all the IESM & Ors. (all the ex-servicemen organisations) should understand that civilians merely sweat for the economy of the country but military shed blood and even lay down lives for the protection of the State / Country. Therefore martial element always get highest respect and everything needed without asking for it all over the world wherever they keep the Country / State martially efficient, competent and strong.
(2)- In India because independence was achieved without raising guns against Britishers therefore Indian military remained subdued before civilian rulers since independence in 1947. So much so that Politicians never allowed India to protect its material interest because they have been afraid military may become powerful in India.
(3)- To support this argument few example are enough (i)- Pakistan one sixth of India tried to take Kashmir militarily many times (in 1947, 1948, 1965, 1971, during Kargil etc) but India never tried to take POK militarily, not even once. On the contrary Indian military is showing ‘bravery’ by training guns on the civilian citizens of India in J&K with the support of AFSPA etc. (ii)- As per former Air Chief - had we used air power in 1962 we could have had the better of the Chinese but India instead of using superior air power preferred to suffer most humiliating defeat in 1962 (iii)- India lost many military men in Sri Lanka but IPKF was never allowed to complete the mission rather watched helplessly the Sri Lankan Army doing rest of the work for the elimination of LTTE etc which has left many cases of war crimes still unresolved (iv)- Communal forces can be suppressed by martial element only. Because India is martially deficient the Hindu communal forces did not allow Government of India (GOI) to assimilate Muslim Bangladesh in India (because India is secular only for name sake ) though two nation theory (the basis of India’s partition) collapsed in 1971 with separation of Muslim East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) from Muslim West Pakistan (v)- During Kargil India did not enter Indian territory of POK (what to talk for retrieving POK but even to encircle Pakis on hill top) and did not use air force and in the process unnecessarily suffered more casualties.
(4)- Therefore unless martial problems of India are solved by military approach, Indian military will not get respect and justice. For this following should be done by IESM & Ors. on and about June, 14 demonstration:-
(i)- Pension issue is not rocket science. It can be understood and decided maximum within a week by PM by talking to concerned Ministries. But people of India are still in the dark that what are those complications (‘Jatilta’, which PM Modi referred to in his ‘Man Ki Baat’) which are delaying the implementation of OROP. Hence IESM & Ors. should Immediately give advertisement in media asking PM Modi to make these complications public so that people of India can give suggestions ( before said June, 14 demonstration) in order to decide on OROP.
(ii)- Then on June, 14 IESM & Ors. should ask PM Modi to implement OROP as per these recommendations by public (scrutinized and improved if necessary by IESM & Ors.) and by giving time limit by GOI within which OROP will be implemented.
(iii)- Nothing has damaged moral and standing of Indian military more than approaching civilian SCI by the members (including officers) of Indian military for the redress of their grievances (without understanding that only civil and judicial authorities are constitutionally expected to act in aid of SCI as per Article 144 of the Constitution). Even Supreme Commander of Armed Forces is President and not PM or any other constitutional authority. It is a matter of disgrace & shame that members of martial element of Indian State (which gives blood and life for State) are submitting to civil element of Indian State (which merely sweat for the economy of the country). Therefore on June, 14 IESM & Ors. should demand from GOI that Martial Court (separate from Court Martial) should be constituted which will decide all the grievances of members of Indian military.
(iv)- on June, 14 IESM & Ors. should ask GOI to demand (from UN and P-5+1) that the Pak nukes (like Iran) to be taken under UN control & surveillance (which will facilitate retrieve of POK) lest these Pak nukes are given to Saudi Arabia (involved in Yemen war) or ISIS, as both reported in media. Simultaneously on June, 14 IESM & Ors. should ask people of India to start preparing for the retrieve of POK (even militarily if necessary).
(v)- Indo - China border dispute (emotionally sensitive to at-least India if not so much to China) resolution is not a rocket science and can easily be resolved through Judicial Commission ( UN or otherwise and acceptable to both). But like previous governments Modi government has also not gone for it and is wasting precious time without understanding that China is not interested in solving border dispute with India in order to permanently keep territorial, military and strategic pressure on India (also to give such benefits to Pakistan vis-a-vis India). On the contrary Modi capitulated before China (which in the past has already grabbed Indian territory of Aksai Chin, Shaqsam Valley and Gilgit Baltistan in POK) and did not raise the issue (of ‘Sino-Pak economic corridor’ passing through POK) during his visit to China. Therefore on June, 14 IESM & Ors. should ask GOI to immediately ask China to constitute Judicial commission to resolve border dispute.
(vi)- As per media report ~ 25 to 40 million illegal immigrants are in India from Bangladesh who have been creating huge law & order problem for India (most severe in N-E). Even from Bengaluru in 2012 train loads of panic-stricken people from N-E fled due to this problem of Bangladeshi infiltrators in N-E. Therefore on June, 14 IESM & Ors. should ask GOI to take immediate steps to identify and track these infiltrators and then ask Bangladesh to take them back and if Bangladesh refuses to comply then demand commensurate territory and exclusive mineral (other natural resources rights under warning of military action) from Bangladesh in order to grant citizenship to these tens of millions of Bangladeshi infiltrators.
(vii)- Sri Lanka (where IPKF shed its blood and laid down lives) is getting away from implementing human rights of Sri Lankan Tamils. Therefore on June, 14 IESM & Ors. should ask GOI to demand from Sri Lanka that in a time bound period Sri Lanka should (A)- Dispose all war crime cases (May be by associating India on panel) (B)- Rehabilitate all war displaced (C )- Give political rights to Tamils as is given in Indian States especially about regional language (for Sri Lankan Tamils in Tamil majority areas)
(viii)- IESM & Ors should get other Indians too (than military veterans) at June, 14 ‘Maha rally’ to witness the really by inviting them through advertisement in media. This will go a long way in realizing the said objectives of ‘Maha rally’
Here it is needless to mention that once IESM & Ors. demand the above mentioned from GOI on June, 14 at Jantar-Mantar Delhi then what to talk of OROP or any other legitimate demand of military veterans and servicing military men (including in Captain Kalia and other’s case without going to SCI or ICJ) but even respect and honor of Indian military and (its veterans) will rise to the exalted level which it will deserve (once IESM & Ors. remove chronic martial deficiency of Indian State in above mentioned way).
In a nutshell not merely OROP but for respectful and honorable Indian military (serving and veterans) - first deserve then desire.