Veterans call off hunger strike, to continue stir; PM Modi says OROP also applies to those taking premature retirement

A day after the central government announced the implementation of the long overdue one rank one pension scheme, celebrations among the protesting veterans could not quite cover up the anger at having been short-changed once again. Though there were many thanks loudly given to Prime Minister Modi, defence minister Manohar Parrikar, in speeches, away from the mics, the ex-servicemen minced no words expressing discontent with the scheme in its current form.

Major General (retd.) Satbir Singh, chairman of the United Front of Ex-Servicemen, and Lt. Col. (retd.) Balbir Singh, who had been leading negotiations for OROP, said many times over that this was a battle won and not a war. They detailed what all the government had given and what all they would still fight for, while diplomatically thanking the PM for having implemented OROP, unlike other governments. The 14 veterans on the fast unto death, four of whom had been fasting for 23 days, finally acquiesced to breaking their fast after the PM gave an assurance at a public rally on Sunday that those who retired prematurely would also be covered under OROP. In an emotionally charged moments, with their relieved families nearly in tears, the veterans were given prasad.

This had been a bone of contention till Saturday evening, when the government announced that defence personnel taking voluntary retirement would not be included under the pension scheme. It had caused much dismay among the protestors and, Maj Gen Satbir Singh told the press on Sunday, the 14 veterans had refused to break their hunger strike over this.

“But we trust the government to keep its word,” he added, explaining why the strike was recalled. “The fast has been temporarily suspended. If the government breaks our trust again in the implementation letter, I too will go on a fast,” said Singh. “We will be back like a hurricane, and the government will be responsible for any incident on the streets.”

There are four other points in the current scheme that do not sit well with the protestors. Singh told the press that they would not accept the five year gap in revision of pension, as it went against the Parliament accepted definition of OROP. The government would have to bring it to one year, or, at the maximum two years. Neither were they happy with the one-member judicial commission constituted by the government, given six months to submit a report on this revision. Singh, instead asked for a five-member commission under the MoD, comprising three veterans, one serving personnel nominated by the Chief of Army Staff, and one member from the MoD nominated by the Defence Minister. This committee would have a month to compile the revision report, which would be implemented in 15 days.

The veterans also raised voices against the inclusion of calendar year 2013 as the base year, instead of the financial year 2013-2014. Additionally they demanded the government revise pensions to the peak pension that particular year, instead of the proposed average of the scale of retiring servicemen.

In the light of these demands, the agitation will continue and the veterans will go ahead with the 'maha-rally' they have planned for September12 in the national capital.

All is not well

A source at Jantar Mantar, the site of the protest, said that despite appearances of celebrations, things were quite bad. The scheme implemented by the government was making a mockery out of the protesters, leading to much anger. Another former serviceman blamed the bureaucracy for not relenting. The attitude of viewing the bureaucracy as an obstacle is shared by many veterans, as they blame it for the 3rd pay commission that decided to lower armed forces pensions for 73 per cent of salary to 50 per cent.