One rank One Pension & the role of Beurocracy

I am slightly digressing from the articles on Ex- Chiefs of the Indian Army to publish this post. 

At the outset, I am not the author of this article. This came to me via email posted by a Vetran Group. But I do share the sentiments expressed therein. 

These are strong sentiments expressed in equally strong words - but let us be honest with ourselves and not shy away from the truth and reality.

 A  look in the Mirror straight into your own eyes is highly recommended after reading this article !

 

 The issue of  “ One Rank One Pension “ has become not only the biggest  INDIAN  joke ( or shall we say SCAM ? )  of the Century  , but  in all likelihood,  maybe  also  a  matter of  immense amusement for  various Armies over the world , especially our neighbours !!

      NOT   MANY OF TODAY’S  GENERATION KNOW THE GENESIS OF THE “ OROP “ CONCEPT . Well, here it is. Till 1973, the Pensions of Armed Forces were 70% of their last pay drawn , while that of the Civilians was 30% of their last pay drawn. THIS  WAS    so as to compensate for the Early Retirement age of Armed Forces as compared to the Civilians . 88% of Military Personnel retire between 35-37 yrs of age, while 92% of balance 12% retired ( then) at 52 yrs   whereas ALL  CIVILIANs retired at  60 ( Yes, SIXTY  !! ) yrs  flat.

                  However, in 1973, duly regularized by the  3rd Pay Commission  under CONGRESS,  the Pensions  of  ALL Govt   Servants were  made EQUAL – viz, that of   Armed Forces REDUCED to 50% , while that of Civilians  ENHANCED to 50%  !!

Two  things  are Note-worthy : --- Firstly, all the 3 CHIEFs  lumped it – God  only  knows  Why  !!  Secondly, the consolation given was  that  the Armed Forces will be compensated by a   NEW/UNIQUE  scheme called “ OROP “  in due course !!

THE   REST, AS THEY SAY, IS  HISTORY  !!

So now you know that it is a matter pending since last 4 Decades!!

Incidentally, there were  other  many more  equally  sad  monstrosities  and insults heaped on Armed forces  - Downgrading  us in the Order of Precedence  is one example. A Police Inspector became a Class I officer while the JCOs continued to be Class II officers  - the list is boundless – ANOMALIES  in each subsequent Pay Commissions only  kept   adding up/accumulating , as the politicians  and  the   beurocrats   became more  overpowering  due to the SHEEPISHNESS of the Chiefs  !!                           

India must be the only country in the world where the Armed Forces ( whether  Retired or Serving ) have to BEG  and FIGHT for their rights and entitlements  ;  Nowhere in the world the Armed Forces   are so Naïve, HELPLESS, GULLIBLE, GOD-FEARING and PLIANT. (( Forget about the Pay and Allowances, we even have to  starve to death for war-like equipment ! )). Is there any known case of any country where their Army has to fall back to the Supreme Court so often?

Is it not  SHAMEFUL  that a Militaryman  ((  rather,  an  ENTIRE  Army, Navy and the AirForce of a Nation  , whether  IN or OUT of Uniform ))  and who is considered to be SO  CALLED “” Brave & Fearless “” has to  plead, beg,  grovel, beseach, wail  and  generally act like the dog in the logo of HMV music (dog on his haunches with folded hands )  for 4  decades  to the Politicians and the Beaurocrats  ?

What a wonderful  set of  cool & calm and “ be  patient “ preaching   Military Leadership we have had  in the past and present too  ( and maybe in future also )  who can afford  to  wait  INNOCENTLY  for  decades, and who watch HELPLESSLY even when EVERY award by the AFT is fought tooth & nail by the Min of Def and Min of Fin right upto the Supreme Court and NOT implemented even after that.   WHO  CAN  FORGET  THE  FAMOUS/INFAMOUS  RANK  PAY  CASE ,  THE  BROADBANDING OF  DISABILITY  PENSION CASE, THE NFSU  CASE  etc?

Even as and when the much  maligned  OROP comes thru, as the Chairman  IESM correctly put across,  we DO   NOT  know as on date as to WHAT IS COOKING OR BEING DOLED OUT,  as the Armed Forces are just not Privy to what is on the Files and what is going on between the MoD and the MoF.  So , in most likelyhood, it may be a similar case like the Rank Pay – be ready to haggle and plead  (  “ submitted for Reconsideration Please “ !! ) and ultimately again go upto Supreme Court again.              

               YESTERDAY’s CASE OF W/ CDR  KARNIK  and  ONE MORE Air Force  OFFICER

HATs  OFF  TO THESE  TWO  OUTSTANDING  AIR FORCE  OFFICER s  WHO  HAVE  DISPLAYED  THE  GUTs  AND   SELF-RESPECT   yesterday  (  by  Defying  and  Daring  the System by way of boycotting a SHAM  function by the CM and the RM )  ~~  THEY  HAVE  DONE  TODAY  , WHAT THE ENTIRE STRENGTH OF 15 Lac  STRONG  ARMED  FORCES  HAVE  NOT  BEEN  ABLE  TO  DO  FOR  40  LONG  Yrs  ~~ that is, display strength of character and real Self-Respect  !!

         Shame  on  our serving Leadership today ( and yesteryears too ) , who cannot look after their own interests ( NFSU etc ) nor fight for the interests of the Veterans , and that           it  finally   took  a  1971 War  Hero and a Veteren   to show strength of Character and Commitment to Cause,  which they lack so Utterly !!

WHY IS  IT  SO  DIFFICULT  FOR  OUR SENIOR  OFFICERS  TO  BELL  A  CAT  ??  WHY  ARE  THE  ARMED  FORCES  SO  SUB-SERVIENT  TO THE  POLITICIANs  &  THE  BEAUROCRATs  ?? IS  IT  TOO MUCH  OF  REGIMENTATION , THAT  MAKES  AN  ARMYMAN  A  DOCILE  PUPPY  ??

 Can somebody give a logical and plausible/palatable answer to this Uncomfortable  Mystery  ??

I think there is a lesson to be learnt from the following glaring 'in-your-face' examples  :

·         MPs/MLAs   &  Judges’   pay  and  allowances  AND  PENSIONs, are proposed and Passed within minutes in the  Parliament and State Assemblies,  and implemented Forthwith – No procedural Hassles come in the way , as being repeatedly claimed by Mr. Parrikar, in case of OROP.

·            Gurjar  community  Leader Col  Bainsala can bring the Govt down  to its knees by merely sitting  on the Rly tracks  for 6 days , forcing  cancellation 39 trains including Both Rajdhanis !!  

·            Even the lowliest of low cadres of the Govt do not accept any nonsense from the powers that be – be it the Bank staff or the Truckwalas – they know how to get their pound of flesh from the Govt .

·         When there was no skin off the noses of even the President of INDIA ( the so called Supreme Commander of Armed Forces )  or the PM or the RM,  even  when the veterans returned their Medals and wrote in blood, does one really think that the brave gesture of 2 gutsy Air Force Officers of Boycotting a function  is really  going to move the Politicians and the wily  Beaurocrats  to tears  ??

·         The PM (Modi) has already fallen embarrassingly  silent on the issue after his lofty announcements from ESM podiums and Siachen, while the RM (Parrikar) has changed his track from giving  specific PDCs/Deadlines  to mumbling vague statements like " no specific time-frames can be stated as it is a very COMPLEX  ADMINISTRATIVE  PROCESS Can  somebody !!  ---   It appears that FINALLY  the Nickel has dropped - they too have realised that  even they are at the total mercy of the Wily Beaurocrats - a MONSTER created  and nurtured by the Nehru's Congress  !!

So folks, the  WRITING IS VERY  LOUD & CLEAR ON THE WALL -- One has to be either Totally  Blind or in complete  DENIAL  MODE  Not  to  read  the Reality.

In my opinion, a serious rethink is required --  a paradigm shift  from “passive colonial type  expressions in Victorian English  and  docile tokens  of  gestures “   to  “ more active  and forceful  methods “  of  nudging and waking up our Lords & Masters . After all, YOURs as well as that of the entire Armed Forces'  AAN,  BAAN  &  SHAAN  is at stake.

NOTE - I AM SURE EVERY ONE READING THIS WILL AGREE THAT IT IS A UNIVERSAL FACT THAT ALL OVER THE GLOBE AFTER THE MARRIAGE KHUSH KHABRI IS EXPECTED AND EVEN DELIVERED AFTER NINE MONTHS.