OROP: Says gesture should jolt the consciousness of those in power
Mohit Khanna
Ex-servicemen protest atop a water tank.
Former soldier Harjinder Singh Khera from Nabha, who is travelling to Delhi after collecting soil from battlefields of Asal Uttar, Khem Karan, Madhopur, Basantar and Jammu, was accorded to a resounding welcome by the ex-servicemen league at a local restaurant in the city here today.
Brig SS Gill, who organised a function to honour the endeavour of Harjinder Singh Khera, said he learnt about Khera visiting the city on his way to Delhi yesterday.
“I spoke to him over phone and made the arrangements for his stay at the Sanik Rest House. Later, I spoke to my fellow retired ex-servicemen and officers and decided to host a party to honour Harjinder,” said Brig SS Gill.
It was on December 5, that Harjinder Singh had set-off from Nabha to collect the soil of various battlefields. During his challenging journey (over 1,500km so far), his bike broke down twice.
Khera said the armed forces veteran and widows were on indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi since June 15.
The government has issued notifications for the One Rank One Pension (OROP) implementation but the same has been rejected by protesting ex-servicemen as it does not live up to the definition.
Khera said he was taking the urn, containing soil of battlefields, to Jantar Mantar for the massive Aakrosh Rally on December 13.
As a mark of respect, restaurateur Sukhkaran Singh Gill along with four bikers escorted him till Doraha. Harvinder Singh further met army officers in Khanna and then went on to visit Patiala. The ex-serviceman who is carrying his bedding food items and medicines along, said he had made arrangement for the long journey.
Says pained to see ex-servicemen protesting on roads
Harjinder said he was pained to see the ex-servicemen coming on road to protest against the government for pensions. Finally, he decided to take the soil of battle fields where the brave soldiers gave their blood to protect their motherland. He said perhaps his endeavour would jolt the consciousness of those in power.
Four ex-servicemen threaten to commit suicide in Sholay style
OROP ROW Dramatic scene continued for 16 hours, ended after the administration assured the protesters that the defence minister will hold talks with ex-servicemen within 15 days
IN A SCENE REMINISCENT OF BOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER SHOLAY, FOUR EX-SERVICEMEN, WHO HAD CLIMBED THE TANK ON FRIDAY AT 2 AM, WARNED THAT THEY WOULD JUMP AT 6PM
LUDHIANA: High drama was witnessed in the city’s railway colony area on Friday as four ex-servicemen climbed atop an overhead water tank and threatened to jump, as a deadlock between the central government and veterans over the One Rank, One Pension scheme continues.
JS GREWAL/HTEx-servicemen climbed atop a water tank at the railway colony near Jagraon bridge in Ludhiana on Friday.
Harbhal Singh, Pargat Singh, Gurdial Singh and Kartar Singh, all residents of Tarn Taran district, remained on the tank for 16 hours, prompting the police to deploy more than two dozen policemen at the spot.
In a scene reminiscent of Bollywood blockbuster Sholay, the four ex-servicemen, who had climbed the tank at 2 am, warned that they would jump at 6 pm as frantic civil and police officials spent hours trying to persuade them to come down.
The veterans came down only after officials told them their “charter of demands” had been sent to the defence ministry and that the defence minister will be holding talks with the exservicemen community in the next two weeks.
The four ex-servicemen are members of the Voice of Ex-Servicemen Society, which has been demanding equal pension benefits for defence personnel irrespective of the rank.
The ex-servicemen society comprises retired junior commissioned officers and noncommissioned officers from across the country.
Its national coordinator and secretary general, Bir Bahadur Singh, said the society has been demanding that pension benefits, including the disability and widow pension, be given equally to all personnel of one rank.
‘ISSUE HIJACKED’
The society’s demands also include transparency in grant of bravery medals, besides allotment of security agency licenses and release of sepoys lodged in Pakistani jails.
Bahadur Singh also blamed the high ranking ex-servicemen of having “hijacked” the One Rank, One Pension slogan.
“It was originally given by junior personnel who struggle in service and even after retirement to make both ends meet,” he said.
Punjab has more than 3 lakh ex-servicemen, mostly junior personnel such as sepoys, lance nayaks, havildars, seamen and airmen from the army, the navy and the air force.
“85% of the junior rank employees in the forces retire after 17-20 years of service, and their survival later becomes an issue,” Bahadur Singh said.
OROP: Ex-servicemen protest atop water tank
Climb down after they were assured of a meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
Protesting against the non-implementation of the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme, four ex-servicemen had climbed a water tank near Jagraon bridge and threatened suicide if their demands were not met. They decided to end their protest later in the evening after assurances from the government.
The men, under the banner of the Sanka Sainik Sangarsh Committee, climbed the tank at 2.30 am. They said they were disheartened at the growing disparity in the pay and pension between the jawan and office cadre. They also want to meet the Union defence minister.
The protesters – Harbhal Singh, Pargat Singh, Kartar Singh and Gurdial Singh – had threatened to jump to their deaths if their demands were not met by 6 pm on Friday. Soon SDM and local police arrived at the spot to negotiate with the protesters. By 6.30 pm, they claimed they were shown a fax from the defence ministry, which agreed to fix an appointment with the minister within a fortnight.
Beer Bahadur, National Coordinator of Voice of Ex-servicemen society, said, “The four had protested in Jantar Mantar from August 23 to September 7. We had a meeting with joint secretary at PMO office on October 11 where they had asked us to give everything in writing yet again. And today we had a meeting at Chandigarh road to apprise all the union members about details of meeting at PMO office, but much before the meeting, they climbed the water tank. We are here to support them.”
Nalin Talwar added,”Since 1973 the pay and pension disparity between officers and jawans have been increasing and even if it is corrected, it will take more than 15 years to fill this gap.”
The members demanded that the disability pension and military service pension should be equal to all ranks. JCOs and Jawans should be paid 75% of the pension of their last drawn salary, they demanded. They wanted officers to stop asking jawans to do their personal chores.
Meanwhile, a meeting of Ex-servicemen welfare society comprising was held at Bistro restaurant in Ghumar Mandi where Dafedar Harjinder Singh Khera from Patiala had arrived. Khera is on a motorcycle yatra to all parts of Punjab to spread awareness of OROP. Col R.S Sohi (retd), President of Ludhiana Ex-servicemen welfare society said, “The protest by at Delhi is for one and all and Gen Satbir Singh who is leading the protest said that demands of widows, jawans will be met first.”- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/orop-ex-servicemen-protest-atop-water-tank/#sthash.DRMg89MK.dpuf
OROP protest: 4 ex-servicemen climb water tank, threaten suicide
Four ex-servicemen climbed atop a water tank in Chandigarh and threatened to commit suicide by jumping off it if their demands regarding the One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue were not met, police said.
Ex-servicemen Harbhal Singh, Pargat Singh, Gurdial Singh and Kartar Singh, all residents of Taran Taran, said they would end their lives by jumping off the water tank if the government did not accept their demands. The army veterans are protesting under the banner of Voice of Ex-Servicemen Society that has retired JCOs and NCOs from across the country as
SHO Beant Juneja’s efforts to persuade them into ending their protest did not yield any positive results. The protest was underway till the filing of this report.
National coordinator of Voice of Ex-Servicemen Society Bir Bahadur Singh said the ex-servicemen would continue with their protest till the government agrees to their demands. He accused senior retired officials of hijacking the slogan of the OROP issue which, he claimed, was originally given by the officials junior in rank to them.
Bir Bahadur Singh listed their main demands — equal benefits for all defense personnel irrespective of rank which include disability pension, widow pension, service pension, transparency in grant of bravery medals, equality for allotment of licenses of security agencies, freedom of sepoys languishing in Pakistan jails.