By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar
The Defence Forces, both serving and retired were backstabbed by the Third Pay Commission right after the Grand Victory in 1971 War. The Congress Government responsible for the implementation of the Pay Commission Report did nothing to rectify the situation when the report was presented in March 1973. Even Mrs Indira Gandhi remained a mute spectator along with the three Defence Chiefs of the time. Unluckily Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw had retired on 3rd Jan 1973 itself, the only person capable of knocking sense into not only the Finance Minister and the Defence Minister but also the Prime Minister of the time.
There had been a major reduction of pension of the Armed Forces during the Third Pay Commission. The matter got further compounded in the Fourth Pay Commission due to sheer stupidity of the Defence Accounts Department in carrying out the Pay Fixation. The grit and determination of one and one Officer alone – Major A K Dhanapalan finally rectified the situation but only by about 90%, after a 28 year court battle which was finally won in 2014 only. Even the Honorable Supreme Court permitted interest on the arrears from 1996 instead of 1986!!! Various allowances and perks connected with Basic Pay for the duration just went down the drain.
The repercussion of the third and Fourth Pay Commission were felt in the Fifth and Sixth Pay Commission too, this time hitting at not only the emoluments but also Rank and Status. The Congress Government in spite of promising rectification did nothing except twiddling its thumb and saying that Committee is looking into the grievances. The Congress, responsible for the problem itself, kept promising ONE RANK ONE PENSION for 40 years with effect 1973 but did absolutely nothing about it till it was kicked out in 2014 General Elections.
The new NDA Government which took office in 2014 led by Narendra Modi as Prime Minister and Manohar Parrikar as Raksha Mantri finally cut the Gordian Knot of the OROP. All those opposing the OROP by hook or by crook could not stop the IITian Raksha Mantri in solving the artificially created problem of OROP. However Parrikar had to move out from MoD to Goa as Chief Minister and by that time only about 95% of the problem had been resolved.
The dark forces of Lutyen Delhi were able to strike back once again and the balance crucial problem of OROP remained not only unresolved between the MoD and the Finance Ministry but more importantly created a nation wide perception among the 30 lakhs Ex Servicemen that this Government too has let them down once again ….whereas in reality it has done so much, if not every thing.
OROP has been given. However instead of revising OROP every year, as per the definition accepted by the Parliament, the Ex Servicemen and those serving, the Government is presently revising it only every five years only …..A CLEAR BREACH OF PROMISE even if small. The monetary out go in case of revising every year will now certainly be just a fraction of the total yearly OROP expenditure and a few thousand % less than all the money being siphoned off through various scams. However the cost of loss of faith in the Government by the ESM and those serving and the loss of Morale etc is beyond computation. For want of a NAIL the Country is being asked to be ready to lose a WAR.
Its time the elected Political Leadership must rise to the occasion and seek direct advice on matters military from the Military Leadership. Even the Military Leadership has to insist on this. The NDA Government has still a golden opportunity in the form of the National War Memorial, to retrieve the situation.
A world class National War Memorial has been finally built to honour the 26000 Officers, JCOs and Jawans who have laid down their lives in defence of the Nation since 15 Aug 1947. This has again been possible only due to the personal initiative of the PM Modi and the RM Parrikar. This war memorial was first proposed by the Armed Forces nearly 60 years backs and no one had done anything about it in the PMO, MoD and other departments except passing the bucks.
The NWM costing nearly 176 crores was finally approved in 2015.The design consists of four landscaped concentric circles around a 15 m tall central obelisk with the eternal flame,bronze murals and bust of all 21 Param Vir Chakra winners till date. Names of all 26000 martyrs till date are also ascribed on 1.5 m high wall. The circles depicted are AMAR CHAKRA, VEERTA CHAKRA, TYAG CHAKRA and RAKSHA CHAKRA.
Now the plan is to have all National level functions in honour of the Defence Forces at the National War Memorial. While various Services and Regimental level functions may be held at the Amar Jawan Jyoti built under the arch of the British built India Gate war Memorial, by Indira Gandhi after 1971 Victory.
The National War Memorial is likely to be inaugurated in the last week of February this year. There is likely to be a massive rally which will witness a massive turnout of the Ex Servicemen. NWM was a part of the BJP poll manifesto in 2014. So was OROP. Just as the intervention done by the PM for the NWM, for the sake of the Nation, Narendra Modi must intervene once again. He must announce, during the inauguration of the NWM, that in line with the SOVEREIGN DEFINITION given by the INDIAN PARLIAMENT to OROP, he along with his entire Cabinet hereby have given approval to OROP revision every year.
Not only the perception battle will be won by him and his party but also the trust and gratitude of 30 lakhs Ex Servicemen and nearly 15 lakhs serving personnel. Apart from this 45 lakhs an additional 200 lakhs votes will be there in the form of direct dependents. The Gordian Knot will be cut and battle won.
