[IAC#RG] Fw: Meeting the RM

 

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----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Raj Kadyan <rajkadyan8@gmail.com>
To: Raj Kadyan <rajkadyan8@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 7 August 2013, 9:45
Subject: Meeting the RM

Meeting the RM Alone

 Veteran Karnik,       

Thank you for asking why I met the RM alone. You are not the first one to ask me this question and it might make sense for me to address it to the whole Veterans community instead of answering it individually since others too might have this query. 

To project ESM problems, concerns and issues to appropriate authorities is part my job as Chairman IESM. Getting our message across to the right person bypassing the layers of bureaucracy is always a challenge. Emails and letters seldom get attended to or answered by Ministers and perhaps keep lying in the tray of some low ranking official. If ever they reach the Minister, these would have been filtered and annotated negatively by many layers in the chain. 

The RM is obviously the most important person to address the ESM issues and I have met him both in (several) delegations and individually. The former is basically a formality; shake hands, exchange smiles and pleasantries, click cameras, hand over memorandum and depart. Individual meetings are more deliberate and permit a meaningful dialogue. 

         It took me considerable time and effort to establish a rapport with a reticent person like Mr Antony. The IESM thus got a unique channel of communication where we could directly reach the man on top and convey our views/demands through a relaxed dialogue. This made follow-up meetings with lower staff also much easier and more fruitful. Even as per my GB colleagues, no negative was ever caused to the IESM because of these meetings. On the other hand these interactions had made positive contribution towards the ESM cause. The enhancement in widows' pension was my particular thrust area since they had been left out in 2009. There were many other similar issues addressed. I always informed all IESM members through an email sitrep of what transpired in each meeting.  These meetings were exclusively for ESM issues and in none of them did I ever discuss my personal matter with him.

My GB colleagues should have given me support for these efforts. Instead, they only put shackles and wanted that I should not meet him alone and should always go in a delegation. It is not known whether the RM would have at all agreed to meet a delegation. I also told them the RM is a public figure and everyone who wants to was free to meet him. (Satbir himself admitted that he had been trying but was not given an appointment). 

RM is not my personal friend that I could take my GB buddies along whenever I wanted. Had I taken any of my GB colleagues with me, the RM would have become formal, shaken our hands and perhaps started looking at his watch. An important channel to project IESM issues right to the top would have run the risk of shutting down, all this just in order to get my GB colleagues a photo-op with the RM. Unfortunately the GB members missed this larger picture despite my explanations and were not happy with missing their opportunity. This is when this whispering campaign started that there must be something secret in these meetings and that is why I do not take others along.

         Some GB members have been making laughable allegations that I meet the RM to seek some personal favour - a gubernatorial post for myself (the carrot hanging before me! as Report My Signal website says) as a reward for breaking up the IESM. No proof has been provided but just wild rumours. If that indeed were the case, I must be really stupid to myself put such meetings in public domain instead of hiding them.   

Let me state categorically that these are all rumours spread by people driven by uncontrolled jealousy and have no basis. I am not in the run for any gubernatorial post and if on the rarest of rare chance if such post is offered to me out of the blue by the UPA, I further state that I will decline it.

It might be of interest for veterans to know that two days ahead of our first rally on 27 April 2008, a Cabinet Minister had called me on phone conveying a request on behalf of the PM that I should call off the rally. If I had to curry favour with the Govt, that was the right moment to do so. But I firmly and politely told the caller that we would be happy to call off the rally if the govt announced OROP. 

In 2009 when the veterans (mistakenly) believed that I had issued an advisory to vote for BJP, I was accused of leaning towards BJP. Now some of them have started saying that I am a secret Congress mole. Both allegations are without basis or proof. These are hazards of the mission I have voluntarily undertaken and I have learnt to take these in stride. 

I hope my answer satisfies you. If yes, please disseminate it on various veteran websites since I have been blocked from them. If not and you have more clarifications to seek, please feel free to ask.

--
Best regards,

Lt Gen Raj Kadyan

Chairman IESM

262, Sector - 17A

Gurgaon - 122 001