Re: [IAC#RG] Fwd: OROP

Exceptionally perceptive !!!

Can IESMs acknowledge that when educated people who bore arms for the
State for decades are publicly humiliated in this way for demanding
their rights, then what recourse do illiterate and otherwise unarmed
"adivasis" have except to take up arms ?

The larger question we should ask is "WHO are the unseen forces who
are causing such 'popular' uprisings in urban citizens, and WHY ??"

PS: Gul Panag is an actor. She is also an aspiring politician. Smarmy
articles by actors implying that BECAUSE a candidate / party made an
election promise THEREFORE it MUST be implemented without regard to
its consequences is sheer POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM and fishing in
troubled waters. Her own party's leaders are well known for making
promises they have no intention of keeping. Truly, politics is the
last resort of scoundrels.

Sarbajit

On 10/1/15, Vidyut <wide.aware@gmail.com> wrote:
> There are many wise people speaking who have studied the problem. Others
> who have first hand experience.
>
> As a lay person and someone for whom the existing pensions sound wonderful
> as a full salary, let alone a pension (most of India) I am in no place to
> comment on whether it is appropriate or not.
>
> That said, the argument of OROP being for all is not an unfair expectation.
> the pensions are not just available to armed forces, but all. I agree with
> the thoughts someone shared that everyone serves the nation in their own
> way, and the glorification of the armed forces overloads the debate with
> emotionalism and prevents frank debate.
>
> But in terms of what should be done. I think Gul Panag nailed it in an
> article she had written as an open letter to the Prime Minister. "It is a
> matter of Honor. Your (PM) honor". I think she argues rightly that the time
> for this debate has passed. OROP has been promised already, it is a matter
> of implementation.
>
> More than how much money and deserving and such things, I think promises
> made to people are taken too lightly in India. BJP election campaign wooed
> the soldiers with various promises, one of which was OROP. It was confirmed
> after the government came to power. Then it must be done. The money or
> other aspects of it, in my view are far less important than our willingness
> to be debated away from demanding that promises be kept. Whether it is a
> rupee or several thousand crore. The voice of a Prime Ministerial candidate
> and then Prime Minister must have more worth than a scribble on tissue
> paper that gets discarded. And this means implementing it in a fair and
> transparent manner. The manipulations, sabotage of process and other things
> indicate malintent on part of the government. The assault on retired
> veterans by police was unpardonable. This sort of insult must not be
> ignored with petty discussions on issues that have already been left behind
> in the decision making.
>
> Recently we were shocked by a thousands strong mob lynching a man to death
> and injuring his son critically (
> http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/prime-time/prime-time-a-man-killed-due-to-rumor/385050
> ). There are many comments on who is the real patriot with the surviving
> victim turning out to be a soldier. As several on Twitter pointed out,
> Muslim or not, soldiers generally receive respect from the communities they
> live in. Today, beyond these assaults, the soldier's sister was manhandled
> by the mob and would have been raped had the police not arrived. A temple
> was used to incite the mob against a soldier's family. Where does this kind
> of disregard come from? What happens when the government itself is
> sabotaging the dignity of armed forces and using cunning ways to discredit
> them, deny them their rights and have them assaulted? What happens to how
> the blind (and frankly demented) supporters of this view see armed forces?
>
> It is a matter of honor. If a word given must be gone back on due to
> reasons that stand scritiny, it should be accompanied by a credible apology
> and humility and willingness to transparently renegotiate. Not reckless
> promises at election time and humiliation setting a precedent in full
> public sight once time to deliver. It should not happen to anyone, but that
> it happens to armed forces has additional implications to
> government/civil/military relationships, morale of forces as well as morale
> of citizens - if this is what happens to soldiers asking for rights, what
> humanity can the displaced adivasi expect?
>