Date: Thursday, 16 April, 2009, 9:26 PM
Dear Brig Kamboj Sir,
I am in full agreement with every word keyed in by Sudhir Vombatkere.
At an election rally in Chandigarh, the president of the Congress, Ms Sonia Gandhi endorsed the ex-servicemens' quest for OROP , before the last election. Amongst the dignitaries present on the dais were Capt Amarinder Singh and a veteran who is now a Governor.
The manifesto was watered down in stages. First, the UPA did not agree with what the Congress had said. So the Common Minimum Programme was diluted. Then when the government was formed, there were other pressures on the polity. By the time it came down to the first parliament session, and the President's address, all we heard was, "The government will address the problems of the ex-servicemen"
To do that a Deptt of ESM Welfare was created with a Bureaucrat at its helm and one more Principle Secretary was appointed to 'assist' him. If there is any improvement in the well being of the veterans, it is not visible... In fact this is the first time in the history of India, that soldiers have been forced to come on the streets.
I suspect there is a need to introspect.
Regards,
Surjit
On 4/16/09, Sudhir Vombatkere
16.4.2009
Dear Brig Kamboj,
I have read the IESM advisory requesting veterans to vote for BJP. I was under the impression that IESM was apolitical in the electoral sense but evidently I was mistaken.
My view is that IESM should remain apolitical because political parties will use veterans and IESM for their ends (and why not?!). But since IESM has already "tipped" in favour of BJP, there is little that can be done.
However, I am giving below (and also ATTACHING for convenience), a short article titled "Thinking Through Support for BJP" that I request you to post on REPORT MY SIGNALS because it gives a word of caution.
With best wishes,
Sudhir Vombatkere
........
THINKING THROUGH SUPPORT FOR BJP
By
Maj Gen S.G.Vombatkere, VSM (Retd)
Almost all Veterans have the feeling that they and the serving faujis as well have been given a raw deal with respect to status and pay by the Congress-led UPA government, especially following the recommendations of the controversial Sixth Central Pay Commission (6CPC). Veterans have been unprecedentedly demonstrating since mid-December 2008 in demand of one-rank-one-pension (OROP) and other key issues at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, with delegates from all over India, and it has grown into the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM).
The Congress' neglect of veterans' demands has been used to advantage by the BJP since serving and retired soldiers total over three million and with their families may comprise a five million vote bank, and for the first time ever, serving personnel will poll almost 100% of votes since they will vote at the places of duty. The BJP's assurance that if it comes to power, OROP would be implemented, and the warm reception accorded by IESM to Mr.L.K.Advani's visit at Jantar Mantar is evidence of this. Strangely, veterans did not question Mr.Advani as to why OROP was not implemented when the BJP-led NDA government was in power for a full term inspite of its approval in principle by NDA's Defence Minister Mr.George Fernandes. Instead, neglected for decades by the political-bureaucratic nexus, veterans are animatedly discussing amongst themselves how BJP is in their favour while the Congress is not.
In furtherance of the BJP's tactic, its election manifesto states, “all personnel of the Army, Air Force and Navy, as also paramilitary forces, will be exempt from paying income tax on their salaries and perquisites “. Significantly, IESM decided at the “maha-rally” at Jantar Mantar on April 12, 2009, attended by over 8,000 veterans from all over India, to issue an “advisory” requesting veterans to vote for BJP except where IESM veterans stand for election. Clearly, BJP's second “cookie” has served its purpose, but the matter needs deeper discussion.
In the event that BJP comes to power leading a coalition as in the past, there will naturally be pressure from veterans regarding the election promise of OROP and IT exemption. The fact is that the large bulk of the defence services, both serving and retired, do not receive taxable incomes, and the benefit of IT exemption will go largely to officers. It is inconceivable that the bureaucracy, which is seen by veterans as acting against the defence services in Orders of Precedence and successive Pay Commissions, will allow something so revolutionary as exemption of IT to go through, when they had effectively blocked OROP with the argument that it is not financially viable and other central government employees would make similar, undeniable demands.
Hitherto, the public has had a soft corner for the military, which is seen as a disciplined force more sinned against than sinning, making sacrifices in the service of the nation. Especially when viewed in the backdrop of venal, self-serving politicians playing unprincipled politics, the military appears as a relatively spotless organization that is entitled to some leeway because of the kind of service it renders to the nation at personal risk of life and limb. The canteen facilities and excise exemption that the military enjoys has long been the focus of envious eyes among other sections of government employees, who are mostly unaware of the role and relatively disadvantageous conditions of service of the military in national affairs. Even though the military has not initiated the case for IT exemption, there are those in the corridors of power who would benefit by making it appear so to the public, and this is certain to start a downslide of the public image of the military.
With regard to OROP, the BJP's innocuous statement that it will convince its coalition partners for implementation could be a convenient exit policy in case of obstacles. Thus, the BJP would have used serving and retired military personnel as the pole to pole-vault (or poll-vault, in the present context) to power over the Congress and, like the pole-vaulter, left the pole behind. This may still be considered fair play in our increasingly murky national politics.
But for its part, the military is already suffering from lowered morale following the 6CPC, and the bait offered by the BJP has been eagerly grasped. A troubling thought is that, as is likely when OROP and IT exemption fail to materialize, the military's disenchantment with political parties as indeed with government, will be complete. This, coupled with a diminished public image, bodes ill for India because of its seriously negative national security repercussions.
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