OROP: Veterans reject govt offer, boycott ’65 war celebrations

New Delhi, August 28

Protesting ex-servicemen boycotted golden jubilee celebrations of the 1965 war on Friday after they rejected the Central Government's latest offer on resolving the impasse over OROP as the protest entered its 75th day.

"Whatever they have finally offered is not acceptable to us. What was told to us on Thursday is nowhere close to what was decided and accepted by Parliament," Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd), Chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, said.

The Central Government has offered to revise their pensions every five years; an offer promptly turned down by protesters, who want it revised every year. 

Another point of contention between the two sides is the base year; while the Central Government has insisted on making 2011 the base year, the ex-servicemen argue that it should be 2013-14.

"We stand firm that the base year has to be 2013-14 and that payment should begin from April 1, 2014. OROP should not be left to the Seventh Pay Commission. Also the definition (of revision of pension) has to be the same as accepted by Parliament," he said.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has sought more time more time to fill "small gaps" in the OROP.

"Now the small gaps are being filled. Give it some time for completion. In principle, the Prime Minister on August 15 (Independence Day Speech) has given his approval. Now, PMO is directly involved...then by saying that do it in these many days will not help. All efforts are being made to solve the issue," Pariikar said.

Protesters, however, are in no mood to relent; they see the comments as means of delaying the scheme.

"What Raksha Mantri said, I'm rather disheartened. He is now saying that there are gaps. He cannot say anything that is totally different than what was told to us all these days," Satbir said.

“Hundreds of veterans who participated in the 1965 War joined the protest and boycotted the golden jubilee programme organised by the government,” a statement by the United Front of Ex-Servicemen, the umbrella organisation of veterans leading the OROP protest, said.

“Notable amongst the 1965 War veterans (who joined the OROP protest today) were Brigadier DP Nayar who had participated in the Hajipir operation and Wing Commander Vinod Nebb (Vir Chakra) who brought down one enemy aircraft in Punjab sector,” the statement added.

However, the Defence Ministry in the evening released pictures showing certain veterans at the wreath-laying ceremony organised at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate.

A delegation of ex-servicemen today met Home Minister Rajnath Singh who assured them that necessary action will be taken by the government which has already in-principle accepted their demand.

“Work is on to find out a solution but it needs some more time”, he told the veterans, official sources said.

Satbir said the veterans have requested a meeting with the Prime Minister.

“I am sure Prime Minister is the last word and he had assured us....we tell him the correct position. All the wrong information fed by the babus would be thrown away and what is right will be accepted,” he said.

Asked if the veterans are going to give an ultimatum, he said they are soldiers and hence don’t believe in setting deadlines.

“If the Prime Minister says that give us another 1 or 2 days, 5 days, 1 week or 10 days... anything but let him look into our eyes and say so,” he said.

Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag had yesterday met representatives of ex-servicemen at his South Block office but there was “no forward movement”, they later said.

Close to 22 lakh retired servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be the immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.

Currently, the pension for retired personnel is based on the Pay Commission recommendations of the time when he or she retired. So, a Major General who retired in 1996 draws less pension than a Lt Colonel who retired after 1996.

Ex-servicemen meet Rajnath

A delegation of ex-servicemen met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday to demand quicker implementation of the scheme.

Singh is believed to have assured them of a solution but requested them for more time. — PTI