RETURN OF MEDALS : VETERANS OF LESSER STATE

1.        THE FOLLOWING IS POSTED FOR INFORMATION OF ALL VETERANS:-

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Last Sunday yet another batch of veterans returned their medals (some 5,000 of them) in an event that largely went unnoticed save for minor mentions in a few newspapers such as this item in the Times of India. In the humdrum of the hectically paced 60 hour workweeks with the economy is recession to boot, who has the time for a clutch of crusty old men who, in any case, have already done all that they could for the nation, and can be conveniently forgotten. Or placated with a few sops here and there.

The gesture comes as a final mark of disgust and despair after months of unsuccessfully trying to sensitize an apathetic government and a mal-intentioned bureaucracy about the justness of their case. They have been asking for ‘One Rank One Pension’, meaning that veterans who retired at a particular rank get equal pension, irrespective of the date of their retirement. This, incidentally, is what is happening for all other services by virtue of their rank / grade structures. In the case of the armed forces, however, different bands of pensions have been created with each successive Pay Commission. Through calculations and contortions that absolutely defy any logic, you have a situation where a Lt Gen who retired in 1995 getting less pension than a Colonel who retires today.

Just before the Lok Sabha elections, politicians of all hues and shapes started wooing the veterans casting greedy eyes on what they came to realize was a sizeable vote bank. Parity in pensions was promised by all, including the UPA which was elected back to power. The matter was referred to a select committee in vintage bureaucratic maneuvering, which came out with some more contorted mathematics, attempted to drive a wedge between the officers and others, and generally made a larger mess than existed. This done, the government has washed its hands with blatantly blase assertions that they have fulfilled their promise of OROP.

Contrast the attitude of the Indian government towards its veterans with the sentiments expressed by President Obama in this speech to veterans.

The entire speech is worth reading, for it not only brings out the difference alluded to here, but also in the entire paradigm in which national security and the military, and the responsibilities of the state towards the soldier, are viewed.

Here are a few excerpts relating to veterans in particular …..

To all those who have served America — our forces, your families, our veterans — you have done your duty. You have fulfilled your responsibilities. And now a grateful nation must fulfill ours. And that is what I want to talk about today…..

Whether you’ve left the service in 2009 or 1949, we will fulfill our responsibility to deliver the benefits and care that you earned. And that’s why I’ve pledged to build nothing less than a 21st-century VA…..

We’re dramatically increasing funding for veterans health care. This includes hundreds of millions of dollars to serve veterans in rural areas, as well as the unique needs of our growing number of women veterans. We’re restoring access to VA health care for a half-million veterans who lost their eligibility in recent years….

And since there’s been so much misinformation out there about health insurance reform, let me say this: One thing that reform won’t change is veterans’ health care. No one is going to take away your benefits — that is the plain and simple truth. (Applause.) We’re expanding access to your health care, not reducing it. (Applause.)…..I’ve also directed Secretary Shinseki to focus on a top priority — reducing homelessness among veterans…..And we’re keeping our promise to fulfill another top priority at the VA — cutting the red tape and inefficiencies that cause backlogs and delays in the claims process…..

We’re going to challenge each of our 57 regional VA offices to come up with the best ways of doing business, of harnessing the best information technologies, of cutting red tape and breaking through the bureaucracy. And then we’re going to fund the best ideas and put them into action, all with a simple mission: cut those backlogs, slash those wait times, deliver your benefits sooner….

Now, taken together, these investments represent a historic increase in our commitment to America’s veterans — a 15 percent increase over last year’s funding levels and the largest increase in the VA budget in more than 30 years. And over the next five years we’ll invest another $25 billion to make sure that our veterans are getting what they need. These are major investments, and these are difficult times. Fiscal discipline demands that we make hard decisions — sacrificing certain things we can’t afford. But let me be clear. America’s commitment to its veterans are not just lines on a budget. They are bonds that are sacred — a sacred trust we’re honor bound to uphold…..
And our nation says it can not afford the funds required to ensure the dignity of parity to its veterans

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