OROP won't come; BJP and Modi betray Services, what Next?

The First COAS. The devaluation started from hs time

I had written a few months back that OROP won't be sanctioned. There were some good men who held a contrary view. They were sure that Modi is a man of his word and the sanction was just around the corner, These simple and good men were taking what ever they were told as a gospel truth. Having spent time in the civil and corporate world, I knew it wouldn't happen for the simple reason that army top brass had frittered away their bargaining power. Secondly the leaders in the government like Arun Jaitley are small men with a limited horizon and they can't understand what morale is and also how important an armed force is for projection of a nation in world polity.

The net result is that now the demand is stymied at the highest source and that is Modi himself. Now there is nobody to who the ESM association can turn to except write pleading letters to Modi and party. This was expected by me, as politicians only act when put under pressure. Just see the banking unions have got a 15% pay hike and the services are shown two fingers.

The demand was put on the back burner by the previous Congress government for 10 years and its little consolation that Rahul is asking for sanction of OROP now. How sincere is he? In case a man like Modi can be change colours , will Rahul get the sanction if voted back.?

The fact is Modi and party know that the ESM association has no teeth. The army chief is a cipher and hence OROP won't come. There is a need for a proactive approach. Maybe Rahul is sincere and its best to join him. The COAS , who heads a force that holds India together must assert himself.  There is to be no begging for a right and small men like Jaitley must be shown their place. Onwards men, the future will always be brighter than the present.

Sadder still is a statement by the CNS ( Chief of naval Staff) that there is nothing to worry and OROP will definitely come. What does he mean? 3 decades have already elapsed and thousands of ex servicemen have gone to the next world. Does he mean let another few thousand die, so that liability is reduced and gives a handle to the civilian authorities that as too much time has elapsed it is administratively impossible to sanction OROP ? Just watch this will be a stumbling  bock and the BJP may take it as a lifeline to dilute OROP or delay it indefinately

Do the Army Chief's Word on OROP have any Sanctity?

The army chief in any country is an important man. One does not have to look far to understand this. In Pakistan  General Rahil Sharif can be seen sitting along with the Prime Minister in all important meetings and conferences and we all know the Pakistan army calls the shots.

A similar look at Burma and Thailand will show the army in the drivers seat. In SE Asia ,India must be the one singular country whose army chief has to eat his words all the time.

On 14 March 2015, the COAS, General Dilbagh Singh addressed an ex - servicemen at Rewari in Haryana. Nearly 18000 ex soldiers, including the father of the Army chief turned up. The general in his address announced that One Rank One Pension is approved and formal letter will be issued by end April this year. He also announced that their would be no dilution in the demand.  It was a great statement and coming as it did from the Indian army chief, one expected it to ring true.

But April has passed and we are in mid May and there is no sign of OROP. The question arises, do the words of an army chief have any sanctity in India? This is sad and shows that in India the Army chief is not very relevant. This is food for thought.

One is reminded of earlier generals right from Cariappa who just sat and twiddled their thumbs when all the devaluations of the armed forces were set in motion by Nehru and the Congress party. One Army Chief even accepted a written order signed by a Joint secretary.I am referring to general Thapar.

All this makes sad reading and I hope the present army chief will put his foot down , not on just OROP, but on a host of problems both political and social. The army chief must call the shots and its about time the political leaders were made aware of it.