New Delhi:
In a drive to secure and sanitise the capital ahead
of Independence Day, the police this morning began evicting various
groups on protest at Jantar Mantar, the venue designated for protests in
the heart of Delhi.
The biggest resistance has come from ex-servicemen who have been protesting here for the past two months, demanding one rank one pension from the NDA government.
A
few of the 50-odd ex-servicemen, who were on a relay hunger strike at
Jantar mantar and refused to leave, were seen being dragged and pushed.
NDMC trucks were seen dismantling one of the tents put up by them.
The New Delhi Municipal Corporation, which is carrying out this operation, says they remove tents pitched in the area every year to clean and prep it. But this time around the timing had coincided with Independence Day preparations due to security concerns.
The biggest resistance has come from ex-servicemen who have been protesting here for the past two months, demanding one rank one pension from the NDA government.
The New Delhi Municipal Corporation, which is carrying out this operation, says they remove tents pitched in the area every year to clean and prep it. But this time around the timing had coincided with Independence Day preparations due to security concerns.
Shame on Delhi Police.How our veterans aged 50 to 90years have become threat to security.Who the hell has ordered this forcible eviction.The independence programme is at Red Fort not at JM
ReplyDeleteToday, the 62 day of relay hunger strike of veterans for OROP, the agitation attracted unprecedented national attention.
ReplyDeleteThe NDMC and Delhi Police to an unwise decision to evict the agitating ex-service men from the venue of their agitation, Jantar Mantar. One wonders whose brain child it was. Mercifully, so to say, the decision was reversed by the timely intervention of MHA. Otherwise situation could have gotten out of hand.
There was an optimistic expectation that the PM would announce OROP In his speech on 15 Aug on the lines of the definition agreed and approved by the parliament. But the hope got shattered after the meeting with FM, on 12 Aug, who came with new proposal suggesting 2011 as the year of reckoning. This naturally gave way to the apprehension that dilution in the implementation is in the offing which was unacceptable to IESM. Meanwhile , the letter from former four Chiefs of Staff too drew serious concern among one and all. It said volumes in few words. May it serve as an eye opener for the Govt.
Eagles were eyeing the prey and trying hard to sweep on them. Political parties of all hues are trying their best to take advantage. Sri Manish Tiwari said that OROP was sanctioned by the UPA govt an funds were allocated. How brazen one can be. No wonder such blunders come from a person who can name a person fugitive when no case , no FIR, no legal action initiated against him. Mr. Sidharth Nath Singh of BJP, as usual, repeated the often heard cliché that OROP is a commitment made by PM and will be implemented. And personalities who cared nil for the past 62 days suddenly thought that they should express solidarity with veterans, so Sri Aravind Kejriwal tweeted that OROP must be approved immediately, as if it was delayed because he did not tweet till now. To crown it all Sri Rahul Gandhi, who had time to take up the cause of FTII students and lead them to the Hon President of India visited the venue after veterans sat in Dharna for 61 days . He was received with dignity notwithstanding some chanting “GO BACK” but was not allowed to make a political speech.
One really wonders as to why the Defense Minister/any other Govt Reps. Or some one representing PMO has not visited and assuaged the agitated Veterans so far. Why is the Govt making it a suspense thriller? Surely we are not awaiting release of a Alfred Hitchcok mistery. Please shed the cloak of secrecy and talk to the veterans, they are a patriotic fraternity. Govt will only gain not by taking them in confidence. Don’t divulge, at least assuage their concerns.
The IESM has scrupulously stayed apolitical, in tune with the tradition of Indian Armed Forces .That is the true legacy of our defense Service and will remain so forever.
Lots of hope are pinned on the speech of the PM from the ramparts of Red Fort tomorrow on the occasion of Independence Day.
Stop press:
The press conference by Defense Minister today at 1530 hrs shattered all hopes till now nurtured. He said that there are” technical difficulties” but will implement the promise given by the Govt. There is nothing new in the statement . Just repeating what he has been saying always
So ,OROP remains a mirage
JWO (retd) Sukumaran Nair RV
Dear sir,
ReplyDeleteMODI and JAITELY may be very happy to see the dismantling the tent and our relay hunger strike is being disturbed by the municipality, independence day function is going to be celebrated without exservice men very shameful
I feel realy ahsamed on both UPA and NDA Government on non implementation of One Rank One Pension. Our Ex Serviceman brothers are in Relay Hunger strike for more than 60 days but these Politicians and Bureaucrats are no Eyes, Ears to see and listen the real problems of Ex Sewrviceman and their families. I read from some reliable sources that the Bureaucrats are sitting at Prime Minister's Office are severely starts to bargain with Ex Serviceman on Modalities and other issues of OROP with date of effect etc. I feel really ashamed on them both Politicians and Bureaucrats. One thing I am not understood that why these Politicians and Bureaucrats are celebrating Independence Day and Republic Day, 50th Aniversary of Indo - Pak war Memorial etc are these culprits want to shows that they only patriot and others are not, Today i watch through Media that Police Dogs ( I wish to say that Police is a pet Dogs of Politicians and Bureaucrats as what ever the order has been passed to them to be implemented) has man handled the Ex Serviceman with the age group of 80 to 90 years. Very Shameful and Very sad day for the Nation. If these Politicians and Bureaucrats are not fulfilling the legitimate demand of Ex Serviceman and their families then they have no right to celebrate the Independence Day/Republic Day/50th Indo - Pak war Aniversary as they are worsen than the Terrorist or people from Enemy Countries
ReplyDeleteThis demand for a just cause, the OROP have taken twists and turns and became a war by the ExServiceMen on the GOI for which these veterans once gave their youth in fighting the external aggressors. It pains us to see that once those bold, dedicated soldiers became helpless veterans on retirement from service, that too at an younger age; they are treated as wasted, unwanted second rate citizens. A PM who calls himself the first servant of Indians, a true Hindu tradition follower neglects these ESM of whom most of them are senior citizens. His government is spreading false stories to divide the officers and the other ranks on unproved differences which will create a divide in all ranks in those in service. Have they lost sense in disrupting the discipline in the Armed Forces for their petty politics? Right from the top Minister enjoying high pay and perks enjoys subsidies in daily services like in Parliament canteen, free fuel for transportation, free houses and their maintenance, free transport, free telephone billing, and what not. All these are not measured in monetary terms but in terms of service to Nation which happens to be a notion only. But these ESM did sacrifice their youth for the Nation and its security and still they are put on a bargaining/begging pedestal? It is shame on the government and its executive staff, the bureaucrats. Real shame.
ReplyDeleteShame shame Indian government. Barbaric action by police personnel. The old aged, handicapped veterans who lost their limbs during war are manhandled by police personnel
ReplyDeleteThere's not even a single statement from present chiefs and veteran turned politicians on the ill treatment meeted to our old veterans by Delhi police, he could go to Yemen and bring back stranded Indians, but he could not even condemn through press if not in person at jantar mantar, the three chiefs also should have condemned this barbaric eviction
ReplyDelete