Surgical Strike by Indian Special Forces in POK

OROP: A DROP IN THE OCEAN

1.  Last few days have seen some unprecedented actions, reactions and lack of action regarding "demand" of OROP by veterans of Indian Armed Forces. Debates on audio and visual media, messages on social media and heated arguments over a glass of beer in messes / clubs have focused on how successive Govts have failed to fulfill long standing demand of OROP, how the wily bureaucrats are putting spokes in its implementation, the base year for calculations and the estimates of budgetary allocations and cash outgo for the treasury. Few enterprising guys have even put up calculated revised pensions for various ranks. People in armed forces - both serving and veterans are agitated that their 'dues' are not being given and that while others like MTNL/BSNL losses of 10000 Cr are being written off, $ 10 Billion aid is being given to Nepal and 6000 Cr worth loans have been waived off, Govt is nickpicking and calculating how it can save a few / few hundred or thousands of crores from the financial effect of granting OROP. PM Modi was expected to use his discretion and take a  "Executive Decision"  on Independence day announcing the OROP as per expectations of veterans may be even over ruling objections or observations of his and FM's staff. It has not happened - not surprisingly at all. A rejoinder of mention in the end of speech equating a jawan with a kisan was made - probably as a fall out of yesterday's hullabaloo over use of force on protesting veterans at Jantar Mantar by Delhi police. My take on OROP is slightly different from most of the view points being put forth. In my opinion OROP is only a small drop in the ocean of issues which should be of focus.

2.   Firstly what is OROP and what's the technical issues RM has spoken about?

(a)   OROP is One Rank One Pension - meaning simply that any one having same rank and number of years of service must get equal pension. One would ask as to why is there a disparity in this. That's because of successive pay commissions pay is revised but the benefit is not passed on to pensioners but only to serving personnel. So, as an example if a Sepoy who drew Rs 1000/- pay and retired with Rs 500/- pension draws less pension from a Sepoy who drew Rs 2000/- pay after pay commission hence drawing Rs 1000/- pension. Aim of OROP is to equate all such Sepoys for the sake of pension.

(b)   Why should the pension be revised? Because as per terms of employment Pension is a deferred wage and needs to paid to the employee for the number of years of service rendered by him. So every time wages are revised for same rank with same yrs of service, pension also needs to be revised equally.

(c)    How to calculate the same? By taking a Base Year for fixing the wages for each rank and draw a table for different number of years one could have served to come to figure which would be the revised pension for that rank and service. As an example an individual can serves for 20 years and retire as a colonel while another can serve for 30 years and still retire as a Colonel only though with a higher pay by virtue of more service (annual increments and pay commission). So OROP will NOT give equal pension to these two Colonels but equal pension to all Colonels who served for 20 years and equal to all those who served for 30 years. Govt wants to take 2011 as Base Year so that they calculate on older pay scales while veterans are insisting on 2014 as Base Year as approved by the Parliament post Khushal Singh Committee report. This is one of the major technical difficulty.

(d)   Another issue of disagreement is revision of pension post implementation of OROP with any base year. Govt wants it to be done with 10 yearly Pay Commission while veterans want it every year as is done for serving personnel for increment. Logic remains the same - one rank one pension - all the time and NOT every 10 years.

(e)   Some people have put forth apprehensions about other services like BSF / CRPF or civ servants asking for similar pension schemes. It is to be understood that service conditions and terms of engagement of armed forces are ENTIRELY DIFFERENT from these services. Every one in these services can serve up to 60 years of age and retire with a higher salary (annual increments and pay commissions) while in armed forces avg age of retirement is much lesser - only 4 % people reach ranks where they can serve up to 60 years of age. Based on rank achieved (after stringent selection process) one retires at earlier ages e.g. a Colonel at 54, a Brigadier at 56 and a Sepoy at 35 yrs of age.

3.    So far so good. But is the issue only about a few thousand more per month to an old fauji or his widow costing exchequer some 8500 Cr initially and 900 Cr annually thereafter? NO SIR. Issue I'm focused on is how do we see, treat and maintain our armed forces as a nation. As a nation we need armed forces to safeguard our nation from external and internal threats. National Security is provided by armed forces. Where are we as a nation on this matter? Read on:-

(a)   Ok, so what's the big deal? National Security includes other than military security. A farmer provides Food Security, a banker provides Financial Security, a teacher provides Intellectual Security, a performer provides Cultural Security and a scientist provides Technological Security. Every one is working for the nation - what's the great deal about armed forces? Police personnel also serve in strange places and stupid conditions - they also die in uniform. So, why should the armed forces be treated differently? Especially when we have seen increasing incidents of corrupt practices (including financial impropriety) and indiscipline (including fratricides and civil offences) in last few years. Someone also said that people join armed forces as a profession and later start talking about patriotism etc and that all countrymen are equally patriotic and if time comes can die for it. Soldiers are paid to die for the country and that they get everything free (rations, liquor, house and travelling etc) are some of the older stratagems.

(b)    Successive Govt policies and pay commissions have constantly reduced financial and protocol status of armed forces in a bid to retain / increase "Civil Control" over matters military to an extent that day to day functioning has become difficult and junior and middle level civil servants have a mindset against armed forces almost equating them with armed police (no offence meant to police forces). Decision making for routine matters is also almost outside the control of uniformed personnel while national and international policies are determined without even reference to uniformed cadre which has to execute the same.

(c)    Respect and aura around a uniformed person has faded to an extent that it is nauseating. A pilot of Air India didn't want to fly with mortal remains of a soldier in his plane as it was disturbing to the sensibilities of other passengers. A TC in Chennai during Op Vijay wanted his palm greased to allot a berth to an army person who wanted to travel urgently towards Kargil having been recalled from leave. A veteran / disabled soldier or a widow of a battle casualty has to run around Govt offices for pensionary benefits / disability allowance or allotment of perks like patrol pump etc. Even forcing them to take legal recourse where the same Min of Defence (called Integrated HQ of Min of Defence) for which he / her husband had served / died or got disabled submits affidavits as why the same should not be given to the petitioner. Latest is the ultimate humiliation brought on armed forces fraternity on 14 Aug 15 at Jantar Mantar where peaceful and disciplined protesters were forcibly evicted and beaten up.

4.    Why should the nation respect an armed forces person? Why should he get discriminatory perks or privileges? Why must his status be kept higher than all other contributors to national security?

(a)     Even if a person has joined armed forces as a career and not out of patriotism, he / she is still laying down his / her neck on the chopping block in a bid to safeguard the honour, safety and integrity of our nation. Whether it is conventional war on borders/ LC, fighting terrorists in insurgency infested areas, providing security to Presidents/ PMs or tackling hijackers of planes / ships it's the armed forces person who risks his life to safeguard the nation. Only after the nation is secure can any other contributor to national security function in the desired manner. Only if the nation has leverage of military might can other leverages of finance and soft skills be used in international relations.

(b)    A nation like ours which has a monolithic bureaucratic structure and lethargic cum corrupt administrative processes needs to keep up the morale and status of its armed forces because it is the ONLY tool of governance it uses as a last resort (at times as first resort too) in any situation... floods, earthquakes, civil unrest, collapse of a bridge in Commonwealth games, a child falling in a bore well, strike by postal / shipyard employees or a 26/11 crisis...the list is endless. The armed forces are a part of the Govt machinery which is like an insurance policy in your financial portfolio - you don't play around or devalue your insurance policy and maintain its sanctity while you are able to gamble with your equities or fixed deposits.

(c)    Compared to other central services terms of service of armed forces personnel are different and rather harsher. The promotional aspects and earlier superannuation are known ones. Hard living conditions in most of the areas and prohibition of having a union /association are lesser known. There are several others. Compensating disadvantages of service conditions by higher financial packages is only one of the ways and that too has been systematically reduced over the last six pay commissions.

(d)   Social aspects of life in armed forces like long periods of separation from family, inability to fulfill filial commitments, losses incurred at hometowns (say due to absence during crop season)  and psychological issues related to mismatch in uniformed and civil way of life are also to be kept in mind when comparing armed forces with persons following other lines of career.

5.    So what about OROP? Aah, some old faujis displaying some goddamn metals on chest are protesting for a few thousand rupees more. Every few days some or the other union or political party organizes such protest. Who cares.. it's all about money you see. All this tamasha about country, dying for it and the patriotic jingles are all a facade just to get more money from the 'honest' tax payer. Isn't it?  No my dear fellow patriotic countrymen / women...it's just a drop in the ocean. We have to swim some more ....a lot more!