The Government and ex-servicemen are heading for yet another round of face-off over the issue of “One-Rank, One-Pension (OROP)”. With the Centre on Monday refusing to accept their demand for a relook into the scheme that was notified a couple of days ago, the veterans announced they will start surrendering their medals all over the country from Tuesday in protest.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Monday that everyone has a right to make a demand in democracy but not all demands can be fulfilled. Underlining that the “maximum” demands of the veterans were fulfilled, he said the judicial commission that will be set up will look into the “problems.”
“This is democracy. Everyone has the right to demand. But the maximum...Their main demand for same pension for same rank has been given. Rest is everything that we had declared (on September 5),” Parrikar said on the sidelines of an Army function here.
He said, “Har ek cheez mangte hai, wohi agar satisfy hone laga to kabhi khatam nahi hoga, aur koi kuchh aur mangega (even if all demands are satifisfied, someone will ask for something else).” The Minister said the “basic core issue” was addressed and if there is a problem, the judicial commission will look into that.
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha too echoed similar views and said that the Government has given directions on the OROP issue and everyone should accept it. He said if anomalies are still persisting, these could be sorted out in due course of time.
Reacting to Parrikar’s remarks that not all demands could be fulfilled, protesting ex-servicemen said they only have “one demand” of OROP. We will intensify the agitation by returning their medals from Tuesday, Group Captain (retired) VK Gandhi), general secretary of Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM), said.
He said veterans have only one demand that is OROP and claimed it was the Government who inserted provisions that has made the issue complicated. “We want OROP as per the definition. No junior should get more pension than his senior,” Gandhi said.
The agitators also met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had asked them to brief him about the OROP notification. Kejriwal will meet the protesters at Jantar Mantar in the coming days and will also address a news conference on the issue, Gandhi said.
Major General (retired) Satbir Singh, Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement spearheading the protest, had said on Saturday, “The notification will not be acceptable to the rank and file. It is not one rank, one pension but one rank, five pension.”