Now, ex-Servicemen must end their agitation
The implementation of the military's longstanding demand for One-Rank-One-Pension is a historic moment not just for the Armed Forces but indeed for the entire country which has been largely supportive of the veterans' cause. At the administrative level, OROP goes a long way in correcting a historical wrong and ensuring that soldiers no longer get a raw deal, but that's not the only issue at play. OROP has never been just about the money; it goes to the root of the Indian state's relationship with the military, which many commentators believe was built on a less-than-comfortable foundation and especially skewed against the foot soldier. When viewed from this perspective, the implementation of OROP takes on a whole different meaning, going beyond the politics of the day.
That said, the BJP-led NDA Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi must be given full credit for actually rolling out the scheme, which has been as much of a political as a fiscal challenge for previous administrations. Still, the implementation of OROP was one of Mr Modi's key election promises that he had made to one of his party's most loyal votebanks: The community of ex-Servicemen. Delivering on this promise was, therefore, imperative for maintaining the credibility of the Prime Minister and the ruling coalition, especially as they head towards a crucial Assembly election in Bihar. That the OROP victory comes at a time when the Government has been struggling to deliver on its other major poll promises, particularly big ticket reforms in Parliament, is a much relished cherry on the cake.
The OROP saga, however, is not quite over yet. There are still some kinks in the plan that need to be ironed out, and this should be done through discussion and debate between the Government and the veterans, in a time-bound manner. That the ex-Servicemen have instead chosen to continue with their agitation, arguing that the Government has not delivered the promised version of the OROP, is disappointing. A major point of dispute that emerged after the OROP announcement last week was the eligibility of veterans who had taken ‘voluntary retirement'. The military does not have the kind of voluntary retirement system which is available to civilians — instead, it has a premature retirement system, which is a different mechanism altogether. But this confusion was also quickly cleared by the Prime Minister himself when he said that veterans who had retired prematurely will not be left out. The second point of contention is the revision of OROP every five years to equalise pensions with ranks. The veterans want a revision every one or two years, which, frankly is a maximalist demand that will lead to an administrative nightmare and a very expensive one at that.
Still, the Government has kept the doors open for negotiations, and the veterans should take the path of dialogue instead of a protracted confrontation. The Congress-led Opposition has expectedly lent its weight to the sulking leaders of the veteran community but there's no looking away from the fact that for much of the 42 years, that the Armed Forces have been demanding OROP, it was the Congress that was in power but did precious little to resolve the issue.