L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

Ex-servicemen deserve justice

In his article, “Raw deal for ex-servicemen” (Sunday Oped, May 23), Lt-Gen Raj Kadyan (retd) has made a strong case for grant of one-rank-one-pension (OROP) to the retired military personnel. The Centre seems to have shelved the demand for OROP by two million ex-servicemen. On July 6, 2009, the Finance Minister while addressing the Lok Sabha, gave the go ahead to the OROP and also announced increase in the defence budget to meet additional requirements of funds. Subsequently, the Defence Minister announced in Parliament on July 13, 2009 that OROP has been accepted though the Cabinet Secretary had announced that OROP could not be accepted because of administrative and financial reasons but he also added that the gap between pensions of pre and post January 1, 2006 will be brought to the minimum.

All these committees have done little to implement the verdicts of various courts in the case of Major Generals and victimised personnel of October 1997. As on today, the PBOR are getting the same pension as recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission. The notification issued early this year contains unbelievable anomalies and parity in pension is nowhere to be seen.

What should the ex-servicemen do to get their legitimate rights? Being a disciplined force, they cannot go violent among their own countrymen. Most court verdicts have gone in their favour. Our last hope is the media.

Col KULDIP SINGH GREWAL (retd), Patiala

They were no angels

I read Lalit Mohan’s article, “Rising above rivalry” (Spectrum, May 23). The leaders of Indian freedom movement too exhibited occasional weaknesses.

At the 1939 Tripuri Session, when Subhash Bose, the Congress president, lay on a stretcher on the dais, party leaders led by Pant gave him fatal political body blows. Nehru and Jayaprakash Narayan did not come to his rescue. Nehru’s election as Congress president in 1946 was stage-managed to bypass Patel’s rightful claim.

After Deshbandhu Gupta’s death, Subhash’s mistake was not to move closer to Patel. Subhash excelled Patel in the passion for freedom while Patel excelled him in pragmatism. Both would have formed a very formidable combination to change the course of the Indian history. After Gandhi’s death, the counselors (particularly Kidwai) compelled Nehru to harden his attitude towards Patel.

RAM NIWAS MALIK, Gurgaon

Haryana needs a social renaissance Ranbir Singh’s article “Checking atrocities on Dalits” (Perspective, May 2) has dealt with the caste malaise hazily. The caste system is a major social evil plaguing India today. Haryana needs a social renaissance for better social health. Those writing on Haryana’s social fabric haven’t examined that no institution or no intellectual has ever served the rural masses to improve the social life. Cultural growth germinates in history, land and language. Haryana boasts of nine good universities (more are in offing). Show me a single authentic book on Haryanavi history. Its history is not even a part of school, college or university teaching though a 4000-year-old civilisation flourished in Haryana. Haryanavi language is in oblivion. One hardly studies Haryanavi literature today. Three Sahitya Akademis are functioning in the state. How can Haryanavi literature grow if the state doesn’t promote it? Above all, the soil of Haryana is on sale. Large chunks of Haryana have already been sold out. Consequently, the majority of small farmers swell the ranks of labourers who are now unable to survive. The state is in social crisis. Poor rural Haryanavis are now a hapless lot. No one is coming to their rescue. Rural Haryana is being exploited in the name of caste and creed. Let us have some institutional framework to strengthen the social fabric of rural Haryana. SURAJ BHAN DAHIYA, Gurgaon