Woes of non-pensioners

SO many of The Tribune readers have so many times drawn a vividly grim picture of the state of neglect of the non-pensioner retired employees. None other than the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. In the case of pensioners, the effect of inflation is neutralised to some extent by the index-linked increase in D.A. at frequent intervals. But the case of non-pensioner retired persons is quite pitiable as they are at a disadvantage as far as meeting the ever-increasing cost of living is concerned. The writers have appropriately explained the whole situation, but the question is: who bothers?

Those who can do something about this anomaly have no time for such trifle matters. Sometimes we wonder whether those who remain so unconcerned and unmoved by our sorry state of affairs realise that if they do something in this regard today, it is they who stand to benefit tomorrow when they reach the ripe old age. Or is it that they themselves are never going to grow old and fall prey to age and age-related problems?

We will quote a glaring example of Panjab University, Chandigarh. Its retired employees have left no door unknocked for the redress of their grievance pertaining to starting a pension scheme. Right from the university authorities to the Social Welfare Minister, and ultimately to the courts, all remain unconcerned and unmoved by the distressful and pitiful plight of the aged. Like any other civil case, this case has also been hanging fire for years. There is no consideration from any authority that since this case pertains to senior citizens, most of whom obviously have neither much time left nor sufficient funds to sustain themselves with dignity. Quite a few of these senior citizens have already left this world without getting their due. Keeping in view the pitiable plight of the retired employees, it is nothing but a mockery to celebrate 1999 as the Year of the Aged!

Old age, with its associated health problems and meagre funds leaves us with little strength because of which we are not in a position to fight forcefully for our own rights. Other sections of society get their demands met through strikes, etc.

Look at the misfortune of the aged. Due to the constraints that are posed by deteriorating health, we are not even able to agitate and create such nuisance as are listened to in order to elicit a favourable response. Our only hope now is that some conscientious person may take up our cause out of sympathy, may be, through a public interest litigation.

Our needs are not too great, nor do we demand the sky. All that we ask for is a slight consideration towards a pension that is our right, so that we may lead our life — whatever little is left of it — with a little bit of dignity. The recent statement of the Chief Justice of India in this regard is greatly comforting for us. We look forward to the trickling down of his sentiments through the High Courts.

MADAN LAL, VIMAL, ROHIT KUMAR AND SIX OTHERS
Chandigarh

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Local call facility

Under the revised tariff of the Telecom Department effective from May 1 the phone calls up to a distance of 50 km are to be charged as local call, at a pulse rate of 180 seconds, and those of between 51 km and 200 km at a pulse rate of 14 seconds.

The call between Mandi Gobindgarh and Ludhiana, which have an aerial distance of less than 50 km, are still being charged at a pulse rate of 14 seconds instead of 180 seconds. This is causing a great financial loss to the subscribers of both stations.

Both of these stations are important industrial centres of India and have nation-wide business links. To further boost the business of these stations, the Telecom Department should immediately restore the pulse rate of 180 seconds between Mandi Gobindgarh and Ludhiana and undo the existing anomaly.

D.P. JINDAL
Mandi Gobindgarh

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Tiger Hill and Bofors

This is in response to Lt-Col Shivinder Singh’s letter, “Walking along Tiger Hill” (July 22), commenting on my article, “Living with reality in Kargil” (July 14).

It is quite obvious that Colonel Singh has neither read my article properly nor does he appear to be very conversant with the geography of Kargil. I had written that one had walked “along much of the LoC, along side Tiger Hill-Pt 13620 — Shangruti Heights and Chorbatla”, indicating, for the information of my readers, a line from one end to the other from Tiger Hill (in the Dras sector) to Pt 13620 (in the Kargil sector), and going across to the Shangruti Heights (in the Batalik sector).

One is, of course, fully aware that at that time Pt 13620 was in Pakistani hands, and who should know it better than the Principal Staff Officer of the Kargil Brigade, who along with Brigade Commander then had planned the capture of Pt 13620 in the Indo-Pak 1971 war. Pt 13620 has been since in Indian hands, very ably captured by 2/11 GR in the 1971 war.

Colonel Singh would also possibly note that my article has been written on July 14, 1999, with Pt 13620 having been in our hands for the last 28 years! He has also clearly missed out the operative words used by me, “along” and “alongside” when one had traversed, obviously on own side, the areas along the LoC.

The Indian forces in 1971, before the start of the war, had continued to move and operate effectively in the areas opposite Kargil, in between Pt 13620 and our Kargil defences. Incidentally the letter writer should also know that what I had written (already quoted verbatim earlier) is not the same thing as “Tiger Hill at Pt 13620”, (this is what he has written), because Tiger Hill and Pt 13620 lie scores of kilometres apart, in two different subsectors!

While considering it quite unnecessary to comment any further on the induction of the Bofors gun, (one has said what one had to say), one is happy to be informed that “in 1971 there was no intelligence failure”. Yet the PAF did suddenly bomb Amritsar, (one did not say whether it was the city or the airfield, and in any case how does it make any difference and then made good their return to their bases, without any appreciable damage.

HIMMAT SINGH GILL
Chandigarh

Factual position: The article written by Maj-Gen Himmat Singh Gill (retd) “Living with reality in Kargil” (July 14) is a factual statement by the then Brigade Major of the Kargil Brigade and not merely based on imagination.

I have commanded a battalion in that sector at the same time as General Gill did and during the 1971 operations. Very aggressive patrolling was carried out all along the LoC. Since Pt 13620 was held by Pakistani troops, it was all the more important that in spite of the advantage that it gave to the troops manning it, a show of strength was given to the enemy by physical movements. The Brigade Major not only coordinated the overall patrolling but also moved physically to confirm the facts.

I do confirm the failure of intelligence and in providing information to our troops throughout the operations in 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999, as only on the basis of correct and timely intelligence can proper plans be made out.

BRIG GURINDARJIT SINGH (retd)
Chandigarh

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Legal services

This refers to the letter by Mr Tara Chand , "Judicial reforms" , published on May 12. It has been wrongly mentioned that the District Legal Services Authority has no funds at its disposal to pay TA and DA to its non-official members. When non-official members attend a meeting of the District Legal Services Authority they are paid travelling allowance and daily allowance as is their due. Its meetings are held as and when these are required to be held.

Chairman,
District Legal Services Authority
Una