PRESS RELEASE: EX-SERVICEMEN DEMAND ‘DATE BOUND’ IMPLEMENTATION OF O.R.O.P.

[Harwant Singh]

Dear Fellow Veterans,

            A Rally in support of O.R.O.P. was held at Mohali on 13 July. Press Release as given below was issued. Crews of No. of TV Channels were also present. Let’s see how many papers publish the Press Release and how many TV Channels telecast it.

You may like to fwd the Press Release to all your contacts

Regards,

Harwant

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UNITED FRONT OF EX-SERVICEMEN

PRESS RELEASE

EX-SERVICEMEN DEMAND ‘DATE BOUND’ IMPLEMENTATION OF O.R.O.P.  

 

            To give impetus to implementation of “ALREADY APPROVED” O.R.O.P. Scheme  and show solidarity with all those thousands on Relay Hunger Strike, at various places , a  Maha Rally was held by the UNITED FRONT OF EX-SERVICEMEN (UFESM) on 13 July at the Dussera Ground   MOHALI , at 10 AM onwards. The IESL, the IESM, the All India Defence Brotherhood , the Ex-Servicemen’s Grievances Cell , The State Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association (SEWA) , Ex-Servicemen’s Joint Action Front (Sanjha Morcha) and many other Ex-Servicemen’s organizations took part.

            “We defeated Pakistan, captured 93,000 prisoners and created a separate country (Bangladesh) in THIRTEEN days flat (04 to16 Dec ‘1971), but the Modi Govt could NOT issue NOTIFICATION for implementation of “Already Approved”  O.R.O.P scheme, despite being in power for over  FOURTEEN months” !!, said a veteran. It is was highlighted  that the  Draft Govt Letter (DGL) for implantation of O.R.O.P. was prepared in APRIL 2014 , but was still lying as a  ‘Draft’  only . The Defence Minister , Party President (Amit Shah) and other functionaries have  just mouthed platitudes of implementing O.R.O.P. “SOON” but no one had given a FIRM DATE when that “SOON” would arrive, asked the Veterans ?

            To press their demand of implementation of OROP, the Veterans, some in their 80s , are on Relay Hunger Strike (RHS) at the Jantar Mantar and over 50  other places across the country, w.e.f. 15 Jun in this heat and humidity , yet the Govt  has  NOT stirred . Deliberate lack of response from the Govt is testing the patience of the veteran and has led to incidents like the one at Bathinda on 08 July, wherein main highway was  blocked  by the Veterans . The Govt is forcing a most loyal and disciplined community  to resort to ‘Direct Action’ which may lead to disastrous consequences, considering the fact that many veterans have their sons and other close relation serving in the Defence Services. What would be the latter’s reaction when they see, on TV screens, their grandfathers, fathers , and other elders being roughed up by the police during the ‘Direct Action’ ?  Does the Govt want military discipline to break down and a revolt in the defence forces , asked the Veterans ? .  

             Lack of the Govt’s response , despite the RHS being carried out for about month , makes it obvious that it has no intention of fulfilling promises, repeatedly made, by no less than the P.M. himself, with respect to O.R.O.P.

             At the end of the Rally, the Veterans unanimously  resolved to TOTALLY  boycott the Defence Minister and show him Black Flags, during his forth coming visit to Mohali on 25 July to inaugurate ‘ Mai Bhago Institute’ for training of girls to join the Defence Services.   

            The Ex-Servicemen were so angry that they burnt the Effigies of the Prime Minister , Finance Minister and Defence Minister against Govt’s “TAAREEKH  PE  TAAREEKH” approach for implementation of O R O P  .

             The Veterans demanded ‘Date Bound’ implementation of O.R.O.P, as they were  ‘FED UP’ of the word “SOON”, which never seems  to come .

            The response was highly enthusiastic, the threat on rain notwithstanding. Lt Gen SR Ghosh, former GOC-in C, Western Command, Lt Gen Sujlana, former Commadant Indian Military Academy, Major Generals , Dhillon , D.P. Singh, IP Singh and Amarjit Singh , were the prominent Ex-Servicemen who attended the Rally. In addition ,  many Brigadier and Colonels also attended it.  

 

{BRIG HARWANT SINGH (RETD)} ,

President, the All India Defence Brotherhood (A constituent of the UFESM )

54, Phase -7 , Mohali , (Pb) } . Phones :- 09814432554