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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Open Letter to the Prime Minister of India: Dr. Manmohan Singh


“Yes, ’n’ how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn’t see?”
Bob Dylan

Dear Dr. Singh,

You recently stood outside parliament and invoked an Urdu couplet saying that your “silence is better than a thousand answers; it keeps intact the honour of innumerable questions.” Perhaps, there is some honour in not responding to each and every personal accusation made against you. We understand that many of these are politically motivated and designed by the opposition to disrupt parliamentary proceedings, or to distract the public from far more important matters facing the country. However, there is a much larger issue we are dealing with today, one that goes beyond your personal integrity, and one that affects the lives of each and every one of your countrymen and the future of our children.

The fact is that this is just the latest scam in a seemingly never-ending series of scams that plagued your coalition’s tenure – under your leadership. Perhaps you should also stay silent about the Black Money scandal where an Indian businessman was caught stashing Rs.39,120 crores ($8 billion), and the Supreme Court reprimanded your government “for failing to interrogate Khan and other alleged offenders despite having sufficient material in the possession of investigators.” (source: NDTV). Stay silent about the Commonwealth Games scam where your own party man and Chairman of the Organising Committee was charged by the CBI as “the "mastermind" in fixing and inflating costs of a timing, scoring and result” (source: Times of India). Ignore the 2G spectrum scam which not only involved dirty politicians from your coalition but also bureaucrats, corporate personalities, media personalities and lobbyists. We should also forget the Telgi stamp paper scam which lasted ten years, had tentacles across 12 states, and involved police officers and other government employees. Including one police officer who is said famously to have acquired “assets worth Rs.100 crores despite earning only Rs. 9,000 a month.” (source: Mens XP). Or look the other way about the growing number of defence scams, starting with Scorpene, where it was alleged that the “Congress leadership awarded the contract to French manufacture, Thales in exchange of 4% commission.” (source: Times of India). God forbid you dignify the outgoing Army Chief’s letter about our defence procurement procedures being mired in bureaucracy and corruption with a response. Even if our forces are woefully short of ammunition, poorly equipped and we face “97 per cent obsolescence in air defence preparedness.” (source: Times of India). Facts, it seems, that had previously been submitted by the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) in an earlier report highlighting “the same critical gaps in India's defence, only much more starkly.” (source: Times of India).

I suppose you want all of us to close our eyes when the International media does cover stories with the opening line; “It is sometimes said that corruption is the purpose of Indian politics.” (source: The Economist). Cover our ears and ignore companies like Dell whose senior executives are giving interviews stating that it is becoming impossible to do business in India because of power blackouts, uncertain tax rules and lack of honour among decision-makers.” New decision makers come and they don't honour the contract previously signed." We should say good riddance to companies like Germany's Fraport, the world's second-biggest airport operator, “who recently decided to shut its development office in India, becoming the latest in a growing list of companies exiting Asia's third-largest economy.” (source: Reuters). All while the rupee continues its free fall, to new and even greater lows; causing imports to skyrocket and making it harder for the average Indian to travel or study abroad. India’s last quarter economic growth rate was the slowest pace in the last three years. The agriculture sector posted modest growth of 1.7 percent and the industrial sector grew a meagre 1.9 percent. “The fall in gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), popularly known as the investment rate, to below 30 per cent of the GDP for the first time since 2004-05 does not augur well for the future.” A few weeks prior to this report being released Goldman Sachs and Bank of America Merrill Lynch had both downgraded India’s economic outlook for 2012-13 (source: The Hindu). I could go on but perhaps my silence, even as inflation continues to rise, will speak louder for you.

It no longer matters if you dipped your hand in the cookie jar or not. I think I speak for all my countrymen when I say we still believe that you are not corrupt. However, it is not integrity that we seek from you; it is leadership, tenacity and the courage to fulfill the duties of your office. Nobody expects you to wipe out corruption, but at least let justice be delivered when corruption is exposed. Stop protecting those who have abused their office and been caught red-handed. Open your eyes and look around at the devastation your party and coalition members have caused under your nose and leadership. Turn your head in the direction of the havoc they are wreaking through unchecked corruption and unending greed. You will not have to look far to see how they continue to rape and pillage your country, our country, my country only to fill their Swiss coffers. They are selling our souls to the highest bidder, every day. Uphold the oath of your office and serve the people who put you there.

Mother India weeps and lies bleeding at your doorstep. This will be your legacy, Dr. Singh, if you continue to do nothing.

The time for silence is over. The time for words is also over. It is time for action. Save India. Lead us, or get out of the way.

11 comments:

  1. Well written and well said. Maybe you should actually email it to the PM ...
    -Sanjiv Khamgaonkar

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and did you get a response or was there silence?

      Delete
    2. I was rather hoping that the government's latest reform push are a direct result of the PM reading my letter...or the timing was a divine coincidence!

      Delete
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  2. Legitimately there exist no difference between Honorably released\discharged Territorial Army officers with Gratuity & Officers court marshaled, Disgraced \cashiered & Discharged on other disciplinary grounds from Indian Armed forces as both are denied of Ex-Service men \ armed forces veterans status and ensuing benefits


    Officers in the TERRITORIAL ARMY are holding commission, granted by the president of INDIA with designation of Rank corresponding to those of Indian commissioned officers of the regular Army , Granted Gratuity on their honorable retirement\ Discharge\Release after 05 years of aggregate embodied service / or 10 years of commissioned service alike Non pensioner SSCO\ECO
    Yet are not treated as “armed forces veterans ” unlike NON pensioner Short Service Commissioned Officers .-who are granted status of Ex-servicemen, on their discharge with Gratuity after 05 year commissioned service.
    as per ARMY pension regulation Part-I 1961;- Gratuity is an kind of pension but officers Honorably released\discharged with Gratuity from TERRITORIAL ARMY are excluded from consideration as Ex-servicemen without any valued reason





    Honorably retired officers of TERRITORIAL ARMY are awarded Gratuity at par with All retirees of Indian Armed forces & constitute one class of Exserviceman.

    It is not LEGAL to single out certain persons of the same class for differential treatment. Denial of Ex-Service men status and ensuing benefits had produced a class within a class without rational basis amongst ALL honorably retired officers.


    As per Government Order dated 30.10.1987, which clarified that, all the members of Territorial “Army will be entitled to same benefits as made applicable to Indian Army and this matter has been further clarified by the Government Order dated 03.02.1998. Accordingly Armed Forces Tribunal, Principal Bench at, New Delhi Order dated 19.02.2010 granted late entrant pension to the TERRITORIAL Army Officer vide Army pension regulation applicable to Territorial Army equally to their counterparts in Regular Army.


    Existing definition, laid down by the Department of Personnel & Training(DOP&T), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, which has been in vogue since 01 Jul1987,--also ref -Appex’ E’
    Ex-servicemen;-
    ;-Who has served in any rank whether as a combatant or non- combatant in the regular Army, Navy or Air Force of the Indian Union but does not include a person who has served in the Defense Security Corps (DSC), the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), the Lok Sahayak Sena and the Para Military Forces

    -The personnel of Territorial Army (TA) who are pension holders for continuous embodied service, persons with disability attributable to military service and gallantry award winners released on or after 15 Nov 1986 are eligible to status of ex-servicemen.

    Pension & Gallantry award ;- are the compulsory criteria - for the personnel of Territorial Army to attain the status of Ex serviceman which can neither be assured Nor Guaranteed & seems practicably unfeasible abiding the Role\ service concept of Territorial ARMY
    Denial of EXSERVICEMAN status to Honorably RETIRED (with gratuity ) officers of Territorial army is an open affront to their Reckon able embodied service rendered for national defense,& is wholly arbitrary, discriminatory and violation of Article 14 of the Constitution.-- if Two categories of person from same class different treatment meted out to them would be treated as discriminatory & offend equality without any ground to invalidate or strike down such classification



    it is incorrect for the government to discriminate between officers retired from the Armed forces units vis-à-vis those retired from territorial army units when the bullets of terrorists made no such distinction between personnel serving in TA units in trying conditions. Yet TA personnel’s are being deprived of noble status of ex serviceman.



    ReplyDelete
  3. services of Territorial army personnel when compared to other armed personnel is neither inferior nor services required by the Armed Forces are superior to Territorial army . When this is the position, to deny the status of EXSERVICEMAN to Honorably RETIRED Defense personnel’s of territorial army is wholly arbitrary, discriminatory and violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. " Territorial army is an integral part of Armed Forces", for the purpose of Article 33 of the Constitution of India.




    Succinct narration

    . Officers in the TERRITORIAL ARMY are holding commission, granted by the president of INDIA with designation of Rank corresponding to those of Indian commissioned officers of the regular Army , Granted Gratuity on their honorable retirement\ Discharge\Release after 05 years of aggregate embodied service / or 10 years of commissioned service alike Non pensioner SSCO\ECO

    Discrimination in Grant of Ex Serviceman status
    Latest pre-revised definition for SSCO\ECO Officers of Territorial ARMY
    “Any person who has been released from service after completing the specified period of engagement (SSC Officers), otherwise than at his own request or by any of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or Inefficiency and has been given a Gratuity”. The personnel of Territorial Army (TA) who are pension holders for continuous embodied service, persons with disability attributable to military service and gallantry award winners released on or after 15 Nov 1986 are eligible to status of ex-servicemen.
    Pension & Gallantry award ;- are the compulsory criteria - for the personnel of Territorial Army to attain the status of Ex serviceman which can neither be assured Nor Guaranteed & seems practicably unfeasible abiding the Role\ service concept of Territorial ARMY
    As per Government Order dated 30.10.1987 which clarified that all the members of Territorial “Army will be entitled to same benefits as made applicable to Indian Army and this matter has been further clarified by the Government Order dated 03.02.1998. Accordingly Armed Forces Tribunal, Principal Bench at, New Delhi Order dated 19.02.2010 granted late entrant pension to the TERRITORIAL Army Officer vide Army pension regulation applicable to Territorial Army equally to their counterparts in Regular Army.

    Legitimately there exist no difference between Officers Disgraced\cashiered\ court marshaled & discharged on other disciplinary & Honorably released TA officers as both are denied of Ex-Service men status and ensuing benefits

    Consequently this discrimination has ruined the praiseworthy status & self-esteem of honorable retired Territorial Army officers in INDIAN society. &
    Unnecessarily forced to suffer in silence for no reasons\fault on their part

    An feeble condition after serving respectably in the Defense Forces even so their reckonable service are not renowned to earn them the noble status of Ex-serviceman.

    Therefore, is submitted before you with a sole aim to bring the most genuine grievances of Honorably Retired \Released\Discharged Gratuity holders of TERRITORIAL ARMY with in the purview of EXSERVICEMAN status at par with NON-pensioners SSCO.

    ReplyDelete
  4. services of Territorial army personnel when compared to other armed personnel is neither inferior nor services required by the Armed Forces are superior to Territorial army . When this is the position, to deny the status of EXSERVICEMAN to Honorably RETIRED Defense personnel’s of territorial army is wholly arbitrary, discriminatory and violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. " Territorial army is an integral part of Armed Forces", for the purpose of Article 33 of the Constitution of India.




    Succinct narration

    . Officers in the TERRITORIAL ARMY are holding commission, granted by the president of INDIA with designation of Rank corresponding to those of Indian commissioned officers of the regular Army , Granted Gratuity on their honorable retirement\ Discharge\Release after 05 years of aggregate embodied service / or 10 years of commissioned service alike Non pensioner SSCO\ECO

    Discrimination in Grant of Ex Serviceman status
    Latest pre-revised definition for SSCO\ECO Officers of Territorial ARMY
    “Any person who has been released from service after completing the specified period of engagement (SSC Officers), otherwise than at his own request or by any of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or Inefficiency and has been given a Gratuity”. The personnel of Territorial Army (TA) who are pension holders for continuous embodied service, persons with disability attributable to military service and gallantry award winners released on or after 15 Nov 1986 are eligible to status of ex-servicemen.
    Pension & Gallantry award ;- are the compulsory criteria - for the personnel of Territorial Army to attain the status of Ex serviceman which can neither be assured Nor Guaranteed & seems practicably unfeasible abiding the Role\ service concept of Territorial ARMY
    As per Government Order dated 30.10.1987 which clarified that all the members of Territorial “Army will be entitled to same benefits as made applicable to Indian Army and this matter has been further clarified by the Government Order dated 03.02.1998. Accordingly Armed Forces Tribunal, Principal Bench at, New Delhi Order dated 19.02.2010 granted late entrant pension to the TERRITORIAL Army Officer vide Army pension regulation applicable to Territorial Army equally to their counterparts in Regular Army.

    Legitimately there exist no difference between Officers Disgraced\cashiered\ court marshaled & discharged on other disciplinary & Honorably released TA officers as both are denied of Ex-Service men status and ensuing benefits

    Consequently this discrimination has ruined the praiseworthy status & self-esteem of honorable retired Territorial Army officers in INDIAN society. &
    Unnecessarily forced to suffer in silence for no reasons\fault on their part

    An feeble condition after serving respectably in the Defense Forces even so their reckonable service are not renowned to earn them the noble status of Ex-serviceman.

    Therefore, is submitted before you with a sole aim to bring the most genuine grievances of Honorably Retired \Released\Discharged Gratuity holders of TERRITORIAL ARMY with in the purview of EXSERVICEMAN status at par with NON-pensioners SSCO.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Discrimination in Grant of Ex Serviceman status



    During the Emergency, Territorial Army units were called up for full-time service and Territorial Army personnel were embodied for service in these units. These personnel on disembodiment have reverted to part-time service for long periods. Though, they were not in the permanent establishment of the Territorial Army, they should be considered as Discharged Central Government Employees, provided they were employed on a full-time basis against regular establishment for a continuous period of six months or more.

    11.40 Considering the useful training and experience acquired during the service with the Territorial Army NESM/ Part.I/Vol.I 75the , Employment Officers should make special efforts to place ex-Territorial Army Personnel in suitable alternative employment.




    Definition of ex-servicemen:
    Eligibility to the status of ex-servicemen of ex-Armed Forces personnel is governed by the definition of ex-servicemen issued by the Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions. The status of ex-servicemen of ex-Armed Forces personnel is decided based on the definition in vogue at the time of retirement/ release/discharge of the personnel. The first definition of ex-servicemen had been notified by the DOP&T in 1966 and subsequently it was amended eight times.
    Definition of EX serviceman As per the existing definition, laid down by the Department of Personnel & Training(DOP&T), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions,
    which has been in vogue since 01 Jul 1987, an ex-servicemen means a person:
    ;-Who has served in any rank whether as a combatant or non- combatant in the regular Army, Navy or Air Force of the Indian Union but does not include a person who has served in the Defense Security Corps (DSC), the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), the Lok Sahayak Sena and the Para Military Forces

    services of Territorial army personnel when compared to other armed personnel is neither inferior nor services required by the Armed Forces are superior to Territorial army . When this is the position, to deny the status of EXSERVICEMAN to Honorably RETIRED Defense personnel’s of territorial army is wholly arbitrary, discriminatory and violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. " Territorial army is an integral part of Armed Forces", for the purpose of Article 33 of the Constitution of India.




    Succinct narration

    . Officers in the TERRITORIAL ARMY are holding commission, granted by the president of INDIA with designation of Rank corresponding to those of Indian commissioned officers of the regular Army , Granted Gratuity on their honorable retirement\ Discharge\Release after 05 years of aggregate embodied service / or 10 years of commissioned service alike Non pensioner SSCO\ECO

    Discrimination in Grant of Ex Serviceman status

    ReplyDelete
  6. More than MMS, I blame the moochers and looters of this nation. Moochers as in those who expect the Govt. to do something for them while they sit and cry. Looters as in those who steal money and use force.

    BUT by moochers I am not referring to just the poor, I am also talking about those educated socialists who in their arrogance believe that the poor are stupid and need to be taken care of.

    BUT by looters I am not referring to just the goondas, I am talking about those bureaucrats who forcefully take your money through involuntary taxes and use rules and regulations to prevent the poor from helping themselves and you from helping them

    ReplyDelete
  7. Honestly,
    Now I feel ashamed to be an Indian.. No other country respects us and have started to see us as corrupt rapist...

    When we go outside India people still tell us India is a poor country (Haha they don't know the scam amounts thanks to UPA and our so called intelligent PM).

    We are on the verge of loosing all the respect and apart from that Inflation is in single digit (I hope its tainted) then why still price of commodities are rising so sharply? Its a complete failure of government who is making fun of common man.

    Ashamed to be Indian.

    ReplyDelete