Commander RN Anand, who is part of the protest by ex-Armymen demanding One Rank One Pension
On a muggy day in Delhi, an 70-year-old man stood in the midst of a whorl of cameras and reporters that scrummed around him. For 30 years, he served in the Indian Navy, retiring as commander. The nation has a strange way of acknowledging his contribution, he said. "These politicians take 3 days to increase their salaries. But they can't increase our pension by 80 rupees a day? We can't understand this," said Commander (Retd) RN Anand.
For two months, a group of 50 retired army officers, most of them well above the age of 70, some of them wearing their medals pinned to their chests, have spent their days and nights in two crowded tents at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. What they want is the government to assent to One Rank One Pension (OROP) - a long-sought policy that would entitle all army officers and soldiers of the same rank to equal pension. Currently, an officer who retired many years ago collects far less than a junior who has completed service more recently.
Sources say that the government and the military community remain unreconciled on even the most basic issues of difference - like which year should form the basis of deciding the pay-out rate.
The Prime Minister in his election campaign had pledged to resolve the controversy. But sources say if at all he refers to it in his Red Fort speech tomorrow, crucial details will be absent. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was vague today as he said a solution would be found "during this government's tenure".
The previous Congress-led government has been much criticised for displaying a lack of political will in finding a solution that indicates the country respects the enormous sacrifice of soldiers.