MEMORANDUM OF DEMAND OF EX-SERVICEMEN (JCOs/NCOs/Ors)
TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA – MEMORANDUM OF DEMAND OF EX-SERVICEMEN (JCOs/NCOs/Ors)
Mr. Narendra Modi,
Honourable Prime Minister of India,
152-South Block,Raisina Hill,
New Delhi-110011
SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM OF DEMAND OF EX-SERVICEMEN (JCOs/NCOs/Ors)
Respected Sir,
We would like to thank our beloved Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi sir
for his acknowledgement of sacrifices of the Sipahis, the Naiks and the
Havaldars. When he mentioned us in his speech “80-90% militarymen are
the personal below officer rank JCOs/NCOs/ORs. They are the very first
person to face the enemy bullets and lay down their lives in the service
to the mother nation. But as it is necessary to keep the forces young
they have to leave the services at a very young age. After completing
just 15-17 years in the armed forces.” We reiterate that Shri Narendra
Modiji is the first ever prime minister who has openly acknowledged our
services and sacrifices in line of performance of our duty to the
nation.
At the same time, this is a pity and very sad moment for us the
Sipahis, the Naiks and the Havaldars (JCOs/NCOs/Ors) that despite our
selfless services to the nation we are relegated and sidelined by our
own military leaders, ‘the commissioned officers’. We account for 95% to
97% of total strength of ex-servicemen of our country. All
ex-servicemen organisations, every governement department of sainik
welfare and sainik departmant political parties are headed by retired
military officers hece the issues of JCO/NCO/Ors like their legitimate
justifys, discrimination and poor economic condition due to meagre pay
and allowances, less service pension these issues never reach properly
to the governement and political parties. Even while serving we are
totally dependent on officers and service headquerters. Which has
resulted in exploitation of JCO/NCO and ORs as the high ranked officers,
sitting in the defence headquerters had vasted interests and they were
only taking care of their own cadre. After having plolonged discussions
with retired JCOs/NCOs/ORs who reside in various parts of the country,
the following demands are forwarded herewith for your kind consideration
and taking appropriate action to implement our genuine demands with
letter and spirit.
One Rank One Pension (OROP):
We are not accepting the ecurrent formula of OROP as it benefits only
commissioned officers this formula is based on advices by officer
centric organisations, who have actually hijacked the OROP – originally
meant for the Jawans. 70% Jawans are compulsarily discharged from the
forces between 35-40 years of age to keep the forces young. Jawans face
much more difficulties in terms of non famiy stations being actualy
deployed at Borders. OROP is scheme initially designed to compansate low
pensions and difficulties in finding alternative re-employement in the
middle age.
Whereas officers serve upto the age of 60 including re-employment.
Officers work from tents behind which are air conditioned even in field
areas. The officers are also highly paid with their minimum pension
starting at Rs. 56000/- Per Month and going upto Rs. 100,000/- Per
Month. However the officers have latched up to the idea of OROP and
redefined it into a prestige issue where, ‘No officer will receive less
pension than his Jounior’, irrespective of date of retirement. We the
jawans condemn, deplore and totally reject this definition and strong
arm tactics of officers. We aslo condemn all the members of officer
feternity for continuesly publicly abusing the Prime Minister of our
Country shri Naredra Modiji on various social media platforms like
Facebook (OROP Ex Servicemen group, Mission OROP group) and Twitter.
Also we stronly condem the IESM’s politicaly motivated on going hunger
strike and Dharna at Jantar Mantar.
In the current formula the Jawans get a benefit of Rs. 500/- to
Rs.1500/- pm, whereas officers get Rs. 20000/- to 40000/- pm in addition
to their minimum pension of Rs. 56000/-. Under these scenarios officers
demanding OROP is totally unethical, illegal and filled with sense of
lust for more and more money.
In order to provide a decent enhancement to Jawans/JCOs pensions, we demand the following:
Equal Military Service Pay for Jawans/JCOs as paid to Officers
Restoration of 75% of last pay drawn as pension which was in vague till
the year 1973. This was reduced to 50% and further brought down to 38%.
Equal widow (family) pension to be enhanced from Rs. 3500/- to Rs. 35000/- as currently paid to officer’s widows.
Equal disability pension to all ranks – without differentiating injuries on rank structure.
We the JCOs/NCOs/ORs are the justifyful owners of One rank one
pension and the officers may be excluded from this purview, as unethical
and illegal claim. The amounts saved thus may be utilised for
betterment of widows and disabled jawans/JCOs and their kin’s welfere.
Provide Fixed Time promotion or Pay Up-gradation to Jawans at the
same rate by upgrading his Pay to the 6th higher rank of Subedar in 14
years or earlier. The Havildars must be placed in PB 2 and every Jawan
should be up-graded to the pay of Naik in 3 years, to the pay of
Havildar in 6 years, to the pay of Naib Subedar in 10 years or earlier
and to the pay of Subedar before 16 years. Those who are promoted to the
JCO ranks must be placed in PB-3 and every Jawan (JCO, NCO & OR)
must get the pay and pension of the next higher rank from which he is
discharged/ retired.
Form a Cabinet Committee to study the Organizational and Pay/Pension
structure of US Military and modernize our Military in the same order to
bring up the status and confidence of the Jawans who have never failed
in sacrificing their life for the nation.
Only the Jawans (JCO, NCO & OR) retire at an early age of 35 to
40 years and only the Jawans live away from their families in much
harsher conditions than the Commissioned Officers. The Jawans also work
as SEWADAR/SAHAYAK (personal house servants) of Commissioned Officers
and their wives and children to keep them comfortable.
Place the Diploma Holders in same PB 2 after completion of training
(as the Central Government Diploma Engineers are). As per 6 CPC report,
the Military institutes award Diploma in Nursing and those diploma
holder Nurses are commissioned as Officers and are placed in PB-3. The
Diploma Civil Engineers were place in the Rank of Naib Subedar before
3rd CPC.
Control the PCDA and CDAs from modifying the government
orders/letters and going against the Government’s polices designed to
benefit the JCOs, NCOs and ORs. Several Jawans are not paid the pension
of the LAST RANK from which they were discharged/retired before
completing 10 months in that rank. This is in spite of the ruling from
AFT and several Court Judgements which favoured the Jawans. Please
instruct the PCDA/CDAs to pay the Pension of the Last Rank held from 5th
CPC onwards.
Accommodation should be allotted by rainbow system every building and
residential area should have officer’s and Jawans quarters. No separate
accommodation area for officers as this move will bring in more
camaraderie amongst men and officers. And in turn remove tag of
untouchables from us Jawan’s foreheads. Same Roster of accommodation in
terms of Officers and soldiers.
Huge gap of pay between officers and Jawans should be normalised as
per Government Norms (Compare pay of officers in Public sector Banks and
Clerks). This will also enable the Government to remove anomalities in
terms of allotment of government married accommodation. By equalising
Salaries of NCOs (havildar/Sargent/Petty officer) to that of a
commissioned officer as it is in the Royal Navy of United Kingdom
government will be able to extand accommodations specially made for and
made by the officers to the Jawans.
Equal MSP for all members of armed forces. Military service pay should be equal for both the cadres
All the rules and regulations like REGS NAVY AND NAVY ACT 1957 are
colonial laws (which you our beloved PM are already abolishing) are made
to harass the soldiers. These rules and regulations are made by the
British to rule this country. Divide and rule policy adopted by the
British is still continued in the Indian Armed Forces. After
Independence, no change has been made in these rules and regulations.
Officers of the Indian Armed Forces are like British and they behaving
with soldiers like their slaves. The soldiers became the puppets in the
hand of all these officers. “Boss is always justify” phenomenon is going
on in the defence forces. If any superior officer harass or abuse any
soldier and the victim soldier complains against that officer, there is
no legal action taken against the guilty officer, but if any soldier
speaks against any officer then whole set of rules and regulations are
referred. The false charges are framed against that soldiers and he may
be thrown out of service by means of court martial.
Total Removal of colonial laws i.e. Navy Act 1957 REGS Navy as these
laws and rule books were conceptulised by the earstwhile Royal
Navy(Britishers) and are tilted in favor of officers. These colonial
laws are one of the major reasons for present untouchable status of the
Jawans. We the jawans of Indian Armed Forces need an Ambedkar a Gandhi
to bring us out of these sewege dump created by using British system of
divide and Rule. After Independence it is the Black Britishesers who are
ruling the Soilders of India.
NO PROMOTION/NEVER PROMOTION POLICY FROM JAWAN CADRE TO OFFICER CADRE:
The Jawans: The Jawans aren’t actualy retiring but they are forced to
leave the services. May be it is the government’s wish that they want
the forces to be young. But than the Jawan should be given more
opportunities to get promoted to officer’s ranks and to continue their
services to the nation. Does any one citizen of this country think that
only less than only 1% out of around 15 lakh soldiers are good enough to
become officers? And the rest of us are useless and needed to be thrown
into wilderness.
This is really strange that the same Integreted headquerters who have
recommended timescale promotions instead of merit based promotions for
the officer cadre is not at all promoting the Jawans to officer’s cadre
even on merit and discarding them like a toilet paper, after completion
of their initial contract of engegement of 15 -17-20 years.
No time scale promotions for soilders. A Corporal/Leading Seaman/Naik
can only serve till 17 years. A Havildar can only serve the nation till
23 years of service. If a Jawan does not have a good Annual
Confidentiol Report and is not promoted to next rank. He will be thrown
out of the service once he has completed maximum years permissible in
his rank. This policy is devised to keep the armed forces young. Agree!
That we need fresh legs to protact the country. But why deserving jawans
are not being promoted to the post of officer. In all central
government and PSUs 50% of the posts are filled by pormotion. But in the
armed forces they have this hugely biased Service Selection Board (SSB)
interview system. The entire concept of SSB is currupt favourism and
nepotism at all time high. Most members of SSB are defence offiers and
no wonder that more than 70% of serving officers are reletives of
defence offiers. We call is uncle colonel syndrome. Where they never
promote even 1% soldiers to officer’s Ranks. This in turn results in 95%
of Jawans of each batch leaving services after completion of their
initial engagement.
The central government places its diploma engineers at Pay Band 2
with Rs.4200/- grade pay. Whereas military diploma holders are paid what
the central govt. pays to its peons and safaiwala!!!
5200(Basic)+2000(gradepay)
The officers: All commissioned officers got pay and pension of Lt.
Col rank for the rank of Major by placing htem in higher pay Band PB-4
on completion of 21 years service (time scale Promotion policy). The
commissioned officers arranged to upgrade the Lt. Colonels from PB3 to
PB 4 by nexus with ministry personnel and defence headquerters. Before
every pay commission the officers start hue and cry about shortage of
officers in armed forces.
RECRUITMENT IN THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES ARMY/NAVY/AIR FORCE
As our Prime Minister Shri MODI Sir has said, we have to keep the forces
young. We request the prime minister to intervene in the biased
internal promotional exams and the match fixing happening in Service
Selection Board (SSB). How on earth can someone explain that majority of
the current crop of officers are kins and relatives of serving/retired
offiers
The Recruitment process in the Armed forces has to change. We cannot
go on following british pattern. All recruitments should start from
soldier level and from there deserving should be promoted to
commissioned officer rank. Pay structure should be as it is followed by
other developed countries like USA and UK in those countries the pay
package of JCOs are higher than that of Major.
In the Central Government the Staff selection commission(SSC) is the
authority which conducts interviews and written examinations of all the
graduate level posts for initial selection and Promotion. The SSC (Staff
selection commission) is an unbiased organisation of great stature in
India. The SSC should be made the organisation which will conduct
written tests and Interviews for selection and promotion all the posts
(officers and Soldiers) in the Indian Armed Forces. The SSC conducts a
Combined Graduate level examination (CGL) every year fot recruitment in
all posts where minimum qualification is Graduation. Even departmental
promotional exams are conducted by the SSC and has resulted in a
selection system that is truly unbiased and trust worthy.
As we all know in Indian Navy and Indian Airforce initial joining
quolification is 10+2 for officers and Sailors both. Recruitment and
selection should be carried out by the Staff Selection Commission and
not the internal biased bodies. Just as in CGL candidates qualifying
will have to fill online option form to choose different posts
The officers have been spreading rumors about their strength in
service and how so many officers are leaving the services. But this is a
white Lie. If one checks the records of Jawan leaving the services one
can find more than 90% of jawan are leaving the services on expiry of
their initial engagement. (In case of Indian Navy that is 15 years). It
is shocking that maximum numbers of Jawan are not ready to serve the
Mother Nation once their initial Contract is over. I am sure that if
equality, equal opportunities, respect will be provided. The Jawan will
not leave the services in these many numbers.
EMPLOYMENT OF JAWANS:
Today in the times of Skill India of Shri Narendra Modi, the Jawan are
still illtreated as un-skilled labourers. They are forced to do
household chores of officers. This is sheer wastage of skilled manpower
and this jawan who is hired to protect our Nation from enemies. He is
paid salary for that from pockets of the taxpayers of our country. His
skill, abilities, time and honor is wasted by this officer fraternity.
Employement of Jawans for polishing booys of officers and washing dirty
linans of their families in officer’s residences should be stopped
forthwith. It is affacting morale of the jawans. A soldier’s prime duty
is to fight War and protect the nation. To get the soilder to do menial
houshold chores of officers and their families. The exchequer can save
more than Rs 3600 Crores annualy just by completely abolishing Sewadari
system prevelent in the forces. It is further requested that severe
punishment and fine of Rs. 10,00,000/- be introduced for violation of
this rule.
In Indian Armed Forces all technical jobs are done by
sailors/Soilders/Airmen. Technical officers do Admin jobs. I don’t have
any grudge for that. Administration must be done by the superiors. But
they projected the technical people as cleaners and tool handlers where
as in truth all the major equipment are maintained and repaired by the
technical sailors. This made the CPC to down grade the people who were
highly skilled.
The Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen who join the services in different trades.
The mechanics who keep the fighter aircraft airworthy or the Indian
Naval Warships Sea ready to be treated as fighter plane mechanic Marine
Engine Mechanic not “scooter mechanic” that’s injustice. When that
happens people would definitely come heavily saying “discrimination”.
SKILL INDIAN ARMED FORCES : UNIVERSITY OF NATIONAL DEFENCE
Skill, Knowledge and Exposure. In modern society, anyone who selects
Armed Forces as a career is well informed and educated. However the
Recruits who joins Indian Armed Forces as Jawans are catagorically
denied chances and exposure to keep them below officer ranks. Instead of
honing and developing leadership qualities in Jawans they are kept at
bay and not allowed to take decisions. The officers should be directed
to reinforce the confidence of a NCO / JCO. Middle level leadership in
the Armed Forces should give adequate freedom to NCOs/ JCOs to perform
their duties confidently.Competence comes with knowledge because
experience alone does not make a man to grow to his full potential. A
NCO / JCO should be given adequate opportunities to improve knowledge
relevant to his service and trade. He should be encouraged to keep
abreast with the younger generation by being open to new ideas. This
would enhance his ability and confidence to work with subordinates. Even
as a young jawan he should be exposed to take justify decisions in
complex situations, as part of a detachment to carry out important
tasks. This methodology will pave the way for developing his leadership
qualities.
The officers of armed forces are so cunning and having malafied
intensions and are responsible for the social stigma of the Jawan who
are labeled as un-educated and un-skilled.
Once a soldier joins the Indian Armed forces he is inducted into a
trade. Than he is trained at various defence training institutions. The
training continues after posting also. These Training and educational
courses are not recognised by any university. The certificates issued by
various training establishements are so irrelevent and un-recognised in
the private as well as the government sector as having no affiliation
with any university or UGC. Thus after retirement a highly skilled
soldier having 15-20 years disciplined militaray experience and exposure
is treated at par with un-skilled labourer in civil world.
This is our top most demand that a new University of National Defence
be established and all the courses and their curriculum run by defence
establishments should be approved by and affiliated to the University of
National Defence.
In modern armies the concept of having competent NCOs has survived;
but the concept of JCO has met with moderate success. The systems being
followed in some foreign armies are enumerated below :-
(a) The US Armed Forces. Comparing the United States (US) Army with
Indian Armed Forces would be an inaccurate hypothesis. In the US Army
the role of NCOs in combat is vital. As a young NCO, he is given
responsibility equal to, if not more, than our JCOs. 3 The NCO would be
assessed for this on various occasions (to reach this level in his unit
/sub unit). His position is quite well defined in the organisation,
alongwith his role, responsibilities and duties.4 The JCO like
appointments in the US Armed forces are more at the formation and
administrative level. The percentage of such appointments are very low
in comparison to the Indian Armed Forces.
(b) Armed Forces of NATO Nations. Being a forerunner to the Indian
Armed Forces, most of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
nations are still following the concept of JCO rank. Functioning and
grooming aspects of their leaders below officer levels are very
concisely explained in their tactical / operational doctrines.5 Studying
these concepts indicate where we have failed in our Armed Forces.
(c) Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). SAF may be smaller in size; but,
there are some aspects which we need to learn from them for betterment
of our Armed Forces. In SAF the concept of JCO is given very less
weightage. Induction of NCOs in SAF starts with a ‘Reasoning and
Psychological Test’ at the age of 17 to 19 years. After selection they
attend three years Graduation Programme in Defence Institutes. These
NCOs, being backbone of SAF, become ‘Specialists’ or ‘Subject Matter
Experts’ (SME) on completion of studies.6 These SMEs are young in age
with high potential and are able to carry out all kind of tasks during
operations and peace time. After 10 years of physical service SMEs are
promoted to the rank of Warrant Officers (WOs) who are equivalent to our
JCOs. On becoming WOs, they are mostly employed in administrative
duties; unlike the Indian Armed Forces where a JCO is expected to lead a
platoon in battle. This system in SAF ensures that an NCO is competent,
intelligent and young to lead a platoon during operations.
MISUSE OF NON PUBLIC FUNDS (CSD CANTEEN FUNDS)
There are various welfare organisations in the Indian Armed forces
for welfare of soldiers such as NGIS, CSD Canteens, NWWA, Canteens
onboard Indian Naval Ships, and Gas Agencies etc. These orgnisations are
registered with central government on the basis of “NO PROFIT NO LOSS”
but superior officers are using this organisation for their personal
benefits. There is no tax imposed on these organisations as these
organizations are registered as welfare organisations. These
organizations are earning huge profits and a large amount of money is
being distributed among the officer’s messes and golf courses. The
soldiers are looted by means of these welfare-organisations. Only
internal audit of this organisations are being carried out and funds are
siphoned to various officer welfare organisations for maintaining their
party life. It is our demand that CAG Audit of all these so called Non
Public funds should be carried out and should be made public. In its
75th report the Public Accounts committee (2012-13) (Fifteen Lok Sabha)
has recommended that audit of the CSD Canteens should be carried out by
the CAG.
The Officers have Big bash parties around the year All CSD Canteen
profits are diverted to officer’s welfare funds and to add to that Big
Liquor suppliers like Kingfisher and big CSD supplier companies like
Nestle are asked To pay huge donations for organising events such as
Navy Ball. I will give you a very recent example of a CSD canteen where
kingfisher products were not available for three to four months.
Reason?? Canteen officer asked kingfisher to pay up sponsorship money
amounting to Rs. 500,00,000/-(Five Crore) for organising Navy Ball
event. Kingfisher refused to pay up the amount. After three months of
No-sell kingfisher policy the company budged and paid up around Rs.
400,00,000/- and their products were ordered and made available for sale
at CSD liquor counter.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN INDIAN ARMED FORCES
The Indian Armed Forces have a very painfully Racial and undemocratic
tradition of having separate toilets for Officers. Separate kitchens and
messes with better food amenities for officers. We the solders and the
officers are in one service than why are they allowed to maintain so
much difference. The officers have separate ques for them in all
facilities like CSD Canteen, Military Hospitals. Even after retirement
the same biased attitude and colonial rules continue. The officers have
Exclusive recreational Clubs where the Soldiers are not allowed entry.
These clubs are located on defence land and are run by profits earned
from CSD canteens. There is a famous club in Colaba Mumbai-United
Services Club they used to have a sign board outside their gates
“SAILORS AND DOGS NOT ALLOWED INSIDE” The constitution of india gives
Every indian Soildier equal justifys to Use all Public places. The
officer’s residential areas are also made ‘OUT OF BOUND’ for the Jawans.
Such policies create so much dissent among the Jawans and officers.
We should do away with all colonial practices. Instead Rainbow
residential areas should be developed where kids of both the cadres will
play togather. Unified Messes where everyone eats drinks and merry,
same kitchen, same dining, same toilets, no separate ques. Each one of
both the cadres is is the same VIP for the Forces. The officer
freternity should remove their mentality of keeping distance from their
fellow countrymen – the jawans. The jawan is no longer indian and they
are no longer british. We all are Indians and we deserve EQUALITY,
HUMANITY, COMPASSION, RESPECT, HUMAN justify.
There are hundreds of Jawans who die in harness in the line of duty
but only officers are made Heroes by spreading propaganda of their
martyrdom. There is discrimination in awarding Gallantry/Distinguished
service medals. Take a look at medals awarded on 26 Jan 2014. Out of 273
Medals awarded to the Army on 26 Jan 2014, 231 gone in favor of
officers, 11 to JCOs and 31 to NCOs ORs (The NCOs/ORs are the maximum
number of casualty (the Martyrs)in action). The indian Army should learn
lesson from American Army who justify in awarding Medals to
JCOs/NCOs/ORs. These awards fly in the face when compared to the ratio
od men and officers martyred in any operation.
It is our Humble request and one of our top most demand that in a
democratic country like ours, all this special status and special
treatment available to the officers and their families to be totally
scrapped and all the exclusive Clubs of officers to be made public to
the Jawan and their families. The colonial Laws and rule books have made
the officers invincible to the rule of law. Their acts of cowardice are
awarded with Gallantry awards. Let me give you an example of INS Kukri
Which sank during 1971 Ind o Pak war on December 16 1971.
One Sailor Chanchal Singh Gill who served on board erstwhile INS
Khukri has filled a petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court and
raised some serious questions about Integrity of some naval officers who
were supposed to save the frigate from the enemies. While driving home
his point, the petitioner has contended that there are gross errors in
the contents of a chapter titled ‘Sinking of INS Khukri’ in the book
‘Triumph to transition’ which is official history of the Indo-Pak 1971
war. The book is published by the directorate of Naval Operations. Gill,
who was on duty on the night of December 9, 1971 when the pakistani
submarine PNS Hangor hit INS Khukri, says there are glaring anomalies in
the official records, which came to his notice in February 2004.
According to naval history, INS Khukri sank after it was hit by a
single torpedo, even as INS maneuvered to deflect the attack. But Gill
claims three torpedoes hit Khukri and, instead of counter attacking INS
Kirpan fled the place. The petitioner urged for a comprehensive inquiry
into the incident by a judicial commission, withdrawal of gallantry
awards from those who allegedly showed cowardice (including officers and
Commanding officer of INS Kirpan) and expose the Navy’s huge cover-up
after the loss of INS Khukri and mandatory court marshal, which was not
done at that time.
Source :
http://ex-servicemenwelfare.blogspot.in/
