'Let's fight till we get One Rank One Pension'

'One Rank One Pension is needed immediately and more urgently for jawans and widows,' one elderly soldier tells Sudhir Bisht at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

IMAGE: The number of OROP protesters has dwindled in recent days. Photograph: Sudhir Bisht

There were no OB vans or reporters at Jantar Mantar on Monday, August 3, where retired soldiers have been on a relay hunger strike. The protest entered Day 50 on Tuesday.

There were a few soldiers from Haryana and some from Noida, but the hustle and bustle was missing. The veterans appealed to one another to bring in more retired soldiers to the venue.

"Let's fight till we get the promised One Rank One Pension," an old officer declared in a dignified roar.

One retired Subedar hoped that some announcement would be made during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament. "But the way the MPs are behaving I have no hope of any early announcement."

"I still hope (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi will make an announcement during the run-up to the Bihar elections," another veteran said.

On completion of one year in office in May, the prime minister had asserted his government's committment to the OROP.

All soldiers who retired before 2006 currently receive less pension than their counterparts and even their juniors. There has been a demand from ex-servicemen to implement the scheme as soon as possible, as promised by the government.

Some retired junior commissioned officers and jawans said their agitation had not received as much support from other states as it had received from Punjab. They felt retired army, air force and naval personnel from Haryana and the National Capital Region must join the agitation in greater numbers.

"The plight of jawans is most pitiable," an elderly soldier pointed out. "While the officers on an average retire at 52, jawans retire at 38."

"One Rank One Pension is needed immediately and more urgently for jawans and widows at least," he added.

IMAGE: Police stop agitating FTII students at Jantar Mantar on Monday, August 3. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI

While the OROP tent looked half empty and devoid of any media presence on Monday, the street protest by the young and energetic Film and Television Institute of India students from Pune had all cameras transfixed on their frenzied slogan shouting.

Will the agitation for the OROP pick up some momentum, taking inspiration from the FTII students or will the FTII agitation go the OROP way?

Sudhir Bisht is a published author and columnist. Feedback is welcome at sudhir_bisht@rediffmail.com