OROP: Protesting military veterans to return medals

The ex-servicemen on Friday announced that they would intensify their demand for early implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme as per the “approved and accepted” definition. We have asked them to call the District Collectors/ Magistrates to the venue and return the medals as national property. The veterans said they will observe Black Diwali and return the medals at prominent locations across cities on November 9 and 10. He said that if they don’t accept the medals, they will be left in their offices which can be later sent to either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or President Pranab Mukherjee. “If we are a burden on the government, the medals are a burden on us”, Grp Capt VK Gandhi (retd) said. The government is already under attack from a number of writers, filmmakers and others who have returned prestigious awards to protest against “rising intolerance” in the country.

“The minister has changed the goalposts and hence the veterans have no faith in this statement”, Major General Satbir Singh (retd), who has led the ex-servicemen’s protests, said.

This comes even as the defence ministry is now set to formally notify the OROP, in accordance with the September 5 announcement, after the election code of conduct for the Bihar polls comes to an end. Votes will be counted on Sunday, November 8.

“As you are aware, it will be issued before Diwali”, Parrikar told reporters here in reply to a question when the official notification on OROP will come out. “We apprehend that the government does not want to give us OROP as per the definition”, Gen. Singh said. “We will inform further steps as we go forward”, he added.

The government has also said the pensions will be re-fixed for all those retiring in same rank with same length of service as the “average” of minimum and maximum pension in 2013. We will sit at the Jantar Mantar here and raise our voices for our demand.