Sunday 17 July 2016

( PUNJAB), 17 JUL, 2017

1. OROP is a demand for restoration of Pride and Honour of a soldier as it existed at the time of independence, 15 Aug, 1947. It is very unfortunate that instead of honouring the soldiers for their sacrifices in the freedom struggle, a very derogatory statement was given about maintenance cost of a large Army and totally ill perceived perceptions about its intensions. As a result the most trusted and valuable asset which had been tested for five years through the fire and hazards of world war two was degraded and insulted by not only reducing its strength but also keeping it at the last priority on the equipment and modernisation. China got independence two years later in 1949 and its leadership from the word go followed the dictum that,” political power grows out of the barrel of gun “. As a result we suffered a humiliating defeat in 1962 which will remain a permanent blot in the history of Indian Army for no fault of theirs

2. Matter did not rest there, despite brilliant victory in 1971 with capture of more than 93000 POW (Prisoners of War) the politico—bureau leadership failed to take any politico—strategic advantage. What a shame for the nation that having returned more than 93000 POW, 54 of its soldiers are still languishing in Pak Jails for the last 45 years. They did not stop here, instead despite this sparkling victory they awarded us with downgrading our status and snatching away OROP which was being given till 1973. Onslaught is still continuing with 7CPC bringing us below or at best at par with central armed police forces.

3. The maltreatment being meted out to the defence forces does not exist in any other democracy of the world. For restoration of OROP we had to carry out struggle for 43 years and are on the road for 400 days at JM. We are grateful to PM Modi for partial grant of OROP. However, by making a statement that “Garibon ka pet kat kar OROP diya hai “ has deeply hurt the pride and honour of the soldier. PM has also denied any audience to our leaders on the subject when same has been done for some terrorists’ organisations and other segments of the society having grievances. This has further inflicted a deep wound to the sentiments of veterans and Sainiks the most. There was no need to establish one man committee to resolve OROP anomalies. Matter could have been resolved in one or two face to face meetings in mutual faith and confidence. Bureaucracy again played the trick as usual by changing the definition of OROP as approved by two houses of the Parliament and instructions issued by the defence ministry in Feb, 2014 for its implementation. OROP as granted on date suffers from following anomalies:-

· Pension should be revised every year instead of five years

· It should be top of the scale instead of the average of the rank and years of service in the rank

· It should be based on top of financial year and not average of calendar year.

· It should be applicable from 01 Apr, 2014 instead of 01 Jul 2014. In case if it is given from 01 jul 2014 than it should be based on financial year 2014—2015.

4. We have also filed a writ in the Supreme Court through reputed lawyer Shri Ram Jethmalani. First hearing of the same has been held on 08 Jul, 2016 and respondents have been directed to file reply within eight weeks. What a dedication by Mr Ram Jethmalani to soldiers cause as he says he is 94 years old and he wont die unless he gets OROP for the Veterans. He is also not charging any fee for the case. We all must pray for his long life.

5. We have also temporarily scaled down our protest at JM in deference to the remarks of Raksha Mantri to remove the gun from his Head. We were and will ever be prepared to walk the extra mile on any positive and meaningful response/dialogue.

6. Punjab has been the maximum contributor in OROP and elections are due in the state in Mar 2017. We would be leaving no stone unturned to get justice for our Vir Naries and Sainiks. Any further degrading, downgrading, maltreatment and ill treatment must come to immediate halt. We would be using the power of our vote to get back our status as on 15 Aug, 1947.

( Satbir Singh )

Maj Gen

Advisor UFESM and Chairman IESM

RALLY REPORT JAGRAON
PUNJAB
We have seen not only an exponential growth in the strength but also in the enthusiasm of ESM in the recent rallies. Once again Nari Shakti was present in great strength. Gen Satbir was driven into the rally in a cavalcade of motor cycles and jeeps through the town. He was given one of the warmest reception on reaching the venue. Speaker after speaker appreciated and lauded the efforts of Gen Satbir and team JM in getting Orop. There was a large resentment at further degrading of our Status in the 7th CPC.
Mr Ram Jethmalani fighting our case in the Supreme Court came in for special praise.
Hallmark of the event was meticulous entire planning and conduct of the event by JCOs and NCOs.
Large No of Vir Naries and other dependents projected their problems which was taken due note and all the problems faced by ESMs and Vir Naries of previous rally held at Muktsar were
answered /rectified. This is a new SOP which has been introduced to attend to the problems faced by ESM and Vir Naries.
Wg Cdr and Mrs Neb and Major and Mrs Goyat from JM attended the Rally. Mrs Sudesh Goyat was a big draw with Vir Naries when they came to know she is keeping fast from the last 329 days and will continue to do the same till Complete OROP is granted. She also made an inspiring speech. It was Nostalgic moment for Wg Cdr Neb as in the same area he had shot Pakistani plane in 1965 and for which he was awarded the first VRC.
Adequate press was present to cover the event.
Gen Satbir crowing glory Slogan Sada Haq eithe Rakh is still in the same intensity and Josh as it was one year back.
Besides Gen SS Jawanda, col Balbir convener Punjab,Brig Manjit Singh,Chairman Sanjha morcha , Brig Harwant and Brig Sarjit large No of officers from Ludhiana and Tri City attended the event.
God was also very kind as after heavy rains yesterday there was no rain today despite sky being heavily overcast.
Rest assure friends JM will not rest till we get full justice for you

Govt not issuing blue cards to needy: Cong

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 17

District Congress Committee’s Amritsar rural chief Gurjeet Singh Aujla conducted a press conference today disclosing details of the alleged food grain scam by PDS officials and SAD leaders.

Aujla alleged that the SAD-BJP government was using blue cards for political gains and was not issuing it to the needy. He informed that blue cards issued in Majitha were 29,828 with 1, 22,168 beneficiary members and AAY cards were 639 with 2,281 beneficiary members. Blue cards issued in Attari were 11,109 with 48,285 beneficiary members and AAY cards were 77 with 308 beneficiary members. Similarly, blue cards issued in Rayya were 13,324 with 58,558 beneficiary members and AAY cards were 558 with 2,427 beneficiary members. Aujla questioned the possibility of a ‘deliberate attempt’ to issue less number of blue cards in Attari and Rayya, which fall in reserved constituencies. He said either the consensus was wrong or the allotment of the cards was done to get political gains.

Commenting on the black chana issue, Aujla said a total of 13,697 quintals of black chana was provided for distribution in the district. As per FCI and Punsup reports, 7,156 quintals was said to be distributed and 6,750 quintals was in Punsup’s stock. “However, as per depot holders and consumers, it has come to notice that not even a single gram is distributed and there is nothing available in stocks,” he mentioned.

District magistrate Deepak Kumar was transferred and inspector Prabhjot Singh was suspended in the black chana embezzlement issue.

AAP has ignored Punjabi leaders, says dissident Gandhi

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 17

A day ahead of the proposed visit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, Arvind Kejriwal, to seek atonement at the Golden Temple, his party colleague and dissident MP Dharamvir Gandhi called blunders an outcome of ignoring state leaders.

Flanked by singer Jassi Jasraj and Dr Daljit Singh, he said the entire Punjab leadership of AAP was overlooked when it comes to managing the party’s issues in the state. He added that the Central party leadership appointed Sanjay Singh to run affairs of the party in Punjab.

“Right from ticket distribution, feedback on prospective leaders and other changes in the party based on opinion of a non-Punjabi like Sanjay Singh carries weight,” he rued.

He reasoned that it caused blunders like carrying a photo of the AAP symbol, a broom, along with that of the Golden Temple and equating manifesto with the holy scripture of the Sikh community.

He said, “Besides, India is a multi-religious, multi-lingual, multi-cultural country where views of regional leaders cannot be ignored.” Regional sentiments were not accommodated in AAP, he added.

While announcing his support to the party in the 2017 Assembly elections, Gandhi said he would follow principles of the Anna Hazare movement. He said the choice of the party would be restricted between AAP and Swaraj.

Seriously doubting the forthcoming ticket distribution in the state, he demanded fielding candidates from volunteers and a promise follow original ideology.

He lamented the disintegration of federal structure within AAP and rise of high command culture, which was initially abhorred by party leader Arvind Kejriwal. He said, “It makes me wonder how quickly the culture has been adopted by Kejriwal.”

He lamented that those AAP leaders, who endured the victimisation of the ruling SAD-BJP combine since its arrival in the state in 2012-13, were dumped.

He rued, “Where is the original AAP that heralded on the Indian horizon with a promise of new political ways for the countrymen.”

He alleged that on the contrary AAP was quick to learn all those dirty tricks of politics rather rapidly. He cited AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s visits to religious deras at Jalandhar, Barnala, besides Sant Ranjit Singh Dhadriyan Wale and Nirankari’s in Delhi.

While endorsing views of Dr Gandhi, singer-turned politician Jassi Jasraj said AAP was being run with autocratic norms. He said Delhi CM Kejriwal did not find it reasonable enough to give an explanation for ousting Dr Daljit Singh and him. Other leaders too faced the same fate, he added.

No authority, SAD halqa incharge unveils projects

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 17

Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozy Barkandi’, SAD’s Muktsar halqa incharge, has been inaugurating development projects in the constituency in his name.

The constituency incharge is not a constitutional post and the ruling SAD has given this post mostly to leaders who lost the Assembly elections.

According to the rules, an elected representative or some officer of the state government can lay the foundation stone or inaugurate a project.

Rozy, who is a close aide of SAD chief-cum-Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, recently inaugurated twp projects one at Khokhar village and a library at Haraj village. The village residents said the projects were funded by the state government, but the name of Rozy was written on the inaugural stones.

Jagjit Singh ‘Honey Fattanwala’, a Congress leader from Muktsar, said, “This is a clear case of misusing the government funds. I visited Khokhar village yesterday where the SAD’s Muktsar constituency incharge had inaugurated an underground water pipeline project on July 10.”

Earlier, the name of a SAD leader addressed as halqa incharge had appeared on the cards issued by the Ferozepur district administration for the Martyrs Day function at Hussainiwala.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is also the patron of SAD, had said in the Vidhan Sabha that there was no post of ‘halqa’ incharge in the SAD’s constitution.

Left leaders urge secular forces to support Congress

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 17

The United Communist Party of India (UCPI) today held a state-level meeting at Bhullar village here and appealed to all secular forces to support the Congress in the upcoming elections in the state.

Sukhinder Singh, National General Secretary of the UCPI, said, “The BJP-led Central government has failed on all fronts. Similarly, the SAD-BJP government has failed to solve the problems of farmers, save youngsters from drugs and maintain law and order in the state. To give them a befitting reply in the upcoming elections, the secular forces must support the Congress.”

The meeting was held at the residence of Baljit Singh Bhullar, state president, UCPI.

Capt wants MLAs to stick to constituencies

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 17

Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh has said that he wants that the sitting MLAs should stick to their respective constituencies in the 2017 Assembly elections.

Talking to The Tribune today, Amarinder said he advocated rewards for the leaders (who work for the victory of the official party candidate) by appointing them as board and corporation heads in the event of the party forming the government.

Though the final decision on ticket allocation had to be taken by AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the winability and performance of the sitting MLA would be judged while allotting tickets, he said.

The statement assumes significance as sources say at least 10 sitting MLAs are keen on switching their seats. “Since the Akalis want to change or switch candidates on around 30 seats, there is no harm in adopting the same strategy. The PPCC chief has also announced 35 seats to youth,” said a senior party leader.

Lal Singh, PPCC senior vice-president, said the only criterion was the winability, loyalty and credibility of the candidate. Shamsher Singh Dullo, Rajya Sabha MP, said there could not be any hard and fast rule. The winability and popularity should be the criteria. CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi, however, said the sitting MLAs should concentrate on their respective seat as it would instill confidence in the voters.

Lal Singh for Amarinder as CM face

Patiala: PPCC senior vice-president Lal Singh on Sunday asked the party high command to declare Capt Amarinder Singh as CM candidate in the state as has been done in Uttar Pradesh where Sheila Dikshit has been named the CM candidate. While Congress leaders in the Amarinder's camp are confident that "he alone is the face of the party in Punjab and will be leading the party in the Assembly elections next year", they want that a formal announcement should be made. "We have better chances when the people of the state know whom they are voting to be the CM," Lal Singh said. TNS

Ticket only to winnable candidates: Asha

Nurpur (HP): Punjab Congress incharge Asha Kumari has said the party will not repeat its mistakes and give the party ticket only to deserving and winnable candidates in the state Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, she said ticket aspirants had been asked to submit their applications along with their biodata to the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) by August 15. She asserted that Punjab would witness a direct poll contest between the Congress and Akali-BJP alliance candidates, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would not be accepted by the electorate as it had no knowledge of Punjab and Punjabiyat. Asha said she would convene district-level party workers' meetings in all 28 organisational districts in Punjab and would hold the first meeting in Hoshiarpur on July 22. TNS

‘Badals have double standards’

They (Badals) can’t accuse the Centre of undermining the federal structure of the Constitution since their party is part of the NDA…If they mean what they say then why are they not withdrawing Harsimrat from the Union Cabinet... In view of the possibility of the SC ruling against Punjab on SYL, the Badals are trying to prepare ground to pass the blame on to the Centre.