Ex-servicemen during their protest for implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Friday. (Press Trust of India photo)
A conglomerete of organisations of ex-servicemen, which has been agitating for 'One Rank, One Pension', today raked up the Dadri mob killing and demanded a grievance redressal mechanism for the servicemen and their families.
The father of an Air Force corporal in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri was killed by a mob over rumours that the family had consumed beef.
"Incidents like Dadri do not augur well. Mohammad Akhlaq was the father of a serving soldier posted at his duty station far from his home village, a common occurrence with 95 per cent of the personnel of the Armed Forces. Also, many of our veterans who get post-retirement jobs and are away from their families are deeply concerned about the safety and security of their families," said Col (retd) Anil Kaul, media adviser to United Front of Ex-Servicemen Movement (UFESM), which is a conglomerate of various ex-servicemen organisations.
In view of this, he demanded setting up of an Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Commission to look into the grievances of the servicemen and their families.
Mohammad Akhlaq's son Sartaj is a corporal with the Indian Air Force posted at Chennai. Sartaj has also been provided with an accommodation by the Air Force at Subroto Park in New Delhi.
Maj Gen (retd) Satbir Singh, Chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) which is a part of UFESM, said forming the commission was a part of the BJP manifesto and it should fulfill its promise at the earliest.
"This has been promised by the BJP in its election manifesto and has been mentioned by the President of India in his speech in the Parliament," he said.
Mr Singh said the Veterans Commission should be chaired by the members of the veterans only.
The Armed Forces Covenant is the expression of the moral obligation that the government and the nation owe to the Armed Forces Community.