Between 7 and 9 am yesterday, I was the only politician in Bumla village, Bhiwani, Haryana. I was not a politician, actually, I was a guest, a visitor and a pilgrim. I was in the village of Ram Kishan Grewal, the immensely proud and distraught soldier who committed suicide anguished at the One Rank One Pension (OROP) mess that has been created.
I had driven several hours to get to Bumla. The distance from Delhi is only 125 km, but a combination of dense fog and not knowing the roads made my journey longer and consumed most of the night. Yet, I was glad I went. The dignity of Grewal's family - his wife, five sons and two daughters, the collective grief of the village and the local community was very moving.
Till he felt his government and the system had betrayed him.
Retired armyman Ram Kishan Grewal committed suicide on Tuesday over the non-implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme
After 9 am, as preparations for the funeral began, the media throng and the other political parties began to arrive. I moved to the background. We were only there to pay our tribute to a gallant soldier and his gallant family.
I don't know whether Ram Kishan Grewal was a "hero" or a "martyr" - I know those words are being bandied about and argued over by others. Good for them. What I do know is he had a sense of duty, of purpose and of mission. He lived and died for others. He served in the army to protect a billion countrymen most of whom he would never know nor meet. He returned to his village to work on the basics - cleanliness, hygiene, water conservation - because he wanted to continue to give back to society.
Derek O'Brien is leader, parliamentary party Trinamool Congress (RS), and Chief National spokesperson of the party.
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