7th CENTRAL PAY COMMISSION ANOMALIES
Dear Sir, The best way forward is to appoint an Expert Committee to review all recommendations of various Committees that have deliberated on this issue. Thereafter, a Sub-Committe can be constituted to review the recommendations of the Expert Committee. Subsequently a Sub-Sub-Committee can be constituted to decide on the way-ahead. The whole policy can be finalised and implement within a short period of 30 to 40 years.
—Cdr VS Gopinath
Dear Sir, Implementation of 7th CPC without addressing anomalies & granting NFU is further degradation of Forces. The safety and security of the country comes first always and every time. The forces have always lived up to this dictum. The welfare of the persons you command comes next. It is for the Service Chiefs to ensure this in full measure.
—Col Lamba(one man army)
MAA KE HAATH KI DIWALI
Dear Sir,I truly enjoyed reading this beautifully described Diwali narrative (Maa Ke Haath Ki Diwali) and I relived the Diwali celebrated in my younger years. It also reminded us to think about the many service families of India making the sacrifices of enjoying this beautiful family festival with their families. Thank you for bringing the real important awareness of our culture. May all Diwali celebrations be blessed with joyful memories.
—Neena Cheema
Dear Sir Very moving… brought tears to my eyes (Maa Ke Haath Ki Diwali) —Preeti Takle
Dear Sir, Here’s a heartfelt thank you to all our service personnelwhose sacrifice enables us to celebrate so many Diwalis with our family. We all recall and lookback at Diwali as an important event and family time, but never did it strike us that there are families who weren’t together at this time to celebrate it our way. After reading this article I’m thinking of doing more to bind our family through festivity. Thanks for sharing.
—Vineet Kaur
PAKISTAN’S PROXY WAR IN J&K
Dear Sir You have hit the nail on the head by identifying the Saudi Royals and their Salfist and Wahabi supporters as the fountainhead of Islamist terrorism all over the world. The Pakistanis provide the foot soldiers, nuclear cover and intellectual inputs. Some in the Western political, media and administrative elites have been in the pay directly or indirectly of the Saudis for a long time. They are no better than some in India, who sacrifice national interest for their own short term gains financial or political.
—Maj Chandrakant Singh
Dear Sir, Very nice articles and I agree with most of the points. But could you consider some other factors too? I am writing this as a concerned citizen and a veteran:—
While the political decision to go in for the ‘strike’ certainly deserves due credit, we could have down with less chest thumping. That would have increased the significance of the message. In an election season, military successes should not be part of posters put up by political parties. It is better to leave the Army out.
A point has been made that the present dispensation cannot rein in the babus since lacking absolute majority, they cannot amend the rules of business. If an MOD letter says that this has the approval of the RM and the RM feigns ignorance of the same, either the person signing the letter or the RM is lying and it doesn’t require a constitutional amendment to punish the erring babu, if he is guilty. The FM repeatedly quoting wrong figures and trying to build public opinion against OROP cannot be attributed to mischievous Babus. While in all other departments, the Babus do the bidding of the Ministers, why is it that in MOD alone, the Babus are calling the tune? If you cannot control your subordinates, then either they or you need to be sacked. The message is loud and clear — pay lip service, but teach them a lesson.
—Brig Sandip Sen
Dear Sir, In my opinion the bureaucrats or the babus have become so powerful that they want Armed Forces under their toes. They were made all powerful at JL Nehru’s time only. I can tell you from my personal experience that in 1990 when Maneka Gandhi as MOS, Environment tried to get me in Environment Ministry on deputation, the then Secretary Mr Rajamani put his foot down and did not give me an entry to the Ministry for unknown reason. Even in 1973 I wonder if Indira Gandhi realised what harm she did for the country’s security by reducing our pension on the advice of then Defence Secretary KB Lal. Even now they are continuously misleading the present Govt. Such is the power they enjoy. So our fight should be against these babus.
—Col Shakti Ranjan Banerjee
Dear Sir, The issue has been well amplified. But I have a submission. The civil bureaucracy and the military should be two instruments of political control and excessive bureaucratic involvement in military matters should be stopped. This issue needs to be driven home in no uncertain terms. The Babus want all the reins with them without expertise to handle it.Hope SALUTE make endeavours for the same.
—Col Mathew Adipuzha
