New Delhi: One rank, one pension (OROP), a cause taken up by ex-servicemen in India, which has seen an unrelenting protest against the government seems to have reached a point of resolution, it is said. Media reports suggested that the decision with respect to OROP is expected to be announced before the announcement of the Bihar Assembly elections.
The RSS, at its three-day coordination meet with the BJP and the government on Wednesday, asked for a speedy solution and an end to the hunger strike by ex-servicemen.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who met ex-servicemen on Tuesday, had set out the time frame: before elections in Bihar were announced and the model code of conduct kicked in.
The group that met the Defence Minister, the National Ex-Servicemen Co-ordination Committee, was different from the one that is representing ex-servicemen in the talks. That group is called the United Ex-Servicemen Movement and is led by Lt. Gen. (Retd) Balbir Singh and Maj. Gen. (Retd) Satbir Singh.
The RSS had already declared its intention to take up the matter with the government at its biannual coordination meeting with the BJP, where senior Ministers were expected to give presentations about their Ministry’s work. These meetings are a stocktaking exercise on the direction of the Parivar, with inputs from various affiliates and the RSS’s own network of workers. Important feedback and course correction are discussed. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat presides over this meeting.
Senior RSS office-bearer Suresh “Bhaiyyaji” Joshi is reported to have spoken to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on expediting a solution to this issue during a break in the larger deliberations at the meeting. “The government has a declared intention to implement OROP. The protest at Jantar Mantar can be resolved through some negotiation and, therefore, it is pointless to allow it to drag,” said a senior member present at the meeting.
“There were no prescriptions or anything… just an expression of concern that nitty-gritty should not hold up matters when the government has every intention of implementing its promise,” said the source.
BJP general secretary Ram Madhav briefed the gathering on the Prime Minister’s visits abroad and the takeaways.
“The economic scenario of Bharat and measures to improve growth and development were discussed,” said RSS prachar pramukh Manmohan Vaidya at the end of day’s sessions. “Many constructive suggestions came up.”
The meet will conclude on Friday, it has been reported. Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati will make a presentation along with Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma. It is also said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi may also drop in for a few minutes on Thursday.
