Indian Ex Servicemen Movement

Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM) is a "All India Federation of Ex Servicemen's organizations" and individual veterans of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. IESM was established in August 2008, in the wake of the UPA Government decision to implement Sixth Central Pay Commission, which depressed military pays and pensions, and ranks, relative to civilian Government employees, especially in the Ministry of Defence and Police led security services. It has been at forefront in identifying, and advocating veteran causes, principally issues affecting veteran honor and ''izzat'', and the implementation of One Rank One pension for the armed Forces of India. Its founder member is Lt Colonel Inderjit Singh, former Commanding Officer 14 Grenadiers, who retired from the army in 1978.

Goals

The stated aims of the IESM are: to serve as an umbrella organization for all Ex Servicemen of India; provide a unified veteran voice on issues of national interest; serve as a forum for raising and discussing challenges faced by veterans; play 'constructive role in nation building activities; promote and support IESM causes, including those affecting ESM Widows, war wounded, and injured; and render assistance and advice to veterans on matters of pension, health coverage and benefits, and legal issues.

Organisation

Governing Body (GB)

IESM has a federal structure with units at national, state and district levels. The highest decision making body is called the governing body, for which elections are held every three years. The last election were held on 16 November 2014 in Pune, Maharashtra. The Election were conducted by election unit headed by Brig HSN Sastri. Soon after the election of the Governing body, it elected an ecommittee for the day-to-day running of the organisation. The current composition of the GB is as follows:

Executive committee

Divisions

Indian Ex Servicemen Movement to render assistance to veterans, and its members, is organised into three units. These are the Pension Division
Ex-servicemen Contributory Health scheme
and Legal Division, which includes Veterans Anil Bakhshi, Col Ramath, an
Maj Navdeep Singh

Membership

IESM has a full-time member ship of 20455, including army 15820, airforce 3032, navy 1527, and civilians 52. Its active members belong to all Indian states including Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Chandigarh, Mizoram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Odisha. The headquarters of IESM is located at 543, Sector 23, Gurgaon, Haryana, Pin 122017.

Funding

IESM runs on small budget. Members of the governing body works on pro bono basis. For its operating expenses it is dependent on membership fees, and donations. The year after it was formed, for the period 1 April-30 Nov, 2009, its total receipts from Membership Fee (5,72,100.00) and Donations (Rs 4,23,869.00) was Rs 9,95,969.00. In addition it had Fixed Deposits of Rs 19,00,000.00.

Advocacy of OROP

In June 2015, IESM, as major component of the umbrella organization United Front of Ex-Servicemen (UFESM), participated in nationwide protests, spread over 80 towns and cities of India, demanding implementation of OROP. On 5 September 2015, after 84 days of protest, which included relay hunger strikes and 24 days fast to death, by the IESM members and their supporters, the government announced unilaterally, a scheme which it called OROP, which IESM dismissed, saying it was not OROP, but "One Rank, Five Pensions".

IESM advocacy of OROP and other ESM causes has wide popular support. 14 Former Chief of Indian Defence Forces have endorsed its stand on OROP. Shekhar Gupta, editor Indian Express, in September 2015, criticized IESM for resorting to public protest and dharnas. He called the ex servicemen's protest an unedifying spectacle.

On 15 June 2015 in New Delhi (India):Angry over the delay in implementation of 'One Rank One Pension', ex-servicemen on Sunday launched a protest at Jantar Mantar. Signing a petition with blood they prepared to return gallantry medals to the president. Ex-servicemen was gone on an indefinite relay hunger strike to put pressure on the government to implement One-Rank, One-Pension (OROP) scheme. The hunger strike was led by Lt Colonel MBS Ahluwalia (retd) and many others joined while hundreds were set to participate in the protest. Day before 15 June, the retired servicemen took out a massive rally in the national capital and across the country to express their displeasure in the delay of OROP implementation.

Returning of medals

Military veterans returned their war and other medals at various places in Haryana and Punjab on Tuesday to register their protest against the "diluted" notification of the One Rank One Pension scheme. In Panchkula near Chandigarh, the veterans along with the founder of Hunger Strike Lt Colonel MBS Ahluwalia (retd) returned their medals to the Panchkula deputy commissioner to protest against the OROP notification issued by the central government. There were reports of veterans returning their medals in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala in Punjab and Rohtak, Hisar and Ambala in Haryana. The veterans said that they had rejected the OROP notified by the Narendra Modi government. The defence veterans said that they will observe a ‘Black Diwali’ this time to protest against the Modi government going back on its assurances.

See also

* One Rank, One Pension
*Koshyari Committee Report On Grant Of One Rank One Pension
* Sixth Central Pay Commission
*Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare

References

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External links

Organization's official website

Military history of India
Ministry of Defence (India)
Organizations established in 2008
Pensions in India
Veterans' affairs in India
Veterans' organizations