Who the army's voting for

Yusuf

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Ex-servicemen group tells Army to vote for BJP

BJP is gaining popularity with Army men. This has become obvious after an influential ex-servicemen's group has now publicly advised the military community to vote for the party. The advise sounds more like a fatwa.

Former deputy chief of the Army, Lt General Raj Kadyan says, "It is in our interest that we should vote for the BJP."

For the first time ever, India's sizeable and well-regarded military community has been openly asked to vote for a particular political party.

I am looking for the benefit of my community, my 24 lakh ex-servicemen. And their benefits, as the developments are today, lie with the BJP. They are better than the others," Lt General Kadyan states.

The ex-Servicemen's Group Lt General Kadyan heads has campaigned for a better pay and pension deal for the military and its views are thought to find resonance in the Armed Forces. Spurred by the success, it now seeks a bigger political voice for the men in uniform.

This is the first time that discontent in the military is being expressed politically. The target of the anger is the ruling establishment. And the advisory to vote against the Government of the day is unprecedented.

The UPA Government, accused of being insensitive to the interests of soldiers, was demonised but former generals think that the use of political vocabulary to make their case is fair game.

"We have realised that unless we have a political voice, the Government will not understand the value of our vote. The Government must realise that we have a vote too," says Major General (retd) AJB Jaini.

India has long held to the belief that its military is apolitical but democracy is clearly catching up with the men of arms.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/exservicemen-group-tells-army-to-vote-for-bjp/90201-37.html
 

Flint

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I don't like the idea of ex-servicemen endorsing political parties, but I guess even they have realized that no party is willing to take notice of their interests unless they have a voice.

This is to do with pensions and pay, as the article says. the BJP has promised to give more attention to the grievances of army personnel.
 

Yusuf

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Yeah dont like an idea of a politicized army. Wonder if it could be done some other way. What guarantee has the BJP given that it will address these issues once in power? The BJP keeps making lots of promises to get to power and then forgets it conveniently in the garb of coalition politics.
 

Daredevil

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Yeah dont like an idea of a politicized army. Wonder if it could be done some other way. What guarantee has the BJP given that it will address these issues once in power? The BJP keeps making lots of promises to get to power and then forgets it conveniently in the garb of coalition politics.
Then Army will learn their lesson just as aam-aadmi has learnt his lessons.
 

Yusuf

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Well to discuss what aam aadmi has learnt, we will require a different thread. As an aam aadmi, i have no complaints right now apart from the general recession in the world.
 

Soham

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Whatever makes them happy.
Ultimately, they will end up being disappointed like us.
 

johnee

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Yeah dont like an idea of a politicized army. Wonder if it could be done some other way. What guarantee has the BJP given that it will address these issues once in power? The BJP keeps making lots of promises to get to power and then forgets it conveniently in the garb of coalition politics.
BJP's manifesto mentions 'one rank one pay', and their prime ministerial candidate mentioned that 'one rand one pay' will be implemented within 90days(or some thing similar). also, they have promised of exempting army men of income tax.
army like aam aadmi have seen the performance of UPA and are disappointed. UPA doesnt even promise 'one rank one pay', so now they are pinning their hopes on BJP.
 

Soham

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If BJP actually plans to implement that, then its quite a positive development.
 

Yusuf

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Army has got it's pay hike. It's getting big ticket deals on the weapons it wants. Why will the army be sad about anything? As far as ex servicemen are concerned I am not qualified to speak about what they are getting, as I have no knowledge about that. There maybe many grieviances that they might have and hopefully it will be taken care of
 

Auberon

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Army has got it's pay hike. It's getting big ticket deals on the weapons it wants. Why will the army be sad about anything? As far as ex servicemen are concerned I am not qualified to speak about what they are getting, as I have no knowledge about that. There maybe many grieviances that they might have and hopefully it will be taken care of
One rank - One pay
 

Flint

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Yusuf don't you know that IA is facing a severe shortage of officers? Nobody is joining the force because the risks are too high and with those qualifications they can get far better salaries in corporate sector.
 

EnlightenedMonk

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Exactly, and to sort that out, we'd better start with a decent pay revision and exempting them from tax...

In fact, I believe that this should be extended to the Police as well...
 

Antimony

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Yusuf don't you know that IA is facing a severe shortage of officers? Nobody is joining the force because the risks are too high and with those qualifications they can get far better salaries in corporate sector.
We spoke to a colonel in the Jat Regiment about this. His view was that though the number of OC applicants have come down, the chaps they nopw get are the ones who are actually motivated about army life

Make of that what you will
 

Flint

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We spoke to a colonel in the Jat Regiment about this. His view was that though the number of OC applicants have come down, the chaps they nopw get are the ones who are actually motivated about army life

Make of that what you will
Well, I can't possibly argue with that - but eventually we'll have to make up the numbers rite?

They are talking about lowering the standards for admission and I think it has already happened to some extent.
 

VayuSena1

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Unless you would want the military to take command of the country, I believe we vote for a party that can actually defend the nation and give us the orders that we want to hear, instead of whining world over about how we are repeatedly being assaulted and harrassed which will bring nothing but loss of face since we are a country that has the world's second largest standing Army, fourth-largest air force and fifth largest Navy.

Since all political parties do have a negative side, I guess we should vote for the lesser evil. And all of us here in the forces consider it essential that we have a government that does not tie the nation's military wings down to political whims and instead give us a free hand in addressing conflicts which the NDA has given us in the past as compared to the incumbent government. There is a reason why we hold NDA in higher regard as compared to the incumbent government.

So I suppose you would have to re-think your disappointment.. thank you
 

thakur_ritesh

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thank GOD VayuSena1, you have not been branded as a member of safron brigade but hey who knows someone might just jump up and blame you the same. much appreciated your reply and its nice to hear from someone serving the armed forces of what our armed forces feel about the political process in our country and its nice to hear at least the armed forces have had a good experience when nda was ruling the roost last time round and good that you all were not disappointed.


first thing first, from where have people started associating ex service women/men as serving women/men in the forces. people have to get over with the notion once a armed forces personnel always a armed forces personnel, once retired a services personnel gets back to civilian life and faces more or less the same hardships like any of the average populace of a our nation. once into the retired life and in to civil life we have to learn to respect all their wishes even if those are spoken in front of full media glare or are they restricted to highlight their concerns only by way of some letters written which the babus of our country least bother to act on.


no where has it been written in the constitution of india that ex service personnel can not voice their concerns out in full audience of the public or they can not voice their support to any political out fit or they can not join any political out fit and if the constitution does not say any such thing then who are we to deny them any such thing on the contrary if they are criticized or denied the right to speak out their concerns or speak in favor of any political outfit then that clearly should be seen as a right to deny freedom of speech. if we can not learn to appreciate others sentiments at least we can honor the very foundation of our nation that is the constitution of india. people will do good to appreciate the fact that a certain retd. maj gen happens to be the cm of uttrakhand and he is delivering a good job as a politician and as a head of a state and numerous such examples can be taken.
 

Ray

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There are a few issues that one may like to take into view.

The Army continues to be apolitical.

A call by anyone to vote for a particular Party is just a call and it does not mean that it is a fiat!

The possible reason as to why this type of a statement has been given, though it is not quite what should be done, is that the Congress Party appears to have used the Army for all its purposes and yet seems to have forgotten that the Army men have aspirations and desires. The Congress Party has, from the time of Independence, slowly chipped away at the status of the Army in the public eye and instead has lifted the bureaucracy to a level, where the Army, even in the Ministry of Defence has become subordinate to these bureaucrats, who anyway are clueless about the Army and the service conditions. The latest is that, thanks to these bureaucrats, there was a newspaper report that the Siachen clothing has come into short supply as it has not been sanctioned by these bureaucrats!

It is only now, after the ruckus of the Pay Commission, where the Govt and the Ministry thought they could get away with murder as usual, got a rude shock when the Chiefs protested. Again, even in this case, the Govt has done some deft fudging and hope to weasel out!

This discontent has been brewing for some time. The pay, the rundown accommodation etc etc have taken its toll. The fact that the Army status has been so badly degraded that there came a time when only the idealist or the desperate joined the Army. Today, even the desperate seems to be in short supply to fill the ranks.

All said and done, this situation that has come to pass, has really demoralised the Force wherein the images is that the Force is not even worth a thought as a career by the teeming millions in India! Therefore, these retired people appear to think that it is time to shake up the political system in a democratic manner. Hence, possibly that is the rationale of the call.

If not the Congress, then what is the option? Surely not, TDP, BSP or SP or some motley crowd of opportunists? The Communists are a still a no no to most of the Army men.

I don’t think there is any reason to be alarmed that the Army is getting politicised.
 

Vinod2070

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The beaurocrats in the defense ministry should be made to spend time in Siachin and Kargil posts as part of induction and retraining.

Should help them understand what the army needs and what are the conditions they work in.
 

Yusuf

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The beaurocrats in the defense ministry should be made to spend time in Siachin and Kargil posts as part of induction and retraining.

Should help them understand what the army needs and what are the conditions they work in.
Our netas and off late even Bollywood stars have been making trips to the heights.
But the question over here is not of those serving, but those who have done so with distinction and retired and now have to fight a different battle and the means they are adopting.
 

Ray

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Army has got it's pay hike. It's getting big ticket deals on the weapons it wants. Why will the army be sad about anything? As far as ex servicemen are concerned I am not qualified to speak about what they are getting, as I have no knowledge about that. There maybe many grieviances that they might have and hopefully it will be taken care of

The Army has been fooled in all these Pay Commissions since we do not protest. This is no pay hike as such and it is not on par with the other govt services.

Read the magazine "Salute to the Indian Soldier" which is run by ex servicemen and is headed by Maj Maroof Raza, the commentator on Times Now I think. The website is:
salute.co.in
One of the issues contains the issues of the Armed Forces and the Pay problems.
Just visit Shankar Vihar in Delhi Cantt. You will see peeling walls, unwhitewashed flats, chipped staircases where one could replicate Humayun!

No, Yusuf, things are not pretty.

As far a netas and bollywood Joes are concerned, they go where the vehicles go and where the helicopters can land! Walk, run, CLIMB and live - that is the difference - even if they can't fire to save their lives!
 

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