OROP suicide: Unanswered questions over Subedar Ram Kishen Grewal’s death
Ajit Kumar Dubey | Post
Ajit Kumar Dubey | Post
“But anybody, who is getting Rs.22,000, would not end his life just for another 5,000 which he would have got anyway had he written a simple letter,” defence ministry sources said .
Did Subedar Ram Kishen Grewal take his own life over a mere five thousand rupees per month? This is one among a clutch of unanswered questions clouding the army veteran’s alleged suicide over pension woes, an incident that spawned a swirling political storm on Wednesday.
Grewal served in the Territorial Army and Defence Security Corps for a combined period of nearly three decades at different locations across the country before retiring in 2004.
ONE RANK ONE PENSION
| HIGHLIGHTS |
| 1 Subedar Ram Kishen Grewal allegedly took his life over not receiving adequate pension. |
| 2 He should have been receiving a pension of Rs.28,000 per month but got only 23,000. |
| 3 Gen VK Singh said called for an investigation into whether someone provoked him to take the extreme step. |
Defence personnel have been demanding that the same pension should be paid to armed forces retirees with the same rank and the same length of service, regardless of the year they retired. The One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme was announced by the Narendra Modi government on September 6, 2015, but several ex-servicemen say it has failed to address their concerns. Former defence minister AK Antony too attacked the BJP-led Centre over “mishandling” of the OROP issue, saying the scheme should be implemented immediately.
“As per calculations, Grewal should have been receiving a pension of `28,000 per month but due to some miscalculation by the bank, he was getting only `23,000, which is `5,000 less than what was due to him,” defence ministry sources said. The bank had not added the hike due to him because of the OROP implementation and had he communicated the issue to the department concerned, the anomaly would have been done away with, the sources said.
His case could have been resolved amicably like hundreds of others even if he had directly approached the ministry, they added, showing letters on the issue from different locations. “But anybody, who is getting `22,000, would not end his life just for `5,000 which he would have got anyway had he written a simple letter,” they said.
DID GREWAL FEEL THAT OROP IMPLEMENTATION WOULDN’T BE ADDRESSED
Grewal’s salary at the time of retirement was `14,000 in 2004 and from the next month onwards, his pension was a meagre `6,500 per month. But after that, the pension of Grewal and other jawans like him rose almost four times due to the implementation of the sixth pay commission and intermediate hikes due to partial acceptance of OROP by Congress governments. The amount would have gone further up to `31-32,000 due to implementation of the seventh pay commission. “The issues related to OROP are still being considered by the Reddy commission. How could the soldier get the feeling that his issue would not be addressed?” asked union minister and former Army chief Gen VK Singh while interacting with Mail today.
OTHER UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Another question that has arisen is why is it that the soldier got a request typed on October 31 for meeting the defence minister and then did not submit it and committed suicide the very next day. “His letter dated October 31 and his suicide on November 1 raise several questions. It also demands serious investigation about who was with the deceased when he took the extreme step,” government sources said.
Another key point is that the veteran, who was at the forefront of public matters related to ex servicemen’s issues, did not even wait to submit the letter to the defence minister’s office and used the same letter as his death note. “It should also be looked into that why and how he took the extreme step and why was he forced to write his suicide note on the same page. Is it his own handwriting or someone else did it?” said the sources.
“It should be investigated that whether someone took advantage of his troubled mind to provoke him to take the extreme step.” Gen VK Singh said in a similar case last year, a man was abetted to commit suicide at Jantar Mantar in the middle of a crowd during an AAP rally and nobody helped him. Grewal allegedly consumed poison behind the new MEA building on Janpath Road in central Delhi and was brought to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. His colleagues and friends from his village said he left his native place in a pleasant mood and did not appear to be on the verge of taking such an extreme step.
Read at: India Today.in
COMMENTS
Today's news report says that late Mr. Ram Kishan had misled some of his colleagues telling them that he would get their pensions enhanced, this clearly shows that Mr. RamKishan was deliberately misguiding or misguided in the matters of pensions without having least idea of pension rules and such mental conditions can lead one to take any steps, which Mr.RK took and the politicians were ready to make TIL KA TAD. Proper understanding by all is needed. We Indians should not be BHED KI CHAL.
Unfortunate incident of suicide by Sub Grewa. However, post suicide politics was painful. Govt must ensure addressing OROP issue in total. A large number of veterans are still at Jantar Mantar with peaceful protest with a great hope from the Govt
The 4th instant comments are very true in respect of pcda(pension) and banks, particularly the cppc. The common pensioner is at a loss to whom to contact for his problems. When he goes to his paying branch of the bank, he is told that the cppc will look after but they never do that nor give any reply. If he approches higher authorities, they simply act as post office and never bother whether pensioners problem is solved or not. My practical experience of many years in the field, shows that good rules are made but no one bothers to follow them and hence the system fails. Proper supervision and accountability is the need of the hour. Let med cite one example: one blind boy claimed for family pension in 2000 but the deptt asked him to produce succession certificate and the matter is pending in court for the said certificate uptil now , more than 16 years gone, without family pension for the blind boy.
A soldier never commits suicide. He faces the enemy at the peril of his life. It was well planned act by colleagues sitting at the dharna who goaded him to commit suicide and compelled him to speak to his son and recorded his conversation. He was even being dictated what to say. I think his mental state was not in order, therefore his colleagues took this to their advantage. People say he committed suicide over OROP. The word OROP was not dictated to him and he did not uttered this word. There is some 'Dal me Kala.' I am surprised to note even people in DSC which is like paramilitary force, are getting OROP. Jawans of paramilitary forces are getting killed at every nook and corners of the country but alas there is no Kejriwal or Rahul Gandhi to share the grief/politicise the death. Beacause the paramilitary forces are headed by either Army or the IPS, their plea for better pay and allowances and OROP have not been taken up/pursued with the government in an appropriate way because their own matters are solved.
PCDA (Pen ) Alld / CGDA is the main culprit in not issuing CORR PPO and banks does not keep up their records / no permanent person on that seat, do not follow PCDA CIRCULARS , i can prove that they even gave reply to even PM / RM / CGDA . My self met RM in his office on 5th JAN,2016 but did not have time to understand MOD CASE OF MILITARY VS DEFENCE CIVILIANS, though he had to visit PATHANKOT immediately after that, so are ours officers heading organisations to enjoy for them selves only, TOP BOSSES just pass an complaint either UP / DN like post man and forget to know facts, my self AIR VETERAN S/O SOLDIER NEPHEW OF A SAILOR HAVING BITTER EXPERIENCES OF LIFE , SPECIALLY IN DEFENCE , WE DO NOT GET JUSTICE EVEN IN COURTS JAY HIND JAY BHARAT now some of us started saying that even GOD can not help poor down troddens ones
OROP must be implemented in its most correct & genuine form. But just for a while lets leave the OROP discussions for a moment aside for the same to be discussed by the concerned authorities & concentrate on the practical facts of the current dirty politics ( may it be from any political party of the world ).
Can anyone who has inhaled poison talk with such an comfortable voice & such an easiness as shown in the recorded version of the same. The voice showed no expression & reflection of agitation of the body in urge to save itself regardless of any persons will to live or not ( if the poison has already being inhaled ).
Normally we don't record all the calls received from relatives or friends, then why his son decided to record the voice of this conversation only or he has a habit to record all conversation between him & his father. If he can publish few more conversations between his father & himself with regards to the ongoing issue of OROP , then it may throw some light & may clarify the current ongoing dirty politics. If he has no other recording with him, then was this particular conversation was recorded intentionally to serve some malicious intentions.
Something smells bad…..may be dirty politicians playing with innocent citizens mind with their dirty politics…..may it be any political party of the world doing so….
We the citizens of India are now at least grown up to the level to at least show the presence of mind.
OROP must be implemented in its most correct & genuine form. But just for a while , let us leave the OROP discussions aside for a moment for the government to discuss & conclude & concentrate on practical facts of the suicide & politicization of the same to disturb the mindset of citizens of India.
Can any person who already swallowed the poison, talk with such an comfortable voice & easiness. His voice doesn't express any pain or the self resistance which body does by itself in a urge to save itself regardless of who the person is.
Something Smells Bad…..May be pre-planned dirty politics.
marne vaale/suicide karne vaale dhar ke nahin kartha hai saab……suicide karne ke liye strong will and heart chahiye……….jo emotional hota hai vohi dil se leke dil toot ne ke baad isa step letha hai……..
The way our present Govt is treating defence services and our old governmets have humiliated and Ill treated them this is only a top of the iceberg.
All pre 2006 PBORs should refer PCDA(Pension) circular no.568 dated 13.10.2016 wherein by delinking of service pension from 33 years all will get almost uniform pensions wef 1.1.2006 and example is take a subedar x gp retd with 20 yrs q.s. will get minimum 10280/-as basic pension and this with todays vi da as 125 % comes to23130/-, and sub with lesser q.s. will also get this same pension. Moreover on calculation a substantial arrear is also due. on OROP from 1.7.2014 he is fixed at 11615/-. Therefore all officers and PBORs should see 568 and those having lesser service, are substantially benefitted. In other words OROP is given w.e.f. 1.1.2006.
I agree. Moreover, the government cannot give you moon if you ask and agitate for it
Pl OROP commission (1).have you checked table 7&table9.(2) What it means same Rank and same length of service (3)Is it 17 years and 25 & 28 of service is equal (4) what about the 11 year service increment (5) How did 17 years And more then 24 yeara of service pension will be equal(6)where is the Remaining 11 Years increamemt50% pensiamount,yes Becaus of higher levels pressure doing wrong thing on OROP commission. Specialy all Rank who all were served more is suffered lot in thi OROP commissiona Wrong decision, Never 17 Year sevice pension and 25/28 Years service pension will equal, please Dont
suffer the service soldier and donot lose the service experience in indian defence,officer only not in indian defence PBORHas also to be get equal benifits, donot decided in one side manner all to be corrected.
May be the hand writing was not His , may be some one helped him to write the sucidenote on the application letter. But can you ignore the recorded conversation which he had with his son prior to commiting suicide, where he mentioned that he is taking his life for being denied his OROP dues. Now dont tell me that his Telephone call was fictitous too.
Answer lies in finding out the persons(DAD people) who purposely endorsed anomalies and delayed complete implementation of OROP and OMJC (Committee) was just an after thought.