This OROP thing, ‘One pension One pay’ fracas is really getting out of hand.

Four retired non-commissioned officers  threatened to jump off a water tower near old Delhi railway station over the issue of One Rank One Pension (OROP), several hours before they came down from the structure on assurance from defence ministry officials, says a PTI report.

The four  belonged to a group that calls itself  of ‘Sabka Sainik Sangharsh Samiti’. They  climbed the water tower around 8 AM and threatened to jump off it. The  police were alerted, they intervened,  they were ‘pacified ‘and  the eight-ten people who were accompanying them were taken to the office of Ministry of Defence to meet the officers and put forth their demands.

The four  water tower climbers were  Gurcharan Singh, Kabal Singh, Satpal Singh and Kartar Singh and they had come from Punjab, They had climbed the water tank around 8 AM and even threatened to commit suicide by jumping off the tank, the officer added. These four chaps refused to get off the tower and caused a tamasha till 6 PM: ten hours!

If any other protesters has threatened suicide and created such a tamasha, they would have been probably seen the inside of a police station by now. But for these chaps, a meeting was ‘facilitated’ between the members of the body and the ministry officials..

“They thanked us for facilitating the meeting and left for their hometown after the delegation that had gone to meet ministry officials apprised them about the meeting and assured them that they had got a patient hearing from the concerned officials,” the officer said according to the new report.

What on earth is this OROP mess about? Why are these retired army chaps going ballistic? If the prime minister has solved the problem, then why are these retired men doing desperado acts? Is this a political stunt? If so, are the army veterans being dragged into the murky mire of politics? Has anybody the answers?

Daniel Wong , Park Street, Calcutta

  citizen journalism, senior citizens