Ex-servicemen return medals over pension equality India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Protesting against the inequality in new and old pensions, hundreds of ex-servicemen on Sunday returned their medals to the government here. These retired personnel from the three wings of defence forces - Army, Navy and Air Force, also staged a sit-in protest against the non-implementation of equality in pension, popularly known as 'One Rank-One Pension'. “We are demanding just equality between the old and the new pension. If two pensioners are put in the same number of years of service, have undergone the same hardships, same risks, dangers, same separation, their services to the country have been same, then their pension also must be same," said Lieutenant General (retired) Raj Kadyan, Chairman of Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM). The 'One Rank-One Pension' was introduced in 2009-2010. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his speech at the Independence Day, had also stated that pensions of some ranked officers have been improved. However, according to the ex-servicemen, the government hasn't issued the orders as yet. The IESM has been protesting for the last one and half year against the injustice to the pensioners of defence forces. "We tried our best initially to make representation to the Government, to meet the leaders and talk to them but nothing happened. Depositing of medal is the biggest hurt that a soldier can express to the government," Lt. Gen (retired) Kadyan said. The ex-servicemen have already deposited 20000 medals with the President.