Madam, before I come to the general issues, I want to take the issue of the pension of ex-servicemen. This is something which is agitating the ex-servicemen for quite a long time, and recently the opposition leaders met the Prime Minister on his invitation and the honourable Defense Minister was also there. Here, on the floor of the House. I would pointedly want to put his issue.
The
ex-servicemen have been agitating for one rank one pension for quite some time.
The usual agreement that was being given is that it will not be possible
to make reasonable distinction between ex-servicemen and the other Government
employees, civilian employees. In this regard, I had a consultation with
the Attorney General Mr Soli Sarobjee, when we were in the Government and he
had told us that a reasonable distinction can very clearly be made. the tenure
of the Jawan or the Army man is much shorter than the tenure of the distinction
can be very short tenure of employment. So, the duration of employment
opportunity is small. The risk is much higher. Certainly, the last risk
that one takes is when one goes to the Army or the Air Force or the Navy. Also,
the time of stay away form his family, you have to calculate in the Defense
service. So, the hardships are much greater than any other service. At the same
time, much greater than any other service. At the same time, even in the
constitution, it is given that the President of India is the supreme Commander
of the Armed Forces. This is a very very special provision. This specific
provision itself distinguishes this force from the other.
I
want to assure the honorable Minister that if any legislation is required or
anything of that sort is required to protect the ex-servicemen, we are ready to
cooperate with the Government and the Government can bring a legislation
where there can be no doubt about their separate classification.
In
this regard, the National Front Government had taken a decision in October,
1990 to give benefits of pension to the ex-servicemen. The CCP had taken
the decision of giving benefits from sepoy to subedar major level also. The
commitment of the Government for the officers was made clear
through a press release on behalf of the Government.
I
want to state it clearly on the floor of the House that in matters of public
interest there is no question of service because we are all concerned with a
matter in which the ex-servicemen are emotionally involved. May I state that
from the meeting we had with the Prime Minister in the presence of the Defense
Minister, we clearly understood and we were given assurance that the benefits
that will accrue to the ex-servicemen will not be less than what the National
Front Government had agreed to give them? Here also, we were given
the assurance that a statement to this effect would be made on the floor of the
House by the Defense Minister. I look forward to that statement and that
clarification on the floor of the House. I want to make ti clear on behalf of the
Janata Dal that unless this clarification is coming forth very clearly and
categorically that the benefits to the ex-servicemen will be not less
than what had already been decided, it will not be possible for the
Jantadal to further get into any commitment or any other proposal of this
nature because this is the minimum assurance that we look forward on the floor
of the House. Governments may come and Governments may go. But any assurance
given on the floor of the House has much greater weight. This is what we have
understood. If there is any difference in understanding between the honorable
Minister and what I am saying, it may be clarified. But this is what we demand
on the floor of the House today. The announcement must come right now from the
Defense Minister that the benefits will not be less than what had already
been decided upon by the Government.
Now,
coming to the general debate, though there is a 4 per cent increase, a nominal
increase, in the Budget provisions, of the Defense Ministry, if we take care of
global inflation and devaluation in real terms there is cut in the
Defense Budget. We know that there is an economic hardship. We are in
difficult times. But import of real cut in real terms should be fully
understood.
It
is necessary that a holistic view in needed when it comes to the defense
and security and we cannot take only merely a matter of the Defense
Ministry because of international environment, foreign policy, economic
situation, various special forces in the country, any elements of alienation
that may be taking place in any part of the country, drugs and their
connection with terrorism.