Veterans raise Dadri case; seek grievance redressal mechanism

New Delhi: Ex-servicemen, who have been agitating for 'One Rank, One Pension', on Saturday raised the Dadri lynching incident in which the father of an Air Force corporal was killed and demanded a grievance redressal mechanism for servicemen and their families.

A delegation of veterans also visited the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) Institute to meet Danish, brother of Sartaj, who works with the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Danish was attacked along with his father Mohammad Ikhlaq by a mob over rumours of eating beef. The IAF has provided accommodation to Sartaj's family in Delhi's Subroto Park

"It is a painful that one of our soldier's father was killed in an attack and his brother injured at Dadri. We visited R&R to meet his brother Danish, but could not as he is in the ICU," Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) chairman Major (retd) Satbir Singh said at a press conference here.

He said incidents like attack on family members of serving and retired soldiers are a matter of concern and security of family is a matter of concern.

"This is just one incident and attacks on families of serving soldiers and veterans keep taking place. Also, many of our veterans who get post-retirement jobs and are away from their families are deeply concerned about the safety and security of their families," said Col (retd) Anil Kaul, media adviser to United Front of Ex-Servicemen Movement (UFESM), a conglomerate of various ex-servicemen organisations.

The veterans also demanded formation of a 'Veterans Commission' and legislation of a Armed Forces Covenant, an expression of the moral obligation that the government and the nation owe to the Armed Forces Community.

"This has been promised by the BJP in its election manifesto and has been mentioned by the President of India in his speech in the Parliament," Singh said, adding the Veterans Commission should be chaired by veterans only.