Members of the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Union, Punjab, protest in Bathinda on Sunday. Photo: vijay kumar

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 14

Members of the Bathinda unit of the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Union, Punjab, today submitted a memorandum to the tehsildar, addressed to the President of India.They have alleged that the Punjab Government was meting step-motherly treatment to the ex-servicemen.They have stated that they have not only guarded the border but also fought and won wars with neighbouring countries.They said their long-pending demand for some changes in the sixth pay commission had been hanging fire while the government had implemented the recommendations of the seventh pay commission.They have stated that on August 14 last year, when ex-servicemen were staging a protest at Jantar Mantar, the BJP-led Central government used force on the protesters, which cannot be forgoten. Various foreign countries also condemned this act of the government, they added.Even police officials of Delhi tendered an apology but ministers of the Union government didn’t condemned the incident, they said.In view of what happened, ex-servicemen decided to observe August 14 as black day and took out a protest march in the city.They have demanded that the President should issue instructions to the BJP-led Central government not to use force on ex-servicemen sitting on protest in any part of the country in future.Capt Bhagwant Singh, Joga Singh, Chota Singh, Capt Jeet Singh, Major Singh, Satpal Singh and others participated in the protest.

Demands

• They said their long-pending demand for some changes in the sixth pay commission had been hanging fire while the government had implemented the recommendations of the seventh pay commission
• They have demanded that the President should issue instructions to the Centre not to use force on ex-servicemen protesting in any part of the country in future