Veterans Who Gave up Their Medals for OROP, Now Want Them Back

The war veterans now want their medals back.

War veterans stage a demonstration to press for speedy implementation of OROP at Jantar Mantar. (Photo: IANS)

Armed force veterans who returned 20,000 medals in the last eight years, now want their medals back, according to a Times of India report. The medals were returned in order to put pressure on the centre to implement the one rank one pension (OROP) scheme.

The TOI report said the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), an organisation of veterans which demanded OROP, has approached the defence ministry and asked for the medals. The medals are currently at the President’s office.

Lt Gen (retd) Raj Kadyan, IESM chairman and the first veteran to return his medals in 2008, reportedly said, “the present OROP scheme was diluted and the veterans would work to ensure that all their demands are met, but there was no reason to give up the proudly earned decorations.”

The environment is generally happy. I do not consider the unsanctioned portion of OROP serious enough to merit continued keeping of the medals with the government. Of late there have been demands to take back our medals.

Lt Gen (retd) Raj Kadyan, to TOI