Brig CS Vidyasagar's letter

Dear Sir, 1. Some members have complained to me that they want to unsubscribe from Tri Services Veterans India Free Yahoo Mail Gp for simple reason that few are sending posts/mails which are not relevant to veterans. 2. The matters which are not acceptable to majority of members is veterans straying into field of religion. Sir, as you know we have been most secular in our service life. We observed all festivals, even Muslim COs performed Satyanarayana Pooja and respected religious sentiments. Once we shed the uniform, we are falling prey to the evil games played by politicians to divide our country on communal lines. Some members are swayed by such perceived majority persecution complex. My sincere appeal to all of you is to avoid religious subjects. 3. Sir, as a moderator of this mail gp, I do understand you need no lessons on what mails you should send as some or many of you are senior to me by age and service. So I am not qualified to advise you. I am only expressing sentiments of majority members who feel uncomfortable when they see such mails which can only generate hatred of other communities. We have respected every one while in service and I beseech you to do the same when we are out of uniform. 4. Second complaint I have received is members are flooded with mails by other members thereby cluttering up their mail box. The same mail is forwarded by many members. This please be avoided. 5. Sir, please understand this is a group mail. That means the majority of members of the group must get benefit. The mails should enhance our knowledge, force us to take some action. 6. May I suggest the following guide lines to all members of Tri Services Veterans India Yahoo Mail Gp to be followed when they post mails in our group :- (a) Like in Service life let us not post any mail even remotely criticising any religious group. In short Religious matters are OUT OF BOUNDS in our mail gp. (b) Post mails relevant or useful to veterans. Such mails should benefit members financially, socially and informatively. Say a benefit is granted to all veterans such as pension arrears from Jan 2006 to 23 Sep 2012 or a Govt of India letter or mail explaining OROP or Circular of PCDA(Pensions) Allahabad, enhanced rates of disability element etc. © Mails advising members to get some action to be taken such as getting Corrigendum PPO for spouse while the husband is still alive. Or Signing Form A for Life Time Arrears to get pension arrears to widows. This be done while veterans are still alive etc. (d) Mails which remind members to take time bound actions which are mandatory such as Filing Life Certificate by November of the year or filing Income Tax Returns by 31 Jul. (e) If Min of Def advises veterans to take certain actions to get some benefit that be posted for benefit of all members. You may have to submit some undertaking to get some financial benefit granted. (f) If any member asks for a specific information, kindly send that information to that member only on his individual e-mail id. For example “I want a double bed room in Chembur, Mumbai”. Any member in Mumbai or Chembur may send information to that member on his individual e-mail id. Other members are not interested. Similarly “Can you give me address of Lt Col XYZ Singh”. Kindly give address of Lt Col XYZ Singh to that member in his personal e-mail instead of group mail. (g) Use BCC option when you receive e-mail ids. I have almost 520 e-mails ids. If I reveal all these e-mail ids there are many who will misuse these e-mail ids. So please use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) so that others cannot see to whom you sent the mail. (h) Never be rude in your language even if you do not like the contents of a mail. Pl attack the idea and not the member. You can politely disagree. You can put your point of view but you cannot win an argument. This is not a debating society. (j) Pl do not send your mail using all CAPITAL LETTERS. This is very painful to read and is not considered a good e-mail manners. Some members are CAPITAL LETERS for half the length of mail and balance in small letters. It is very confusing. (k) If you want members not to miss an important point of your mail then use RED colour to that part of mail to draw attention of members. (l) Please do not use abbreviations which may be known to you but not for others. (k) Some mails are verbose without conveying any message. Pl understand we though retired have less time for reading long mails unless they are interconnected and convey something useful. (l) When you receive a mail and you think it needs to be disseminated please wait. As moderator I will do that job for you. So give me three days’ time to do that. But if I fail to do so then by all means forward that mail. Too many members are forwarding the same mail on the same subject clogging our mail boxes. (m) Some members to ensure all other members in our group read their mail are sending the same mail twice one after another. Pl do not do this. You are only clogging our mail boxes. If members like your mail they will read it. (n) Some members (including me) fail to attach a letter or calculations or video or photo etc to their mail. Pl ensure before you click on SEND button, your attachment is there. This not including attachment will get you 500 requests asking for attachement clogging our mail boxes. 7. The above DOs and DON’Ts are not exhaustive. Members in their wisdom can add few more to the above list. 8. I leave it to judgment, wisdom, maturity and experience of our members to post or not post mail in our mail gp. I do not own this mail gp but am only a MODERATOR who has an enviable job in addition to my full time job as President of TSEWA. 9. Pl remembers we have JCOs, NCOs, OR and widows of JCOs/OR as members of our mail gp who are getting immensely benefitted by our mail gp. 10. This mail gp belongs to every one of you. It is your responsibility to make it relevant, credible and useful. Thank you and with utmost regards, Brig CS Vidyasagar (Rtd) Moderator, Tri Services Veterans India Yahoo Mail Group 9493191380 Like