Confederation of ESM Associations: Meeting on 19 Aug 18 at Secunderabad

Indian Military Veterans

 Dear Veterans,

 

1.  With encouragement from many Veterans and ESM Organisations,a Meeting of the proposed Confederation of ESM Organisations will be held on 19 August 18, at Hyderabad. I had earlier circulated an Approach paper on the subject. The salient aspects are given below, for recapitulation.

2. Let us be clear that the formation of such a Confederation is not intended to create a leader or another ESM Organisation to replace the existing ones. All the existing ESM Associations will continue to function with their own identities and  memorandums, without any interference to their internal functioning. The intention is only to bring all of them under one umbrella, which will be formed by the existing ESM Associations themselves, voluntarily with the approval of the members of their own Associations.

3. Even the Memorandum of Understanding and the Common Minimum Programme for the proposed Confederation will be prepared and passed by the Member Associations themselves. It is aimed at collective leadership and not individual or coterie centric. 

 

 Amplification:-

 4... It is not possible to form a new ESM Organisation and expect all the ESM Associations from all the States and Center to join, for the sake of showcasing our unity. Few of the ESM Associations, are headed by Officers and others by JCOs and NCOs. No one would like to give away his eminence and importance of being called Chairman, President  or General Secretary of such Associations, by merging with a larger outfit and lose his own importance and identity, on matters concerning the ESM.

 

5. Therefore, the next best option would be the Confederation of ESM Associations, where all the ESM Associations can become members with equal rights, irrespective of their own individual size of membership base or financial backing or political affiliations. This Confederation will be Apolitical, issue based and not organisation centric, since it will not have any ESM as its members, but only the ESM Associations as members.The appointment of President, Secretary and other Office Bearers of this Confederation will be elected by the Member Associations themselves, for a period of two years. The President and Secretary of all member Associations will be the members of the Managing Committee. The fundamental requirement, of course, will be that the ESM Associations must be registered entities with current registration status, with their own bye-laws.

6. The policy decisions will be taken by two thirds of the Members of the Managing Committee, which shall be binding on all the member Associations. It will also have a delegation of ESM Representatives to  deal with the Govt or other functionaries duly nominated by the Managing Committee. The members of such delegations will be selected on subject and need basis. This will avoid too many ESM Associations writing to the concerned authorities on the same issue, in different voices, without proper internal discussion or debate.

 7. Above all, the demands and opinion of such a Confederation of ESM Associations, exhibiting unity, will be taken seriously by the Govt.

8. This issue was discussed as an Agenda point on 08 July 18, during the ESM meeting held in Chennai. The gist is given below:-

Confederation of ESM Organisations.

 a. The members welcomed the efforts being made by Col T N Raman to foster unity among ESM Associations, and to bring them under one common umbrella. The advantages of projecting ESM needs and problems along with positive suggestions by a Confederation backed by strength; as against sending multiple representations from individual associations ( as at present ) were highlighted by many participants. The discussions centered broadly on forming the confederation at Regional/ State/All- India level.

b. There are some major associations that have pan -India presence - like IESL, IESM, Air Force / Navy associations, TSEWA, War Wounded Foundation, War Widows Association, War Disabled, NExCC, AIEWA, Military Veterans, AFVOA, War Decorated and a few more. Their regional chapters cannot become part of  Regional or State level confederations. Their local branches cannot independently take decisions in the Confederation. Every local decision, in their cases, will require guide lines / approval from the central HQ, which may or may not approve local  commitments..

c. However, there are many other local ESM associations/ organisations at the districts and State level, which serve the community of ESM at State level. They can join the Confederation, with more certainty and much less hurdles.

d. A suggestion came up that it will be better to call the umbrella organisation as a 'Federation' than  as a 'Confederation' This will reduce the complications involved in evolving of Joint Confederation of ESM bodies. Col TN Raman gave out his view that, keeping the future in mind, the ESM Associations of State and Districts level may be grouping themselves as State Federations. Such Federations of States may join the Confederation at the Center, since they are not going to lose their identities. Therefore, Confederation of ESM Associations will comprise independent ESM Associations, Federations of various States and the already existing pan India ESM Organisations.

e. The general consensus of opinion is that Col Raman may liaise with and prepare the list of ESM Associations, who are inclined to be a part of the Confederation ; then have rounds of exploratory dialogue with them individually and collectively. This needs patience and time.

 f.  As Col Raman has rightly pointed out, the Confederation, to start with must aim at all India level and percolate down to States level. If the idea is to start from State level and move upward to National level, then it will be self defeating, since the main strength of the Confederation will be the ESM Organisations which are already established on all India basis. A few of such organisations are quoted in sub para (a) above. Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi and his War Wounded Foundation, AIEWA, RDOA, War Widows Association, Maj Gen Satbir Singh- IESM and a few more organisations have expressed their support in 2014 itself. Now, TSEWA has evinced keen interest in the proposal.

 g. The members reiterated that the above suggestions are meant to encourage and not to discourage the formation of the Confederation at All India level. They have urged Col Raman to progress the issue further.

 9. The following suggestions from Cmde Sudheer Parikala are positive and encouraging:-

a. Interim Organisation. The Confederation as envisaged at the State Level and the National Level may take two to four years to come into being. Since RM has in principle agreed to have quarterly meetings of ESM Organisations Chaired by RRM, it is essential that an Interim Confederation is brought into force and the first such meeting held before the moral code of conduct for the next General Elections comes into force.

 b.  All the major existing ESM organizations must be invited to come together to form the Confederation. If majority of ESM Organisations can come together, it would be an excellent step forward to form the Confederation and have a powerful voice to redress major grievances and welfare activities of the ESM community. TSEWA has consented to host such a meeting at Hyderabad.

c. During the meeting on 19 August 18, it is also proposed to elect the Interim National Confederation President (NCP) and also an Interim National Confederation Vice President, who could also be called as the Confederation Ombudsman..

d. The Interim NCP when elected will establish communication with the MOD and propose the dates for the first meeting of the Confederation to be Chaired by the RRM.

 

Conclusion

10. The intention of the proposal is not to forge any mergers but to create an Apex Organisation for the purposes of conveying unified voice to the MOD at the National Level and the State Governments at the State Level for Redressal of Grievances and institution of various welfare measures for the benefit of the ESM Community and the Widows. The Confederation will not exercise supremacy over any individual ESM Organisation nor will there be any Identity loss. It is the considered opinion that the confederation when formed, will command due respect at all levels of Governance.

11.  Please also visit the following web site and FB page, which Air Warrior S Varadarajan had created in 2015, which has now been reactivated: 

 our website http://www.cixma.in and FB page - https://www.facebook.com/pg/OfficialCIXMA/ are brought online.

An Appeal

12. I wish to clarify that my role in the entire process of formation of the confederation, is only that of a facilitator. Sine the membership is restricted only to the bonafide ESM Associations, I am not  even eligible to contest for any of the posts, since I am not heading any ESM Organisation. But, I am confident that my effort will not go waste this time. I request all the heads of the ESM organisations to kindly attend the meeting on 19 Aug 18, at Hyderabad, the details of which will be sent shortly.

Jai Hind!