nithin_pb@yahoo.in
( "It was a mature, very serious and sincere approach on the part of CH Mahadevan. His maturity and wisdom could be seen throughout his article. One could see his nobility too...",writes the author.- Editor)
Scene 1
ONE PERSON TO THE OTHER: "...so-and-so died."
THE OTHER PERSON: "Achhah!"
Scene 2
The other day I told an LIC pensioner: "Supreme Court dismissed petitions....."
LIC pensioner: "Good news. Now when we will get pension and arrears ..." He kept on asking me more questions.
This friend was not prepared to believe that Shri Asthana had submitted an interlocutory petition and the same was dismissed. He has not heard the word 'interlocutory' etc. To him, dismissal meant, dismissal of LIC's SLP only. He is too old. He is a simple man... an average pensioner. His mind is so tuned to think that he will interpret anything and everything to his advantage only.Dismissal meant for him, dismissal of SLP only. He wants money. Badly so. He has been told he will get it soon.
When I heard him, I remembered what I once read in 'LICPENSIONERSCHENNAI'. A pensioner was writing that he worked in different capacities...as Assistant, SH, HGA and also as a Supdt. etc. for various periods and was enquiring if anybody has got a program to workout his arrears... CLICK ON 'READ MORE' BELOW.
- This is all the result of the "GREAT VICTORY" celebrations conducted especially in the South after Asthana's case was confirmed and LIC's appeal was rejected by Division Bench of Jaipur Bench. Since then we had only victory celebrations. Innocent, old and otherwise weak - physically and mentally too - pensioners were told time and again that victory is round the corner, that they should be prepared to get their arrears,etc. (One pensioner even resigned from a particular union because he did not find any prospects of getting the promised pension amounts!)
It was a mature, very serious and sincere approach on the part of CH Mahadevan. His maturity and wisdom could be seen throughout his article which your blog has prominently published (I don't know if you will ignore this mail since I do not toe a particular line!). I saw his nobility throughout his article.
But with due respect may I ask him the question that though he knew for 8 long years Shri Asthana and 26 others fought a battle but all of us including Shri Mahadevan pretended we didn't know anything till Shri Asthana got a favourable verdict. Shri Mahadevan can say that he was not aware of this fight. But how is it that a union called AIRIEF failed to notice the fight going on in Jaipur and was unsuccessful in reaching out for him to give timely help?
Courts are courts. When we win, we will thank God and Shri Asthana (who has got the image of Arjun... Kurushketra and what not!). The moment something goes wrong (let's pray and let us win!) then, where will you find Shri Asthana! Somebody will then say, our judicial system is degenerated. If we win,we will say our system is great! The history will note, Shri Asthana conducted a long and often tiresome legal battle for the cause of pensioners of Life Insurance Corporation of India.
Let me conclude. Shri Sridharan has not said anything wrong. In legal matters, there are different approaches and varying strategies. One cannot say, one's right and all others wrong. The only wrong he has said is that it would have been possible to pluck the easy ones (DR etc.) earlier (DR issue - interview published in your blog). He did say there are our leaders cheering Shri Asthana. These cheerleaders will vanish once something goes wrong. The day SC dismissed the applications, I could see the semblance of such a tendency.... though within no time they emerged with a victory smile and assured us, nothing has happened. They seemed to be telling us, "it is just a small fall", that's all. Even dismissal of applications is termed as victory but to realize it they took a little more time. THAT'S ALL!
Let us help Shri Asthana but at the same time let us not give
false hopes to the poor pensioners. Let us not ask
them to stand in the queue. And let us also not speak of
other persons who might stand in the queue. Under promise and over
them to stand in the queue. And let us also not speak of
other persons who might stand in the queue. Under promise and over
delivery is the demand of the day .