We discussed the matter with all concerned Case Managers. While Shri GN Sridharan and Shri Srinivasa Murty were very positive about this meeting, the discussion with Shri KML Asthana who had originally mooted the idea of the meeting, created a lot of confusion in our mind. We could not say exactly whether he agreed to the meeting or not. He was making a lot of conditions for the meeting, talking of apologies from Shri Sreenivasa Murty, agreeing at times, then disagreeing most of the time. Then towards the end of the talk, he completely disagreed, he said he was not prepared to attend the meeting. When we feared, he would shift his stand again and again, we prepared the following report and sent to him. It was a piece of responsible journalism that we prepared the report and informed the person whom we interviewed that the report would be published only after 24 hours of the same having been received by him. That was to allow him ample notice and time to own his stand and his words.
The Report We Prepared
"There are ever optimistic people among the pensioners. They always think that something is definitely happening on the legal front to their advantage. They keep telling Shri Asthana who was instrumental in getting a favourable judgement from Rajasthan High Court that he is our beacon of hope for justice. And justice they expected from LIC, Government of India and from the Courts. They have been time and again told that they have won the court case in Rajasthan, in some high courts and to bring about finality to all these victories they have the hope that they will definitely win the supreme court case. The LIC pensioners are thus having a lot of eagerness, surely keenness when they look forward with bated breath the supreme court verdict which they think for reasons well argued time and again will be in their favour.
Pensioners are old, very weak, most of them living with borrowed time. They do not want any mistake to happen in the conduct of the supreme court case. They do not believe in quarrels, union rivalries, political points. They believe only in a positive verdict, early orders from Government, nay from LIC for the disbursement of arrears, pension with full DR, updation of pension and they want peaceful days for the rest of their life. There are prayers not only from LIC pensioners but others too who belong to the Bank and other similar institutions.
When Shri Asthana recently made a clarion call for a meeting, for discussion, for a united approach, these pensioners were hopeful of a fruitful outcome this time.
Shri Asthana said
"BUT BY THE TIME THE CASE CAME TO A CLOSE MR MS MURTY WAS NOT VISIBLE IN THE COURT ROOM BECAUSE HE HAD FLOWN AWAY TO SEND FALSE REPORTS. AFTER COMING OUT OF THE COURT IN THE VERANDAH WHEN OUR ADVOCATES AND ADVOCATES OF DELHI WERE PRESENT I TOLD MR SRIDHARAN THAT MSM IS HARPING ON MEETING OF ADVOCATES, CALL HIM BECAUSE HE IS PLEADING TO BE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW THAT WE KNOW THE PROSPECTIVE STAND OF LIC AND ALL THE ADVOCATES ARE HERE LET US FIX UP TIME FOR A FRUITFUL MEET, HE SAID HE IS NOT ABLE TO SEE HIM AND WILL LET ME KNOW WHEN HE IS FOUND OUT."
Taking a cue from the statement "Now that we know the prospective stand of LIC and all the Advocates are here, let us fix up time for a fruitful meet.....” we contacted the concerned case Managers Shri Asthana, Shri GN Sridharan and Shri M. Sreenivasa Murty and proposed that there could be a meeting at Delhi when all of them could exchange ideas as to how we should meet the arguments of Government of India and LIC.
Shri Sreenivasa Murty readily agreed to meet. We made contacts with Shri GN Sridharan and Shri KML Asthana. Both of them had many things to say. Despite this, Shri GN Sridharan agreed he would try to persuade his Advocate-On-Record to attend such a meeting.
Shri Asthana demanded that Shri Sreenivasa Murty should "apologise" first, then only he would agree to a meeting. It was our thinking which we explained to Shri Asthana in so many words, there could be no question of somebody apologising. Such a demand should not be a pre-condition for any talks. Nobody is going to apologise. We should meet and discuss without prejudice or pre-condition, with an open mind, frankly and sincerely. Shri Asthana however made many overtures, he did say he will attend a meeting, but changed his stand even during the telephone talk many times and finally we were sufficiently confused about his stand whether he will attend the meeting or not, whether at all he found any need for such a meeting and what exact impression we must carry as to his stand in this matter at this crucial juncture.
To the suggestion that we would send a written note to Shri Asthana and he might communicate his stand in writing, he said he was not interested in giving anything in writing. That made things difficult. It is our impression that he said he was not interested in this meeting. However there may be misunderstanding, we may have misunderstood his words, it is possible that he may have clearly communicated that he was interested in such a meeting as clearly said in his statement. So as a matter of abundant precaution, we are sending this write up to Shri Asthana. We propose to upload this post only 24 hours later.
Our impression is: Shri GN Sridharan and Shri Sreenivasa Murty are positive about this initiative. But Shri Asthana is not willing to attend.
We are sending this note for his final reaction in this matter. This note will be uploaded 24 hours later, sometime on 1st April 2015."
(To be continued)