REPORT

Ex-servicemen to Combat Communalism, Casteism

A view of Ex-servicemen Convention at Sangrur, Punjab

The untimely and unfortunate demise of senior Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia as also festival days led the AICC Ex-servicemen Cell to reschedule a number of its meetings. A mandal level convention of ex-servicemen was held in Barnala (Distt. Sangrur) on October 14. More than 3000 ex-servicemen attended the meeting in what is described as one of the citadels of the Akali Dal. The Chairman of the AICC Ex-servicemen Cell, Lt. Gen. M.M. Lakhera after highlighting the problems of national security and ex-servicemen welfare announced that the Congress High Command has agreed to the proposal of holding the National Convention in Ludhiana, sometime in mid-December. Capt. Praveen Davar, secretary, AICC Ex-servicemen Cell compared the clean record of various Congress governments since the days of Pratap Singh Kairon with the corrupt-to-the-core government of Prakash Singh Badal. A number of senior Congress leaders of the Sangrur district, including Jasvir Singh, former Punjab Minister, addressed the gathering once again the organising ability of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Ex-servicemen Cell, Col. Zorawar Singh was on display for which he was complimented by a number of speakers. Earlier, Capt. Davar and Col. Bharat Singh led a dharna of ex-servicemen at Lucknow on October 20. The dharna, which was also attended by PCC & DCC office-bearers.

The next Mandal Convention was held in Bahrich (U.P) on October 21. Capt. Praveen Davar exhorted the ex-servicemen to work for eradicating communalism and casteism in the State as these twin evils are responsible for not only lack of development but also for eroding the traditional vote bank of the Congress. Besides Col. Bhagat Singh, Chairman, UPCC, Ex-servicemen Cell, Shri Gnendra Singh, DCC president and leaders of frontal organisation attended the meeting.

The Lucknow Mandal Convention was organised in Unnao on 28 October and the Allahabad Mandal Convention was held in Pratapgarh on October 29. In both the districts the meetings were well attended and addressed by senior district leaders including DCC presidents and chiefs of frontal organisation. Lt. Gen. Lakhera stressed upon the need to mobilise maximum number of ex-servicemen to enable speedy solution their problems. Capt. Davar laid emphasis on bringing back Congress rule which, according to him, was possible only if people are inspired to rise above the quagmire of casteism and cummunalism.

The last meeting of the month was held on October 31 in Noida and was inaugurated by Shri Salman Khursheed, Chairman AICC Research and Reference Department, Smt. Rama Pilot, MP, was the chief guest. Being the martyrdom day of late prime minister Indira Gandhi, rich tributes were paid to the women of the ‘millennium’ and her selfless services recalled, specially the 1971 victory and creation of Bangladesh. It is for this glorious historic achievement that the AICC Ex-servicemen Cell has planned to organise its national convention on the occasion of 1971 ‘Vijay Divas’.