Extract of S.C.Maheshwari Secy Genl. BPS address to Railway Pensioners Samaj Chennai on 14.9.2015

Respected Chief guest Mr Bhaskaran,Mr Sridharan President Rly Pensioners Samaj Chennai, SH. K.Srinivasan Genl. Secy. Rly Pensioners Samaj Chennai, Distinguish audience, Sisters & Brothers.

First of all I thank you all to have invited me to be with you this afternoon. I take this opportunity to invite you all to 60th AGM of BPS going to be held at Amritsar on 29.11.2015

Sisters & brothers,

India is considered to be a bright spot in Global economy but it is pushing its Superannuated persons to poverty through  anti middle class attitude.

 Though central pay commission is constituted for Central Govt. Employees & Pensioners but its recommendations affect all Govt. Employees and Pensioners i.e. Centre, State , PSU and even statuary body Pensioners. We also know its recommendations are subjected to Govt. Scrutiny especially of the M/O Finance. Govt. may accept, reject or amend the recommendations to suit their & Bureaucrats' convenience . This  is an open secret that Finance Minister is puting pressure on 7thCPC to contain their recommendations.

Superannuated persons & SR Citizens aspire only for  Peaceful and healthy life with dignity. As Govt. & the political parties are Vote sensitive;  Power of negotiations of  Superannuated persons  with this & all other future Governments will depend on their power of vote . 

Pensioners who with their spouse  account for over 33 million VOTERS and who are part of larger community of over 120 million Sr citizens are not helpless? With their vast knowledge & experience they are a large section of intelligent voters among 120 million Sr citizens voters  spread in every nook and corner of the country. They can very well be the opinion formers. Pensioners are Sr Citizen first. Issues i.e. Financial security, Healthcare & social security are common to entire community of Sr. Citizens including the superannuated persons.

BPS is  transforming into an institution. Hence, horizon is expanding; reach is widening; vision though far, is visible and much clearer

 This is the time consolidate ourselves to ensure that no injustice is  done to us.

BPS has evolved  3 C  formula i.e. Communicate, Co-ordinate & Consolidate”                     as its

ROAD MAP

1. Communicate: World has changed & is constantly changing we too need to change ourselves. Even developed countries have realized that moving alone is not  possible anymore  and have started communicating with other countries. Same is true for pensioners organizations instead of wasting time & energy in raising new or reviving dormant organizations we need to form strong conglomerate of existing live  Federations and Associations. As main aspirations i.e. Financial, Social security & healthcare  are common, this is possible. To achieve it.  Communication is the basic tool . So communicate amongst yourself , with your members, affiliates, associates, MOU partners, with Civil Society , National / local leaders ,with Media and with the employees retiring in next six months. Spread awareness about,  what pensioners did for the country & are still doing for the civil Society. Apprise Civil Society about their service conditions,  entitlements as per Constitution, Supreme court pronouncements . Empower Pensioners & Pensioners to be with information, knowledge & network to interconnect. Aggressively use Social Media & modern digital technology to interact among yourself & with the civil society to enable  them  to understand pensioners/family pensioner’s  issues & the deficient areas.

2. Co ordinate: Coordinate not only to seek govt. support in deficient areas but  to develop systems which may enable all of us to act as one family with mutual confidence, support and growing interdependence. Comrades, if we have to survive with dignity then  our system of  mutual  confidence, interdependence & coordination should be such that none of us feel lonely &helpless.

 Share information, technology and resources with Affiliates/Associates MOU partners/sister organizations &members .Coordinate and provide support to members, affiliates and associate associations. Coordinate & stand shoulder to shoulder with the administration & fellow citizens during National emergencies and  natural calamities. Launch and participate in  welfare activities such as organ donation for the good of civil society.

3.Consolidate:  Inspire more & more pensioners/Associations/Federations  to come together. Strive to bring all C.G; State, PSU, EPS95 &statuary body pensioners/family pensioners together.  Inspire sister organizations sign MOUs to jointly & severally struggle  for  resolving common issues. BPS, AIFPA,NFRP Palghat & AISCCON have been successfully wkg with such an agreement. I  invite other  likeminded  pensioners organizations to join. BPS today has around 16 lac audience on Social media platform, let us utilize the facility for pensioners'/Sr citizens cause. We throw it open to all likeminded organizations. Add more & more , friends , viewers & followers  on  Social media pages . Share pensioner's related posts  as much as possible.

Due to age & ailments,  traditional agitational   methods like Dharnas, Demonstrations  etc are losing sheen for pensioners . Let us blend old & new techniques, strengthen presence  on social media to highlight pensioners issues & deficient areas  . Streamline & inter- link available resources like printed publications, websites, Blogs, Groups, Face book, Twitter, You Tube etc. BPS has launched a pilot project 'PENSIONERS OWN MEDIA' under which publications of likeminded  Pensioners organizations who willingly provide us their publications in pdf format upto 5MB are being uploaded on BPS website, Blog, Face book, Twitter & BPS 1955 yahoo group.

 Let us make best use of modern technology /opportunities combined with traditional methods to consolidate ‘Elderly Vote Power’, the ultimate weapon & panacea for all our ills.

Comrades, we are not a helpless or a useless lot. Neither we are a liability to the society or a burden on  the exchequer, we have contributed sufficiently to our pension. With our vast treasure of knowledge & experience  we are an asset for the civil society & the Govt.

We can still turn the TIDES. With  'elderly vote power' we have the ability to change Govt. Even in our death we have the capacity to give life to 5 persons (by organ donation )

We may not live to see the end results but it is our responsibility to give correct direction & a road map to pensioners of tomorrow.

Brothers & Sisters I request  you to adopt 3 C formula (which is open to amendments) to consolidate ELDERLY VOTE BANK.

Jai Hind

Er S.C.Maheshwari