A group of ex-servicemen and members of the National Ex-servicemen Coordination Committee have decided to form a political party in the wake of the Centre and the State “ignoring the rightful demands of people and retired defence personnel.”
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Ramachandran Bavileri, the national president-designate of the proposed organisation, said the party aimed to raise the rightful demands of people and take up issues pertaining to defence personnel.
He added that the party had been registered under the name Bharatiya Jawan Kisan Party, and that its first convention would be held on January 1 at Kannur Jawahar Library.
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The decision to form the party was taken after the Centre’s alleged neglect of ex-servicemen’s demands. “Mainstream political parties have been neglecting ex-servicemen’s needs. They have also not been addressing issues facing farmers and unemployed youth,” Mr. Bavileri said.
The first convention will raise demands such as waiver of farmers’ loans, jobs for dependants of martyrs, ending of discrimination against ex-servicemen, and jobs for unemployed youth, he added.
The party will issue membership to people from all walks of life, he said, adding that there were over 50,000 retired defence personnel in the district.
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“We look forward to joining hands with them to strengthen the party,” he said.
Mr. Bavileri said the party aimed at working towards a nation, which would be free of corruption, farmer suicides, violence, and atrocities against women and children.
He further said the government, instead of honouring defence personnel who participated in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, had reduced their pension from 70% to 45%.
Cultural leaders and farmers’ representatives will participate in the convention, Mr. Bavileri added.