Indian Ex Servicemen Movement

Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM) is  a  "All India Federation of Ex Servicemen's organizations" and  individual  veterans of the Indian Army, Navy and  Air Force. IESM was established in August 2008,  in the wake of the UPA Government decision   to implement Sixth Central Pay Commission, which  depressed military pays and  pensions,  and ranks,  relative to civilian Government  employees, especially in the  Ministry of Defence( MOD) and Police led security services. It has  been at forefront in   identifying, and  advocating veteran causes,    principally  issues affecting veteran honor and izzat,  and the implementation of One Rank One pension  for the armed Forces of India.

Goals
The stated aims of the IESM  are:   to serve as an umbrella organization  for  all Ex Servicemen of India; provide a unified  veteran voice on issues of national interest; serve as  forum  for raising and discussing  challenges faced by veterans;  play  'constructive role in nation building activities';  promote and support  IESM causes, including  those affecting ESM Widows,  war wounded, and injured;  and  render assistance and advice to  veterans  on matters of pension, health coverage and benefits,  and legal issues.

Governing Body (GB)
IESM has a federal structure with  units at  National, State and District levels. The highest decision making body is called the governing body,  for which elections are held every three years. The last election were held on 16 November 2014 in Pune, Maharastra. The Election were conducted by  election unit headed by  Brig HSN Sastri. Soon after the election of the Governing body, it elected an Executive Committee  for the day to day running of the organisation. The current composition of the GB is as follows:

Divisions
Indian Ex Servicemen Movement to     render assistance to  veterans, and its members,  is  organised into three units. These are the   Pension Division,  Ex servicemen Contributory Health scheme (ECHS),  and Legal Division, which includes Veterans Anil Bakhshi, Col Ramath, and Maj Navdeep Singh

Membership
IESM has a full time member ship of 20455, including army 15820, airforce 3032, navy 1527 , and  civilians 52. Its active members belong to all  Indian states including Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Chandigarh, Mizoram,  Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Odisa. The headquarters of IESM is  located  at 543, sector 23, Gurgaon, Haryana, Pin 122017

Funding
IESM  runs on small budget. Members of the  governing body works on pro bono basis. For its operating expenses it is dependent on membership fees, and donations. The year after it was formed, for  the period 1 April-30 Nov, 2009,  its   total  Receipts  from  Membership Fee (5,72,100.00) and  Donations (Rs 4,23,869.00)  was  Rs 9,95,969.00. In addition it had Fixed Deposits of Rs 19,00,000.00.

Advocacy of OROP
In June 2015, IESM, as major component of  the umbrella organization  United Front of Ex-Servicemen (UFESM),  participated in  nationwide protests, spread over 80 towns and cities of India,   demanding implementation of OROP. On 5 September 2015, after 84 days of protest, which included relay hunger strikes and 24 days fast to death,  by the IESM members and their supporters,  the government   announced unilaterally, a  scheme which it called OROP,   which IESM   dismissed, saying  it was not OROP,  but "One Rank, Five Pensions".

IESM advocacy of OROP and other ESM causes has  wide  popular support. 14 Former Chief of Indian Defence Forces have endorsed its stand on OROP. Shekhar Gupta,  editor Indian Express,  in September 2015, criticized IESM   for  resorting to public protest and dharnas. He called the   ex servicemen  protest   an unedifying spectacle.