An Appeal To All Retirees

न गर्व और न पूर्वाग्रह
NEITHER PRIDE
NOR
PREDILECTIONS

RETIREES FRIENDS:

I do not find appropriate words to script the agony that we all have been trapped in at this juncture of life in managing life out of meagre financial resource of Pension. But, life is to be pulled on, despite all odds & eventualities. We can compromise on edible & other living needs, make them limited to Roti and Daal, but none of we know as to what medicines, treatments may fall upon and at what cost. It is for sure the biggest truth of the time.

We all have had passed through debt ridden working life and on superannuation good amount of debts were recovered from our terminal benefits. After retirement there were many unfulfilled wills,  wishes  & necessities of depebdants that further depleted the kitty we had.

Look to those who retired post 1986, 90s, 2000s or even 2010s. Look to those who retired as sub-staff, clerks & officers. Peep into their means, resources, health and living conditions and assess as to whether are they passing a dignified life, which they should have?

Our dreams are shattered. We dreamt Pension from different angle. We thought, it would be revised from time to time, whenever bank men wages  revised, as was being done for Central govt. Employees. We then thought, we would get DA on quarterly indices, as working people get. We then thought, we would get many more facilities under Welfare Funds including medical support. Wages underwent revisions in 1998, 2002, 2007, 2012 but nothing happened for us. In 2015 a much acclaimed mediclaim insurance scheme was introduced, replacing bank level free or subsidized health schemes, as agreed between UFBU & IBA. By 5th year premium had increased to 5 fold, making our lives next impossible. Leave Banks, Unions are not coming forward to press the management to share the exorbitant premium burden. In this regard IBA-UFBU is on same page.

We are caught in great dilemma and we all are in indecisive position. But, here we need to apply our mind and first forget all as against the basic need to secure life & ensure healthy life.

Even if we have no money, we or our kith and kins shall not like to leave us at fate to live or die. For treatment we see people selling ornaments, mortgaging or selling house properties. In absence of money, we become a burden on our dependents, if fell sick. If they are not capable, we become a great problem to our beloved people.

We do not know, what may come with next breath. We, therefore, need to foresee all these eventualities at next door and decide to secure our lives first. We can live without new clothes, shoes. We can live unshaved. We can live with undressed hair. We can live on home made bread & daal or bread & seasonal vegitables. We can live without non-veg. We can live without fruits or drinks. But, we can't live sick and without medicines, treatments, hospitalization whenever needed. It's most important thing to be cared off.

Therefore, despite financial constraints, please do obtain mediclaim insurance Policy and protect yourself and your family from unforeseen trouble on account of self & spouse sickness. You shouldn't take chance of repentance. Don't care for premium cost, just listen to one sentence, nothing is precious than health and nothing is valuable than life.

Hope, none of you fail and take cover unfailingly. Have a good health, is my sincere wish, for which I Pray Almighty.

-J. N. Shukla
National Convenor,
Forum of Bank Pensioner Activists,
PRAYAGRAJ

21.10.2019

( Quite large number of friends shared their feelings & difficulties in renewing their Policy, so I thought to issue this advisory for all. Please forward from your end to your retiree friends, boost them to secure)