New Delhi: Agitating ex-servicemen on Friday boycotted an official function to mark the 50th anniversary of the India-Pakistan war after the government’s failure to implement the one-rank-one — pension (OROP) order.

Ex-servicemen, who have been holding a mass hunger strike at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for the past 75 days, instead organised their own function at the protest site.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with three defence services chiefs, were among the dignitaries who paid homage to those killed in the 1965 war at India Gate’s Amar Jawan Jyoti.

“As we mark the 50th anniversary of 1965 war, I bow to all brave soldiers who fought for our Motherland in the war ... The courage & bravery of our Armed Forces is very inspiring. They triumphed over every obstacle & protected India’s unity & integrity,” Modi tweeted.

However, many veterans of 1965 war sounded annoyed at the government’s reluctance to accept what they term as their legitimate demand, saying it was unfortunate that they were forced by the circumstances to boycott the official function, which they termed as a once-in-a-lifetime function.

India had captured strategic Haji Pir Pass from Pakistan on August 28, 1965.

Talks between the government and agitating ex-servicemen failed on Thursday night over the periodicity of review of pension. While ex-servicemen who were initially demanding automatic revision in pension the moment a servicing soldier retires, so that his predecessors also get the same pension, they later agreed to an annual review.

The government, however, is insisting on the review every five years, which led to the breakdown in talks.

“It is an insult to veterans to celebrate [the] 50th anniversary of the 1965 war at India Gate as the soldiers who fought it are languishing here demanding their rights,” Colonel (retired) VN Thapar lamented.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday asserted that talks were on and the government was hopeful of announcing the implementation of OROP scheme soon. He, however, refused to fix any time frame for it.

The war veterans were initially expecting Modi to announce the OROP scheme implementation on India’s Independence Day, celebrated on August 15. Modi, however, just reiterated his government’s commitment in his address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort.

The war veterans were later promised that the official announcement in this regard would be made on August 28, the 50th anniversary of Indo-Pak war, but the deadlock over modalities of implementation has delayed the announcement further.

The government is worried with one ex-serviceman joining the indefinite hunger strike each day. The hunger strike started from August 15. Four retired soldiers have already been hospitalised due to deterioration in their health, but this has not hampered the spirit of the war veterans who do not want to return home empty-handed.

Disappointed at the government’s reluctance to implement OROP scheme, the ex-servicemen and their widows are contemplating intensifying their agitation. This may include staging similar protests in different state capitals.