OROP: A humble message for the Indian Public and the Media

The continuation of protest by the Military Veterans, even after the 5^th September announcement made by the revered Defence Minister, has certainly alienated most of you from our cause.

I, too, am a veteran who retired as a Colonel after serving 28 years in the Indian Army. As regards my demand related to OROP, there is basically a single one. I simply wish to get a pension that is never lower than that of another Colonel, junior to me while serving in the Army and retiring now (or anytime in the future) with the same 28 years of service. Do you consider this too much to ask for? I am in no doubt that you all had agreed that this was a valid point when the OROP issue came to the fore. You decided to support the cause and were just as happy when the response to my yearning came out as a sacred promise from the sanctified premises of our country’s Parliament on a number of occasions.

Most of you now feel, and obviously so, that the 5^th September announcement by the Defence Minister  totally fulfilled the above promise and henceforth, no veteran will ever get a pension lesser than a junior veteran of the same rank with the same length of service. On the other hand, a bulk of us veterans somehow suspected—for various reasons, mostly attributable to unscrupulous elements in the Government machinery—that this lone promise may not be consummated when the Government Notification is finally issued. 

Frankly, we sincerely want to be proved wrong as the Government is capable of fulfilling the sacred promise. In fact, if and when they really do this, we, the Veterans would be the happiest of the lot. And if that happens, I would want to be the first one to apologize to all of you, also believing that the entire veteran brethren would certainly follow suit.

But in case it does not happen the way you and we expect it to happen, may I request you all to appreciate our stand and be with us all the time for the sake of our cause?

Let us, therefore, wait for that ‘all important Government Notification’ to be issued which we truthfully hope to bring us justice and prove our apprehensions misplaced. Please trust that we veterans, as disciplined soldiers of this country, will not take even an additional minute to thank the Government, the Public at large and the Media. Until then please be as supportive as you have been to us heretofore.

Are You Chary of Buying That Diamond Ring for Your Bride?

If you happen to think that you can’t afford to buy that beautiful diamond ring for your bride, you may be entirely mistaken…

Why Can’t You Do It?

It is not very often that every one of us goes out to buy a diamond ring for his would be bride. The simple explanation for this is that we are not as rich as some people who go out to buy diamond rings for their brides the moment they decide to marry.
Nevertheless you will be surprised to know a major truth behind some of these matters. This truth is that majority of these people who buy diamonds often, know how to buy it real cheap – at a fraction of the cost normally ascribed to that kind of a purchase. As such, why can not you do that? You simply have to make up your mind as to what exactly you need, chalk out a budget and go and buy that diamond ring. It is as simple as that, really.

The Cost Factor vis-à-vis the ‘4 C’s

In order to get a real good deal, you may have to settle for a few compromises with regard to certain features of the diamond, without actually missing much on the ultimate look of the diamond ring. The relevant features, known as the ‘4 Cs’ are:
· Carat Size. The size factor influences the cost factor to a great extent. You can always ask your bride to help you in making the decision. For all you know she may have small hands and, therefore, may not like to wear a ring that appears a little too big on her finger. She may also want to have something that is rather plain and simple. In both the cases you are made to pay less than the amount that made you a little apprehensive in the beginning.
· Cut. You will find that different diamonds on the jeweler’s shelves could have diverse types of cuts. Diamonds with intricate cuts definitely cost more. With a limited budget you may not have the need to go for an elaborately cut diamond.
· Color. Color is another feature, which can dictate the price factor to a great degree. Diamond with a little duller color can make a big difference to your purse string.
· Clarity. Similar to the color element, a little less clarity (normally not noticeable to any one except a trained jeweler) can reduce the cost by a very large amount.

You will also be delighted to know that the color and clarity snags of a particular diamond can also be effectively concealed by certain specific type of cut and also by a skillful mounting done by an expert jeweler. All these can be done without letting the beauty of the diamond or the ring to diminish in any significant manner.

You Can Do More to Reduce Costs
In case you can be a little more enterprising, you can bring the cost still down by doing the following:
· Search for online retailers on the web and ascertain about diamonds available at bargain/discount prices. There are many such retailers, which have interesting schemes with a provision too for third party appraisal relating to the genuineness of quality and price.
· Do not go for a solitaire diamond (subject to approval of your bride!). Think of buying more than one small diamonds to make the ring instead of a solitaire. This will reduce your costs by a huge margin. Since there is no religious or social stipulation about setting a diamond ring exclusively with a solitaire, you can always go for something less costly, but equally beautiful, such as a diamond eternity band/ring or a multi-stone ring.

Lastly…

Now that you know the tricks of the trade, never think twice before venturing out to get that diamond ring for your lovely bride. And before buying it, declare proudly, ‘whatever it may cost…’