Prof Saleem Ayaz Rather
To withdraw oneself from active Service is termed as retirement. There is a time when we remain after the jobs and the govt. also requires our services, ones recruited we are allowed to serve up to a Prescribed age beyond which we can not continue even if we are interested. Goverenment employees retire when they attain an age of 58 years in Jammu and Kashmir. It is however, 60 years for central Govt. employees and also the employees of central Govt. working in Jammu and Kashmir. During earlier times the job opportunities were more but job seekers were less and thus the people were recruited at a very young age as a result they got a chance to serve even upto 40 years. But today due to cut throat competition most of the people get the job at a time when they are at the threshold of overage category, obviously People get an opportunity to serve for 21 to 22 years. But it has been observed that most of the employees do not want to retire. It was perhaps in 2007 when most of the demands Put forth by EJAC were given a nod by the state Government and one of the demand which was shown green signal by Government was the enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60. Some of the employees who were due to retire from February March 2008 on wards and who had some Political clout tried their best to get the retirement age enhanced to 60 and remained waiting till the date of their retirement. If we are not satisfied with ourselves by the services of 30-40 years rendered to public, how we will satisfy ourselves by getting two more years. Not only this it has been observed that some of the employees who are near retirement and have one or two years of service to their credit move their papers that our date of birth has wrongly been written as 1950 instead of 1953 . They move to court and very few get a positive response that too after a detailed clarification right from primary school level. Some even themselves change the date of birth and many such cases have surfaced in the Past and some faced forced retirement also. All this is done to remain in the govt. service for some more time. One of the officers who was due to retire and had only one month left in his retirement met an old friend who enquired from the officer about his retirement date. The officer told him that I am retiring in the next month. His friend tells him that retirement age is being enhanced from 58 – 60 years from the next month as this was in the news paper the previous day. ‘‘I have rendered enough services, now, I am not interested’’ said retiring officer but from the core of heart he was not willing to retire. This is why in the evening he sents an sms to his friend which read as Kindly write the name of the newspaper that shows that the retirement age is being enhanced to 60 years. The friend replies that I was only examining you and your sms shows that you do not want to retire.There is no proposal and no newspaper shows that retirement age is being enhanced to 60 years from the next month so Prepare for retirement.
Retirement is a part of service and we should not avoid it rather we should plan what we have to do after retirement at least two years before retirement so that unnecessary tension, frustration and stress developed after retirement is minimized and the retirement period becomes a fruit and not a fever for we people. An officer who remained busy with his job and did not even think that a day would come and he had to say goodby to this busy job. At the time of retirement he was garlanded and taken to his residence by the employees of his department. He was also given rousing welcome by his relatives and friends at his residence. Next morning, he was seen preparing for the office when his wife ask him for whom he was waiting and the retired officer said, ”waiting for the official vehicle” his wife was surprised to know all this and said no official vehicle will come today or in future as you are now retired after listening these words he fell down from the chair and collapsed.
So whether we get two more years or remain at 58 we have to retire one day . Recently the state govt. agreed to enhance the retirement age from 58 to 60, but the final decision still remains a dream. It has been observed that the employees after retirement take different assignments as per their tastes. Those technically trained in any skill may join the same in private sector. It has been also seen that some retired employees join poltics and become associated with one or the other party. Those associated with education may opt jobs in the private institions. Some retired employees get associated with literary activities, write books, articles for news paper and magazines etc. Still some retired employees join various NGO’s and assist them in fulfilling the dreams of that organization. There is also good percentage of retired people who do not take any assignement and treat retirement period as tension free period of life and make visits to historical and religious places and also visit since long seprated friends and relatives. But it has been seen that most of the employees devote much of their time in religious prayers in order to get rid of the sins commited by them during their period of active service.
It becomes mandatory for me to add few suggestions so as to make the post retired period loveable rather troublesome. The suggestions are summarized as follows.
*There is no doubt that we have joined the govt. service and a day has to come when we have to retire so we should prepare for retirement and plan what to do after retirement at least two to three years before the retirement angel knocks the door so that the fever developed after retirement is minimized. And if we have not planned what to do after retirement the angel knocks suddenly and at that time we are not ready to welcome him and only frustration and stress becomes the order of the day.
*It is not the money or the material that brings real contentment. Therefore retired person or those near retirement shall feel obliged to HIS HOLINESS and realize the real meaning of of self contentment which can present the retirement in the form of a gift.
*It is but natural that elder ones have to make the way for younger ones in the field of skills , learning, and transmission of culture i.e they have to act as lighting candle for them.
*Due and genuine weightage should be given to the retirement as is given to promotion, choice posting and other likings in the service. It should be considered as an essential part of the service.
Above all the retirement is blessing if received with open arms as a gift showered on some one for his contribution to society and mankind.
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