Something very sinister
is around. Operational stress and
official neglect are taking their toll in soldiers committing suicides and protesting
in a mutinous manner. Whereas step-motherly treatment meted out by the Sixth
Pay Commission to the Armed Forces is one of the reasons for the falling
morale, persistent indifference shown by the Government has also added to the discontent.
Even more saddening is the fact that the Military authorities too have been
brushing aside the malaise within. Recently, Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, former Vice
Chief of Army Staff presented his diagnosis of the problem in an article. Here are some additional inputs.
Downgrading Esteem
and Importance of Military
Halos are extinct and
larger-than-life images have shrunk to real-life size everywhere in modern
times. The so-called all-powerful bureaucrats are being shunted around from one
post to another like shuttlecocks at the whims and fancies of political bosses.
Their careers alternate between witch-hunt and reward depending upon what kind
of political boss they get to serve under. Sunk in depravity, our politicians
have suffered their loss of image and credibility too. Nobody now buys pictures
of these leaders to display in homes or offices until official rules compel to
do so. Within themselves too, the same chair brightens or dims differently
under different occupants. World’s most qualified Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
compares atrociously with under-matriculate Indira Gandhi. Time was when
magnitudes of humanity poured to have glimpse of Nehru but not any longer.
What has survived,
however, is people’s abiding love and respect for the sincere, able, honest and
courageous leaders. They become icons of popular hope and respect. Oddly, some of
them come from the same rotten environment that media and people – we included
– hate and abuse for all our problems today – the bureaucracy. Agreed, those
who choose to defy the Establishment and follow the dictates of their
conscience are not many. Yet, we can see that those who did stood up and
changed the course of things drew public applause like TN Sheshan, E
Sreedharan, Vinod Rai, Kiran Bedi to name a few. In an even more degenerative
field of politics too, we do have a crop, however miniscule, of off-beat
progressive leaders like Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar.
Military in India
has been somehow shy of public exposure – a mistake that held it back from joining,
leave alone leading, the mainstream freedom struggle despite Netaji’s call for
the INA. Such a stance of aloofness emboldened Nehru and Krishna Menon to treat
the Military nothing more than a workforce that could be employed for
constructing roads and canals even as they doubted its loyalty and feared coups.
Field Marshal Manekshaw is perhaps the only Indian General who did make a
difference in exalting the military reputation. Lately, Gen VK Singh did stand
up boldly enough but the issue he took up first (date of birth) was
unfortunately too small and personal for the position he held. Later of course, he did write boldly to the
Prime Minister and did not hesitate to apprise the people about essentials of
national security.
Unfortunately, the
inter-Services and intra-service feuds are doing the Military more damage than
any politico-bureaucratic dispensation. The day the three Chiefs of Staff of
the Armed Forces stand up jointly as custodians of national security to express
their concern and advice, no Government will dare to brush it aside. Also, taxpayers are entitled to know the
state of their Armed Forces and, therefore, the Chiefs of the Armed Forces
(sorry, I don’t call them ‘Services’) should be required to formally address
the Parliament and inform the people on matters of national security and the
state of defence preparedness. There can be debates and disagreements on the
opinions they express but who, if not they, would be better qualified to speak
about matters of national defence and security? Sadly though, it may be
recalled how an Army Chief was ticked off by a former defence minister for his
remark about the un-demarcated border in Arunachal Pradesh. Likewise, a Vice
Chief of the Army Staff was snubbed by Shushma Swaraj so angrily that just the
next day an apologetic general withdrew his fully justified and well informed
opinion about the handicap of women joining the Army. Had they both reasserted
their stand as professionals without giving in to the bully in the lobby, military’s
image would have been fairly vindicated and credibility enhanced. Alas, that
did not happen.
To sum up, I would
reiterate the comment I made on an earlier occasion: The truth is that abstract
decorations like esteem, image, honour and izzet abhor pleading, and are not available
on request anywhere in the world. Being embellishments of power, these gems of
credit can be only earned by merit or seized by force. Repeated pleadings will
surely get us more sympathy, pity and merciful reportage though.
‘Inferior
Manpower Joining the Military’
Undoubtedly, the quality of
officer intake has gone down. The quality of jawans, on the other hand should
have only improved with more graduates and technically qualified youth joining
the ranks. Perhaps the crux of the problem lies at the centre of this matrix
where a subordinate views himself academically equal or better qualified than
his boss. Don’t we see a shade of this attitude in the outbursts of our
Olympian celebrity Sub Vijay Kumar? With an increasing number of officers now hailing
from the same socio-economic milieu as their NCOs/OR, the tradition of officers
being ‘friendly but not familiar’ with men stands diluted while the British legacy
of ‘Koi haiy’ sahibs and servile, obsequious followers has continued despite
noticeable resistance. It is good that the Army has decided to hire civilian sahayaks
and other menials in place of combatants.
I think time has come when
officer-man relationship needs to be redefined so as to weave them into an
integrated whole. Simplistic solutions based on traditional thinking will not
do. A paradigm shift is warranted to enable
higher commanders to view the whole spectrum from a different angle and discover
invisible challenges and opportunities.
The Irony of ‘Shortage
of Officers’
In the present scenario of
military operations, maximum load comes on the unit where out of an average of
22 officers authorised, only 8-10 are posted. Considering those away on leave
and courses out of these, it is 4-5 officers who share the load of 22. Obviously,
these officers, already stressed, have neither time nor energy to inter-act
with their men in sports, training, welfare and leisure time where they could
detect and diffuse discontent, if any.
Oddly enough, above the unit
level there is no deficiency of officers at any headquarters even though all
field formations largely remain static and un-engaged in operations that are almost
always limited to unit/sub-unit level actions. Higher the headquarters, more
the unauthorised attachments! Why? Because the higher boss needs luxury and the
attached finds his haven to the arduous unit tenure, and also earns a better
ACR through influence.
Despite deficiency of officers, which
is alarming by any count, all the pressure of VIP visits (a euphemism for
pleasure trips) comes to rest on the concerned units where officers and men
frantically work round the clock only to earn a ‘shabash’ from the bara sahib. And
imagine the height of hypocrisy displayed by a ‘punctilious’ GOC who, on his
insistence, was presented a mess bill of Rs 45/- for three days of royal
revelry organised by a unit for him and his entourage of personal guests. Clearing
it for prompt payment, he said, “I have never left a guest room without paying
the mess bill”. Higher commanders need to introspect earnestly and seek answers
to some straight but pricky questions: Am I using more man-power and resources
than authorised, like Flag Guard, sahayaks, drivers, vehicles etc? Then follow your conscience, not necessarily
the rulebook.
Also, the higher commanders need
to restrain themselves from meddling in unit affairs. Too much of curiosity and eagerness to
address Durbars, meet individual officers and JCOs and listen to their problems
is an intrusion into the CO’s domain which must be strengthened and never
weakened at any cost. Remove and sack a CO, if required, but let the next one
function with freedom and authority.
Likewise, within the unit, COs too have diluted the trust and bondage
sub-unit commanders traditionally had with their JCOs and men. Build the
sub-unit commanders into effective leaders.
Lastly, a
question: The Prime Minister warned the nation from the ramparts of the Red
Fort on 15th August this year that the economic slowdown posed threats
to national security. Should the custodians of National Security remain silent and
inactive when such crisis is impending? There is risk involved in seeking
answer to such grave questions. But should such risks deter them?
May they find
right answers to mighty questions concerning National Security and move boldly
and diligently in unison. I wish the Indian Armed Forces and the country
glorious times ahead.
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