The most important pillar of any nation, The Armed Forces, they are proudly referred to as the last bastion. It is there strength upon which rest all others. The temples of democracy, freedom, economic progress, fundamental rights, judiciary, independent press and likewise the list can go on; they are all protected and secure till such time the last bastion continues to radiate strength and sense of security. Generally, we tend to over look this aspect in our day to day lives. Unfortunately, it is this bastion that has set in a motion to decay, the reform measures if not instituted will one days result in history repenting and the nation weeping.
In India, millions of her citizens, have deep respect and draw immense pride out of their uniformed brothers. Their hearts swell with pride on hearing the heroic deeds of the men and women from the armed forces. There exists ‘astha’ in the most revered armed forces of ours amongst we Indians.
...the question of, what has gone wrong with our Armed Forces should trouble us more? Probably far more than the incident of beheading our soldier by the Pakistani troops on the LOC.
The horrific revelations of a former Air Chief having taken bribe in the VVIP Helicopter deal, has betrayed the faith of millions in uniform. Well the story of corruption is not so new but the magnitude is ever increasing by the day. The latest in the series being the allegations of the Military Secretary taking bribe for promotion. And if this was not enough, the news of arrest of a colonel for highway robbery in Mizoram appeared in press.
All these faith shaking revelations and allegations of corruption have a collateral price to be paid. We need to carry out an analysis and act fast to restore the shaking Astha.
Over the past decade, there have been regular reports in the media on suicides, fragging and to add further insult the incidents of officers getting beaten up by their very own men they commanded.
Why does the situation develop into an ugly scenario so fast and regularly these days where jawans gang up and thrash up the officers flushing down the drain rich traditions, customs and ethos that we have been boasting for more than a century now? It is difficult to even imagine what mental trauma these officers must have undergone. A permanent injury from insult and shame of getting assaulted by your own men is unfathomable. The country should be forced to think of the larger reasons that have gone wrong and force course correction.
My experience tells that this organisation is crowded with great fire fighters, where the effort of all at first instance is to brush the things under the carpet.
Where have the thing gone wrong? After all these officers were selected and trained into the military ethos which is guided by the Chetwode Credo of the Indian Military Academy, that says, “The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time”. These officers who love their men more than their folks, who lead them into battle with a smile and similarly these men always considered their officers as virtual gods. For them, their officer could be trusted blindly for their well-being and honour. Then the question arises, what has gone wrong with our Armed Forces? It should trouble us far more than the incident like that of beheading our soldier by the Pakistani troops on the LOC.
Our PM and the Chief may underplay, in the interest of the nation and the organization, by stating ‘that our army is 12 million strong and such small incidents do occur’. A reaction given soon after the incident of 16 CAVALARY in 2012. Is it so normal and common? Well! by any analysis, it is not so. At least I never came across during my 20 years of military service.
We as a nation need to think, introspect and implement changes to stop this down slide in the last bastion of our country. There is an urgent need to identify, why the standards of our officers are falling? It is their failure, that is responsible for a terrible and an irreparable damage to the fiber of our Army.
I sincerely feel that the responsibility is not merely that of the armed forces to keep their house in order but of all Indians to ensure that it is kept in order. My experience tells that this organisation is crowded with great fire fighters, where the effort of all at first instance is to brush the things under the carpet.
A young man who joins the Armed Forces comes from a society that is churning and stoking with the fire hatred towards nation’s corrupt administration and politicians. The desire to change is real.
Our political masters are not bothered and are contented till such time the Army stays in barracks and keeps itself busy internally. The Indian political class, who has literally no exposure in to the functioning of our armed forces, other than a few official visits to military establishments and information gathered through our Bollywood movies. Hence they lack the required knowledge to steer and initiate corrective measures.
The senior echelons of the army who are entrusted with the responsibility to maintain internal health suffer from parochialism and exclusivity who appear more bothered about their post retirement employments and false regimental spirits and loyalties rather than the real issues. Armed Forces “The Holy Cow” I don’t know why it is always kept under wraps and discussions not open to a larger intelligentsia, inviting the participation of professionals and eminent people. This policy of isolation may have been correct during the British era for the European masters who wanted to keep the Armed forces away from the civilian influences and vice a versa.
The challenge faced today need to be debated by the professionals from various fields who would put their brains together and reason out the reform measures. This is whose army after all? If we don’t bother then who will? Unfortunately, unlike the armies of the west where the citizen awareness and participation is far more, where soldiering is a highly preferred profession, this is somehow beyond the imagination in India.
A young man who joins the Armed Forces comes from a society that is churning and stoking with the fire hatred towards nation’s corrupt administration and politicians. The desire to change is real.
Our joint family system has finished which in earlier times gave a lot of mental peace and stability to a soldier’s family back home. Unlike the west, where the state takes upon itself the responsibility to safe guard the interests of a soldier’s family, unfortunately, in our country the state representatives do not spare a chance to fleece the brave hearts, moment they get one.
Any little time that an officer may have, he would like to invest in his professional studies if he wants to continue afloat in the competitive environment rather than wasting time in troop activities, thus slowly and gradually the officers have become virtually invisible to our men.
The neighbors and the relatives in plenty of cases are constantly eying the property of a soldier while he is away on duty. They are aware that he will not get time while in service to safe guard his interests at back home. These vulnerabilities often lead to mental tensions coupled with the challenges of the service conditions.
Over and above all this, in the present environment of internet and media, a soldier is fed with the revelations and allegations involving senior army officers in corruption and malpractices. Such practices, otherwise reserved for civil servants and the politicians, leaves this soldier utterly dismayed.
On part of the officers who generally come from the urban background, who are raised by their parents in an over protected environment. The group participation like sports and cultural activities are virtually non-existent and unfortunately reserved for those who are not academically focused. This leads to deficiency in developing an art in dealing and understanding the group dynamics.
Urban life style, corporate culture, internet, media and cut throat competition shapes up our children who would later join as army officers. The art of man management which was earlier learnt while playing in parks, streets and vastly available grounds is now a thing of past.
The Armed forces have not been able to cope up with the changing times. The general outdoor culture is on a fast decline, the company and battalion level sports and physical activities that were organized almost on daily basis are nowhere to be seen any more.
On the contrary the officers can easily be spotted sitting in their offices till late in the evenings. Any little time that an officer may have, he would like to invest in his professional studies if he wants to continue afloat in the competitive environment rather than wasting time in troop activities, thus slowly and gradually the officers have become virtually invisible to our men. The immense work load and stiff competition has led to short tempers and reduction of compassion towards juniors by their seniors.
In my opinion we need to integrate our officers back into the great value system and traditions of the Armed Forces and simultaneously curb the menace of growing corruption in uniform.
The deliberate ignorance by the military leaders and steep rise in cases of corruption in the defense forces is another major reason that has led to trust deficit between the led and their leaders.
The incidents in Ladakh and Pathankot may be the early signs of greater troubles in future if necessary steps are not taken. We have to curb and check scandals like the ones, involving NDA commandant, bribery case of Canteen Stores Department Bombay, fake killings at Siachen Glacier, Ketchup colonels, attempted bribery effort by a retired general seeking favours from the COAS, vast corruption in Assam Rifle, Jhorat’s case of extortion of money by intelligence officer, a brigade commander taking money for writing ACR of the COs in the North East, like this the list can go on. Such incidents raise doubts in the minds of our troops regarding the credibility of the officers in general overshadowing the genuine lot.
So where is the fault? Well the fault is inherent to our character that resists change and refuses to evolve, on the contrary do not hesitate in subverting the system for vested interests. The officer men gap continues to widen, the good things that we inherited form the British are gradually eroding and dying. In my view, camaraderie, honesty, integrity, service before self, personal example, moral and physical courage are the attributes that a soldier should possess to be a successful and effective military leader. These attributes are gradually being reduced to irrelevant subject like the moral science.
Who is to be blamed? the Army? Well it may partially be correct. Because, in my opinion, the correct order of blame should be - our society, the politicians and then the army. Why the society keeps quiet, why the law makers not seek answers, unlike the other issues of relevance. Why there is silence towards these inadequacies in the Army that make headlines off and on.
In my opinion we need to integrate our officers back into the great value system and traditions of the Armed Forces and simultaneously curb the menace of growing corruption in uniform. There also exists a strong reason for the government and the society to look after the soldier’s interest back home, may be by enacting laws and increasing public awareness.
We within the organization are all aware of misuse of Military Intelligence funds and siphoning off various grants allocated to the units and formations in the name of organization where the line often gets blurred.
Apart from corruption that has brought in degeneration to the overall ethos, the other reality is that this organization is also carrying a huge component of superseded Officers, JCOs and NCOs at different ranks. There exists a large population of medical category personnel minus the Battle Casualties. This combined lot is generally disgruntled and is equally responsible for the decay that we are discussing.
This lot unfortunately gets de-motivated fast leading to wide spread discontentment which is not healthy for the organization. I am by no means trying to belittle the sacrifices made by these officers and men, but our pyramidal system which has no other alternate but to exist in this manner, leads to weaning away by picking up the best from the lot.
In my opinion we need to graduate from a welfare organization into a through professional organization. By this I imply that we need to scratch the bottom of the pan regularly, those officers and men who are found NOT TO BE HAVING IT IN THEM should be given a golden hand shake or given a management or technical training from any of the prestigious institutions or absorbed laterally in civil police, Para Military, etc and gracefully eased out. There can be many other options but by scraping the bottom, the organization will gain immensely. It will retain its energy, positivity, morale, and motivation and the pay offs will be manifold.
Within the organization a few issues that need to be addressed like the importance and professional relevance of Honours and Awards, understanding the ills of awarding Unit citations and the side effects, reviewing the selection process to Higher Courses, all of which make some units and individuals do a few wrong to maintain an edge.
Over the years there has been an increase in role of private contractors at unit and formation level, be it in the current system of Logistics and supply, Land and Works, OP Sadhbhawna projects, Army Commanders Special Powers Fund.
More than the police reforms, administrative and the Political reforms, the Armed Forces reforms is an urgent necessity.
We within the organization are all aware of misuse of Military Intelligence funds and siphoning off various grants allocated to the units and formations in the name of organization where the line often gets blurred. In today’s age of information nothing is hidden from the troops and our young officers thus adding to their frustration, distrust and disgust.
Other aspects that has an adverse effect on the psyche of the troops is the five-star culture that has crept in the officer class, sense of exclusivity that prevails when the use of resources on welfare is concerned, and to top it all our Sahayak System which reflects the feudal culture and is hated by the troops despite the fact that this is defended and preserved by the officers.
Having given an insight in to the areas of termite infestation in the solid plank, which I would still maintain is the most robust and sturdy when compared with other institution of our great nation. The decay however has set in and the responsibility lies in the hands of all us to ensure the cessation of this drift. After all this is our Army?
More than the police reforms, administrative and the Political reforms, the Armed Forces reforms is an urgent necessity. The citizens don’t come face to face with the Holy Cow hence are oblivious to the lurking danger which if not averted may let down the nation at a crucial juncture for which the history may not pardon.
First published in 2012