Some time ago, a newspaper of considerable standing put out on its front page a story that around a dozen soldiers from a unit at Patiala deserted because they were made to do some ‘menial’ work. For a newspaper of repute it is essential, that before publishing such news, it should get the facts right. Because false reporting involving the military can have serious repercussions on its discipline.
It later transpired these ten odd soldiers are clerks and were required to clean their personal weapons and later made to undergo annual basic physical efficiency tests (BPET) Now everyone in the military is required to keep his personal weapon in serviceable state by regularly cleaning it. Officers too have to clean and maintain their personal weapons and junior officers generally join troops in cleaning heavier weapons.
During training camps troops have to dig deep trench latrines and after use, fill these with mud. Officers normally carry a spade to dig a shallow pit and after use cover it. For the news paper to term such work as ‘menial’ is to deride the ethos of dignity of labour.
These clerks are also required to undergo mandatory annual BPET to ensure that they remain physically fit like other members of the unit, including officers. In all probability some of these clerks were physically unfit, so they pulled one or the other excuse to avoid these tests and, as a group, deserted from the unit.
In these two sets of activities (weapon cleaning and BPET) the newspaper discovered ‘menial’ work and consequently maligned the military. Walk through any military station and one would be struck by the extra-ordinary state of cleanliness and upkeep. While some minimum conservancy staff is authorized in a military station, the bulk of the effort to keep the area spic and span is that of the troops themselves. It is more so within unit areas. This practice is not of any recent origin but has been there, in the case of Indian army, for more than two hundred years.
During training camps troops have to dig deep trench latrines and after use, fill these with mud. Officers normally carry a spade to dig a shallow pit and after use cover it. For the news paper to term such work as ‘menial’ is to deride the ethos of dignity of labour.
Of late much has appeared in the news concerning ‘orderlies,’ now called ’Sahayaks’ : their employment by officers on what is termed as ‘menial’ jobs. Firstly ‘sahayaks as such are not authorized on the establishment of units. Some personnel, in addition to their normal duties, attend to certain work of an officer so as to leave him free to attend to more pressing duties during field training and operations. The same soldier works with the officer during peacetime as well. No soldier is ever compelled to work as a sahayak or made to do any menial tasks.
Those, who have no experience and knowledge of this arrangement of soldiers working as ‘sahayaks’ with officers cannot understand and appreciate the bonding that exists between the two. It may be worthwhile to recall a few cases of such a bonding. When Gen Musservy came to attend the centenary celebrations of his old unit in India, so did his Sahayak and the two fell into each others arms with tears running down their cheeks. There is the case of a Polish army officer’s orderly who would bring hot food from the enemy kitchen for him till he was discovered and taken prisoner by the Germans. Or major ( later Field Marshal ) Maneckshaw with his stomach torn apart from a machine gun fire was left for dead but for his orderly who picked him up on his shoulder and carried him to the medical aid post where he survived.
No soldier is ever compelled to work as a sahayak or made to do any menial tasks.
Of late there have been four cases of serious ill discipline and these need to be dealt with both expeditiously and firmly. Ill discipline is contagious and any serious infringement of it, if left to fester and not handled with promptitude and an iron hand, can become endemic.
At the same time there is urgent need for a detailed examination of these four cases and to determine if there is some similarity and common thread that runs in the tapestry of such ill discipline. Army must also have a close look at the recruiting pattern and the background of personnel involved in the four incidences of collective beach of discipline. There is need to introduce certain psychological tests at the time of recruitment. After all military service is not just another avenue for employment and soldiering in not every ones cup of tea.
Finally, sustained attempt by a particular news paper and its editor-in–chief to run down the military, would brings no credit to the paper. This display of sustained animosity against the military does not balance against the façade of ‘saluting the soldier.’ Rubbishing army’s performance in 1965 war or demanding the sacking of the three service chiefs after their instructions to units to with-hold action on certain recommendations of 6th CPC etc, building up the specter of a military coup thus projecting the country as some sort of a banana republic, and now the issue of ‘menial’ jobs have been one of a piece. Is there some motivated agenda to all this!