Insult to Soldier, Injury to Nation!

In India, unlike armies in our neighbourhood, our armed forces have
been traditionally apolitical and exceedingly disciplined. The Indian
soldier has acquitted himself with honour in the wars that, thanks to
his valour, ignited great patriotic fervour among all men and women of
the country. Unfortunately for the Indian soldier, however, the worst
of these wars – the ongoing 'proxy war' – is not as spectacular as
all-out Indo-Pak wars and yet it has taken heavier toll than the
combined toll of all those wars in terms of lives of our soldiers and
national wealth. And it goes on unabated.



It is in such trying times that the recommendations of the Sixth Pay
Commission have delivered a shattering blow to the soldiery
demoralising the rank and file very badly. Officers and men across the
three Services are stunned even though solemn and silent. Never before
has the Indian soldier needed and deserved more honour, respect, love
and remuneration for his sacrifices and dedication. Constitutionally,
the Defence Forces have their constraints and cannot express their
problems in the manner in which most of our civil services and
brethren do through public demonstration. This handicap often sends
wrong signals to the political leaders who are used to noise,
pandemonium and violence in streets or in the House rather than quiet
presentations marked with etiquette and restraint. Over the years,
they have taken the silence of the armed forces for granted.



But times have changed now. Easy access to advanced means of
communication has laid the whole world bare for the soldier to form
his own perceptions. The speed and magnitude of socio-economic changes
have obliterated the class demarcations in our society to a large
extent giving rise to higher ambitions even among the village youth.
The profile of Indian soldier is no longer that of the proverbial
Sepoy Bhup Singh who would 'do or die without questioning why'. The
level of awareness among rank and file in the armed forces is
stunningly high today. Whereas life is becoming more and more
comfortable for everyone in the modern world, his operational burden
is becoming heavier by the day degrading his basic comforts and
heightening danger to his life. And his role is not limited only to
fight terrorism and the enemy. Almost every failure of the civil
administration comes to him to be redeemed. Be it emergencies like
natural calamities, disaster management, or man-made catastrophic
situations like communal violence, blasts, strikes, service breakdown
or even heaving hapless children from death traps like bore wells left
open in villages, everyone turns to the soldier – administration's
last resort and people's most reliable saviour! A soldier is a jack of
all trades!



He has had enough of it. He knows his power but is restrained by his
discipline and value system drilled into him through training and
tradition of chivalry by his leaders. But increasing pressures and
declining honour of the profession have pushed him to the corner. He
has no more space to manoeuvre and is left with only one option to
choose from: kill or get killed. The writing on the wall is clear and
people must be blind not to read it from the increasing number of
incidents like suicide, fratricide, desertion with a large number of
their frustrated leaders already queuing up to leave the service
prematurely. Are our political leaders able to fathom the seriousness
and real dimension of the problem? Is it merely a Services' problem?
No, it is a big national problem because our Defence Forces are the
guarantors of nation's safety and security against all kinds of
threats; and their higher motivation level will always be the most
significant factor in safeguarding our national interests. Therefore,
those in charge of affairs of the nation have a duty to ensure
maintenance of a high level of morale and motivation by requiting the
soldier honourably.



Does the following verse composed in anguish by Francis Quarles long
ago describe today's Indian psyche in painfully apt terms?

"Our God and soldiers we alike adore

Only at the brink of danger; not before;

After deliverance, both are alike requited –

Our God's forgotten and our soldiers slighted."



Now I understand why there was mass hysteria in Indian masses
eulogizing and adoring the soldier during Kargil War and why they
appear oblivious of all that is happening to their hero now.. Who
dared touch our soldier then? And now, who cares for a soldier whose
ongoing battle and sacrifices continue but are not melodramatic enough
to entertain or scare us!



High morale and fighting potential of the armed forces are a national
asset and worth as much as the cost of freedom and security of the
country. What you give to the soldier is not his remuneration; it is
your investment in national defence. Economic growth alone cannot make
India a super power in the world. Richness actually carries an element
of vulnerability along. It is the strong and able armed forces that
would provide credibility to the concept of 'super power'. Belittling
the soldier is, therefore, belittling the nation and weakening its
defence potential at a time when India, though poised to emerge as a
super power, is threatened by hordes of evil forces seeking to weaken
and disintegrate India from within and without. Even as we progress
economically, let us also make our future generations safe.



Whatever the notion of some of the politicians, Indian generals have
an accountability and owe clarifications to the Indian public who pay
for the hefty defence budget and for whose security the armed forces
are maintained. And we know for certain that our generals are
professionally as competent and morally as upright as the best in the
world, odd aberrations here and there notwithstanding. It was a
different army and their generals on whom Arthur Wellesley, Duke of
Wellington had lamented in one of his military dispatches in these
words:




"When I reflect upon the characters and attainments of our General
officers of this army – on whom I am to rely – I tremble; and, as Lord
Chesterfield said of the Generals of this day, 'I only hope that when
the enemy reads the list of their names, he trembles as I do!"



Indian generals must not be snubbed and their opinion – be it on
matters of national security or border disputes must be respected
because most of those who shamelessly comment on a General's propriety
to speak to media on such matters have not treaded where the general
has. In fact others must not speak out on such matters without the
general's informed counsel.



There was a time when bureaucracy in the US was influencing the
political leadership in somewhat similar manner while deciding on
army's budgetary needs. In 1933 Gen MacArthur, then Chief of the US
Army, did not hesitate to protest against the deep cuts in the Army's
budget. And when President Franklin Roosevelt did not relent, he
roared with his characteristic disregard to personal interests, "Mr.
President, when we lose the next war and an American boy lying in the
mud with an enemy bayonet through his belly and an enemy foot on his
throat, spits out his last curse, I want the name on his lips to be
Roosevelt, not MacArthur." He concluded by saying that he was
resigning although he was later persuaded to withdraw it after
Roosevelt finally yielded and reversed most of the proposed cuts.



All top generals, admirals and air marshals of India are today
squirming with similar belly aches and may stand up putting country's
interests ahead of their own. Let us hope the government will not
compel them to speak out loudly because military 'loudness' is never
good for ear drums!