REPUBLIC WHITHERING ?

*WHITHERING REPUBLIC*

Army, the last bastion of the republic is crumbling. Termites have eaten away the foundation. The decay had started long ago when FM Cariappa took over as first indian C-in-C. He agreed to reduce salaries of officers but not of KCIOS who had graduated from Sandhurst, only of ICOs from IMA. He was unceremoniously booted out of Teen Murti bhawan which was official residence of army chief. Gen Thimmaya was humiliated on the floor of the parliament. Who stopped him from resigning second time?  Darbaris like Gen Kaul were promoted and the likes of Sam Manekshah were sidelined.

In the name of civil supremacy army was relegated miles away from decision making process even in matters military. Defence Secretary who knows nothing about defence was made responsible for defence of India vice allocation of business rules. A post of Cabinet Secretary was created and was placed above Army Chief in warrant of precedence. Attorney General, CAG,CEC were placed above the Chief. Mrs Gandhi continued to denigrate army, reduced pensions, humiliated and held back salay of FM Manekshaw for decades. The only General who won a war in recorded history of India faced humiliation all his life and in death too.  In Cong govt, Gen VK Singh was humiliated, naval chief was nudged to resign and none of the piled up anamolies of successive pay commissions which had no representative of armed forces were  addressed. We though BJP govts will do some justice. BJP govt sacked one Navy chief which was first for India and then superceded two competent army cdrs to make Rawat as Chief  again the first time in India that two army cdrs were superceded. Truncated OROP was granted but it created more problems than solutions and forced protests on Jantar Mantar which continues todate. 

Post of CDS was created, a darbari promoted but he was made equal to Secy and all files of DMA of which he is secy must be routed through Def Secy who is head of MOD. For the first time in India, the veterans were lathi charged by the police which dare not touch the farmers sitting on Delhi borders and spreading covid for past six months. A Maj Gen, who lost his mother few days ago, Head of covid designated hosp was posted out within a day on behest of somebody he refused to oblige  and army brass tried to justify it. Where is bottom of shamelessness and lack of back bone? A competent former army chief who would have made excellent cabinet minister of defence or home or finance was made MOS and asked to make roads and bridges. 

Modi govt has proved to be as bad as Cong, may be worse, in denigrating armed forces. 

Why has it been happening only to the army? IAS,IPS, IFS, IRS and other allied group A services have become better with better career prospects in past 70 years but army hasn't. All IAS officers will become Jt Secy in 18 years ,in age of about 42 years and will be in service in SAG grade for next18 years, even if not promoted to next rank whereas army officer only 1% will become Maj Gen who is in SAG scale and that too after 32 years of service and will retire within 8 years after that. 

All IPS officers will reach rank of addl DGP. A state like Panjab ( incl HP and Haryana) in 60s had one IGP police. Today Haryana has 12 DGPs and if you combine three states, they have total of about 40 DGP rank officers equal to army cdrs. If you combine all the states which had one IGP, the DGP rank will run into hundreds. It is the same story with IAS  cadre. The number of Secretaries which are equal to army cdrs run into hundreds. Army which had four army cdrs earlier now has eight incl vice chief and cdr strategic forces. Civ services have grown 1000% in comparison. 

Why has it happened to army alone? Why army failed to protect its service interests? 

It is where quality of officers matter. Successive service Chiefs failed to protect the service interests.  All of them without exception served personal interests. They thought writing letter to Govt was sufficient gesture to discharge their function of looking after army. It removed feeling of guilt ,if there was any.  In 70 years, none of the Chiefs thought it appropriate to resign because he failed to look after interest of army. Isn't it strange? They could do it. At least some of them could. But none did. The only person who took half a stand in recent memory was Gen VK Singh and let me tell you the govt was shaken to its bare bones. Military coup is imminént was talk of the town in all tv discussions for two days. The Dec Secy who was travelling abroad was called back. But that stand of his was purely for personal reasons, not for the army. Wish he had taken such stand for Indian army ! 

So why it is only army which was systematically destroyed in terms of impaired service conditions, pay, perks, promotions, status? This has resulted in brighter lot not opting for the army any more. If you look at the officer cadre, majority are from JCOS, OR families  and academically just average. There are no cadets from IITs and IIMs or from St Stephen's, Hindu College and so on. There is no son of a PM,RM, Cab Min, CM, SC/ HC Judge in army. Why?  And why would a youngster opt for the service which is tough, not rewarding in terms of career and send you home when in age of Rahul Gandhi who is still trying to make career in politics. This poor quality intake of officers has resulted in acts like a Commanding Officer commanding 800 men writing letter to two bit film actor, addressing him "Sir" and begging him for covid kits. Can service and ethos get worse than this? It will get worse in years, I can vouch.  

I blame our service Chiefs for this mess up. Their personal interests, post retirement ambitions and timidity has done army in. Promoting darbari culture in units resulted in average officers becoming sr mil ldrs. Unlike IAS, IPS officers, dozens of who have daily access to PM and Ministers and may even hold evidence of their wrong doings, in army it is only Chief who has access and that too once in a blue moon. Chiefs were and are the sole voice of million men in uniform who can take up the issues of service with the govt/PM. They did not do it. Not forcefully. You have to beat the drums louder if PM is hard of hearing which they all are. But Chiefs did not beat the drums at all. I feel like asking our successive Chiefs - 

*Tu idhar udhar ki baat na kar, ye bata ki qafila loota kyon; mujhe raha janon se gila nahi, teri rahabari ka sawal hai*

Army which was the last tall structure which stood erect is crumbling now. The rot in foundation had started long ago but it has now started crumbling because termites have been eating away foundation for decades. I feel sad. 

*Cry my beloved country because it is your destiny*

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ब्रिगेडियर_नरेन्द्र_ढंड

Brig Narinder Dhand,

Founder & Convener

Veteran's Web Portals.

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