"So, it's all a question of money. That the loyalties of some Army Officers seem to be pegged around what Pay & Allowances we get in return. Why serve in The Army, open a shop friend."

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/In-search-of-propriety/where-is-the-incentive-for-the-armed-forces-to-remain-motivated/

"Areas of concern of a soldier like any other citizen of the country include education and marriage of his children, healthcare, and financial well being after his retirement. This is especially so because his capacities to earn for the family diminishes at a much younger age while his commitments are at its peak. He believes that the nation will take care of him and his family if ever he gets wounded and disabled while on duty and his family will be cared for and respected if he had to make the supreme sacrifice. Above all he expects the nation to recognize his sacrifices and respect him.

Are we as a nation doing enough to motivate our Armed Forces?"

Response of civilians and similar statements from my civilian friends during get togethers or over a cup of tea at Deepali Cafe :

"So, it's all a question of money. That the loyalties of some Army Officers seem to be pegged around what Pay & Allowances we get in return. Why serve in The Army, open a shop friend."

Wow! "Why serve in Fauz open a shop", a typical Gora Sahab expression! Sir, I think times have changed and we can't remain the pickwickian, Gora Commanding Officers like my father used to be, typical British Army vintage, . He would whack his regimental cane on his immaculately starched Olive Green cotton drill trousers and rumble Bacche Natha Singh kaise ho, sab thik thak hai? (Son Natha Singh how are things? all well?). Sepoy Natha Singh used to reply "Je saab ji, sab Vadiya hai" (Yes Sir all is well).

Natha Singh was too proud and never said a word that his family is upon bad times as his pay which he sends home is inadequate to meet daily needs, yet he would not think twice about laying down his life for his unit first then Country, rather than accepting surrender or defeat at the hands of the enemy. Same is the case with young Officers. Examples are galore. Lt Col Shanti Swarup Rana,

Lt. Navdeep Singh, Batra, Mahadik the list is endless.

It's now nearly 20 years since I retired from the Corps of Signals, Indian Army yet my wife and I still remember the hard days we faced and the financial difficulties we went through as we brought up our children. Luckily our 2 daughters shone themselves in Academics and reached the upper rung of their careers fast as well as to became good people in life. Same is the case with most of my brethren.

I still remember the Money lender on Main Street Mhow! Come the month end and there used to be a line outside his shop of Officers from the Military College Telecom Engineering, Infantry School and College of Combat all waving post dated cheques to make ends meet at the end of the month.

My wife 4 months pregnant with our first daughter wanted to have some pedhas, (a kind of sweetmeat made from milk) they cost Rs 15 a kilo then. I did not have money to buy them, as our take home pay was just Rs. 300 pm, after all the Officers Mess cuttings, house rent cuttings, tailor cuttings and so on. I had to console my wife I will get them on the first of next month. We did not have cooking gas in those days, she used to cook on paraffin stoves. Luckily for me I was posted to High Altitude area Leh and Northwards before my first child was born. Luckily because I knew it would have been difficult neigh impossible to look after a new born on such a meager salary while posted away from home. So she moved home for delivery. After the 3 rd pay commission things improved a bit. Yet by and large Indira Gandhi ensured degradation of the Armed Forces by Terminating OROP and reducing pension percentage. We thought that after we fought the India Pak war of 71 successfully, she would improve our situation dramatically viv a vis the Babus (IAS and the IPS), but no sir it was the other way round.

We never had money enough to stitch decent clothes, so nearly all of us got them tailored from Mhow shops, paying the bill in 2 year installments of Rs. 50 per month. This was exactly like the British Officers did pre Independence, at the Bombay Tailors, "Bacche khate mey daal dena" (son, put the bill on my account) as if Maj Simmons was doing a big favor to the tailor !!That was the state sir.

We can play possum about many things, but we cannot pretend about our fiscal state. Coming to pegging of loyalties, I think we mix up things. Motivation plays a very crucial role as far as loyalties go. Natha Singh never had exposure to how his civilian counterpart lived, as there was no TV or multimedia or internet. 

Yes with the advent of free rations becoming
authorized as a part of pay and Allowances of all
Ranks of the Defense Forces, around  1982 along with the Fourth Pay Commission pay improvements, things became a bit easier. Yet at the same time the demands on the Army kept getting multiplied. 

"Call the Army even if PM's yoga mats get blown away from Rajpath syndrome as we call it. The civilian governments are unable to handle a lot of things which actually fall outside the jurisdiction of the army, yet are done by the army! flood, earthquake, rescuing someone from borewell, or for building bridges also !!!!!The list is endless.

Today's youngsters are more savvy than of old. They know exactly what is happening in the world and are no longer like cart horses with side view obstructing blinders. 

The new generation Officers of the Indian Army are no longer willing to die for a country governed by criminal hoodlum Politicians with registered criminal cases against them a yard long. Corrupt babus most of the times, trying to stamp them down into the earth at every opportunity. Time to change sir and climb down a bit to ground realities of life.

A glaring example from the past.

Though the Government could not take away Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw's rank, it did take away everything else and treated him shabbily indeed. He retired in January 1973. Field Marshals get full pay and allowances till death. Manekshaw never got even the pension of the rank he held nor a house or a car after retirement. It took the Government of India aka the IAS Babus, 36 years to decide his scale and entitlement.

Sam's larger-than-life image also earned him some enemies. For long, he was denied the benefits and status due to a Field Marshal. It was not until 2006-07 that President Abdul Kalam took the initiative and made sure the general got his full dues. Unfortunately the dues cheque was handed over to him as he lay dying on his hospital bed. That’s how it works, , the system Parrikar presides over today. 

To think that people have the guts and shamelessness to make statements like: "So, it's all a question of money. That the loyalties of Army Officers seem to be pegged around what Pay & Allowances we get in return. Why serve in The Army, open a shop friend." The Bastards. You will pay my friend and pay through all your orifices when the time comes.