Modi Government Short Changing Armed Forces, this Country Will Pay A Heavy Price.

It is time the citizens of this country woke up and sorted out the politicians, who they have elected to undo this mess. Or their next wake up call on some tomorrow morning will be under the debris of their flattened houses, flattened by enemy bombs, or their relatives and friends burnt to cinder in front of them by tactical nuclear devices of the enemy who knows? The reason? The defence forces did not retaliate effectively. Who would like to die for these crass injustices heaped upon them by this ungrateful country, its government and its citizens? Who beat up 85 year old veterans shamelessly, and make them fight for their just dues like a trade union?

Accountability from the Armed Forces is being demanded by our political masters and bureaucracy – but are those who are demanding accountability have ever been accountable to people – having betrayed their trust in innumerable instances?

I would like to quote what Chanakya or Kautilya told Chandragupta Maurya hundreds of years ago.

“The Mauryan soldier does not enrich the Royal treasuries nor fills the Royal granaries. He does not carry out trade and commerce nor produce scholars, litterateurs, artistes, artisans, sculptors, architects, craftsmen, doctors and administrators. He does not build roads and ramparts nor dig wells and reservoirs. He does not do any of this directly.

“The soldier only and merely ensures that the tax, tribute and revenue collectors travel forth and return safely; that the farmer tills, harvests, stores and markets his produce unafraid of pillage; that the trader, merchant and financier function and travel across the length and breadth of the realm unmolested; that the savant, sculptor, maestro and mentor create works of art, literature, philosophy and astrology in quietitude; that the architect designs and builds his Vaastus without tension; that the tutor and the priest teach and preach in peace; that the rishis meditate in wordless silence; that the doctor invents cures and medicines undisturbed; that the mason and bricklayer work unhindered; that the mother and the wife go about their chores and bring up children in harmony and tranquility; that the cattle graze freely without being lifted or stolen.

“Pataliputra reposes each night in peaceful comfort, O King, secure in the belief that the distant borders of Magadha are inviolate and the interiors are safe and secure, thanks only to the Mauryan Army standing vigil with naked swords and eyes peeled for action, day and night, in weather fair and foul, all eight praharas (round the clock), quite unmindful of personal discomfort and hardship, all through the year, year after year.

“While the citizenry of the State contributes to see that the State prospers and flourishes, the soldier guarantees it continues to EXIST as a State! To this man, O Rajadhiraja, you owe a debt: please, therefore, see to it, on your own, that the soldier continuously gets his dues in every form and respect, be they his needs or his wants, for he is not likely to ask for them himself.”

Then Kautilya, known also as Chanakya gave his king this blunt warning: “The day the soldier has to demand his dues will be a sad day for Magadha for then, on that day, you will have lost all moral sanction to be King!”

I reproduce here an article by Brig Arun Bajpai.

IDN TAKE: Modi Government Short Changing Armed Forces, Country Will Pay Heavy Price
by Brigadier Arun Bajpai (Retd)

It is not money but the status vis- a –vis other central government services that is most important to the armed forces. At the time of Independence Armed forces were above all services with the then commander -in-Chief General Cariappa standing second in the hierarchy. Nehru-Krishna Menon duo interfered with this hierarchy ,abolished the post of Commander –in –Chief and armed forces came down 33rd in the precedence, with nobody to hear their grievances .Result was 1962 debacle in Indo-China war. Once again the angst in the Armed Forces which basically commenced from fifth pay commission is now a roaring anger thanks to the Seventh pay commission misplaced action of granting higher status to IPS officers and even Para military forces as against Armed forces. It is a dangerous situation and if not corrected country will pay heavy price.

There is absolutely no doubt that IAS and IPS people because of their proximity to political power politicians and each having their own associations have over successive pay commissions given themselves sweeter and sweeter deals and left the military out in the cold. This point further gets reinforced because while the IAS and IPS have their representatives in the Pay commissions Military has never been represented when with more than 13 lakh defence personnel they constitute the biggest chunk. With associations banned, Indian politicians having no knowledge of matters military and the IAS & IPS Babus out to exploit them, Armed forces have nowhere to go.

The three services chiefs have very limited say and even they are picked up based on how pliant they are to the ruling dispension. In developed country democracies they have an autonomous body of retired veterans and prominent civil persons in the country to look after the interests of the armed forces but not so in India. In India they work under Ram Barossa. The status comes in because in India it is decided by the pay and perks drawn when one compares civilian Babu and military.

There are 46 anomalies which are coming down from the Fifth Pay Commission .Any number of official clarifications have been asked by the Armed Forces, veterans have gone to courts for the same but our Neta-Babu Combination has not given a satisfactory answer till date. Why? Is it not their responsibility to convince the Armed forces that these anomalies are justified or not justified? If NO has to be said by the Government then that also should be said in clear terms. What is even more surprising is that all cases of military which have gone to courts military has won. In other words is this the order of the day in India that for every right of theirs the Veterans must rush to courts and involve themselves in long drawn litigation? God help this country if its politicians fail to understand that morale of the armed forces is going to their boots that also at the time when threat perception to India is highest.

Both China and Pakistan have joined hands, Kashmir is on turmoil and Pakistan is hell bent on proxy war. At this time when morale of the armed forces should be highest it is at its lowest. Veterans are forced to agitate with rallies at Jantar-Mantar but nobody in the power is paying any heed. Hope Modi Government understands that it is not weapons but man behind the weapons who fights the war and if he is demoralised and disgruntled then Prime Minster Modi should not talk of POK and Baluchistan from the ramparts of Red Fort. Our netas must understand that our enemies know more about us then we ourselves.

Seventh pay commission led by a retired Supreme court judge Mr Mathur who reportedly harboured a grudge against armed forces because Armed Forces refused to provide him with a bungalow in cantonment post retirement, have added 36 more anomalies in addition to the 46 coming down from Fifth Pay commission making total anomalies as 82, a staggering number.

This is happening when today a soldier is well educated, minimum education qualification of entry is 10th class pass and knows his rights. He looks up to his superior officers for solution but there is nobody in political class to hear this superior officer as a result even the discipline in armed forces is becoming a casualty. Take the latest anomaly of seventh pay commission.
A DIG of the Para Military force whose basic job is to be posted on international border as these forces are raised to guard the international border, while Army guards all disputed borders of China and Pakistan, gets Rs 73000 as allowance even if he is posted in Meghalaya capital Shillong, but an Army Brigadier gets nothing whether posted in Ladakh or anywhere else.. Why? Either allow this facility to both or none. Similarly the Non Functional Upgrade (NFU) and three increments have been given to police and IAS cadre but Armed forces nothing why? All this has enhanced the status of even police by the seventh pay commission over Army so what will happen when there is joint command where till now the Army was supreme? Will a police officer with no knowledge of matters military command Army? This is ridiculous.

Feeling is creeping in Armed Forces that an ungrateful nation and its politicians are least bothered about them while they are taking the real bullets in protecting the country. Our ruling politicians must understand that India is proud that its armed forces are apolitical and are subordinate to the political masters. However armed forces are not subordinate to bureaucracy and subordinate does not mean disadvantaged or subservient. Why the ruling Indian political class making this institution of armed forces get a feeling that they are being discriminated against and short changed? One feels that all this is happening because our politicians have no military background or knowledge and the Babus advising the politicians are exploiting this weakness of politicians by short changing the armed forces. It is time Modi Government wakes up and takes immediate corrective action . It must come out with immediate answers to these 82 anomalies and Prime Minster Modi himself should take on this task. Say YES or NO in clear terms, armed forces will not mind it. Failing this India is heading towards dire straits.

Brig Arun Bajpai (Retd) is a distinguished Defense and Strategic Analyst. Views express are his own.