Indian Defence Review

A significant constituent of India are her Armed Forces, to defeat aggression, wage war, and for ceremonial functions. Misemployment erodes their morale, efficiency, integrity, loyalty, sense of duty, honour code, discipline and finally fighting capability.

Uninterrupted misuse of Forces crumbles the edifice; corruption and greed germinate, gnawing at the vitals of the only organisation that permits society to pursue their faith and occupation in safety.

Commentators in India write and speak about degeneration of values in our Armed Forces without solutions. Some write without substantiation, others because of personal grouse, and few regrettably, with cussedness and venom.

What indicates a Poor Image?  Is it that young men do not join? Civilians have little regard for ‘faujis’? Politicians & bureaucrats disrespect officers? Industry does not willingly employ retired servicemen? Latest weapons are denied? Basic amenities are lacking? Lowered selection standards? Views differ based on one’s mind-set. Many proclaim that the image was better, “in their time”. To begin with, how come, sons of those who denigrate the fauj, are in Kansas, Kanpur, Kent or Kolkata, instead of Kargil?

If we faujis, both serving and retired, honour our dead, and more so the living, it is adequate. How many of us attend memorial services for policemen killed in action? Do we attend felicitation functions for environmentalists who spend a lifetime to improve civic facilities, which we servicemen enjoy?

What prevents sons of officers from joining their father’s service? Studies say that 10% officers send their sons back into the Services, because the ‘fathers’ believe, civilian options are safer, more lucrative, free, permit speedy upward mobility and so on. They besmirch present cadres as corrupt, cowardly, sycophants, and not of the ‘same stuff’, so cannot permit their beloved male heirs, to mix with such insufferable personalities.

One would imagine that these “fathers’” would abhor interacting with today’s officers. But the ‘fathers’ attend every military function and accept food and drink from the very people they consider intellectually and morally corrupt. These ‘fathers’ integrity stands exposed. When faujis write belittling stories about the Armed Forces, the media gives unwarranted publicity, and the writer basks in a false glory of having done it right. One must pity such officers.

Last Choice

Where are the Good Guys? One lament is that boys join the Forces when unable to get in elsewhere. Indeed many who come to the fauj after rejection by the IAS, IFS, Infosys, L&T, Mahindras, Microsoft and so on, yet there are many who choose the fauj as the first choice. What is the incongruity? Must every one volunteer first for the Forces and then drift to engineering, business, accountancy, medicine, civil services, because the Selection Board rejected them? Lets look at the issue of Last Choice today and First Choice yesterday. From the 50s to 70s, higher education and corporate options were few. Today, they flourish with enhanced financial capabilities in India and abroad. How can we complain that young men are choosing the Forces as a last choice?

When the options were 10, many selected the ‘fauj’. With options proliferating the ‘fauj’ becomes one of the hundred. Does this mean that lucre has defeated patriotism? Does it mean that today’s youngsters are disloyal? Does it mean that the image of the Forces is falling? Incorrect.

It is a question of arithmetic, more the avenues, greater the dispersion. The irony is that bureaucrats, business mangers, policemen, scientists, all complain that quality youngsters are not joining. Then where are the “ good guys”? Are there no good guys? That is a matter irrelevant to this article. Lowering Standards in Selection Centres.

Most certainly, shortage of officers exists, and notwithstanding all efforts, it persists. Is this not an adequate proof that Selection Boards (SSB) are not lowering standards to meet shortfalls? It is also true that many attend SSB with no intention of joining, but get selected, and use that as a testimonial, and it works. Look at it another way. If the selection criteria were lowered to meet shortfalls, most officers commissioned in the 80s and later would perform unsatisfactorily. Have these officers failed the system? Certainly not. Has their leadership, courage, responsibility, generosity, camaraderie, discipline, integrity, loyalty, been poor? False, otherwise military operations in India and abroad, would have failed.

In comparison, did those commissioned from the 40s to the 60s perform better and was unbecoming conduct rare? In terms of percentages the good, the bad and the indifferent are invariably the same, but media exposure of the bad is immediate and repetitive, with innuendos regarding lowering of integrity levels due to poor recruitment. Can there be a more skewed conclusion?

Old timers believe they were better, but evolution proves that successive generations are more capable and the last 2000 years establishes this truth. If the skulduggeries of the 50s to 70s are revealed it may become common knowledge that those officers were worse. Let us consider more other causes for the supposed poor image of the Forces.

Greed, Hierarchy and Neglect of Sacrifice

The Greed for Money by Services. Since money makes the world go, why are better salaries for the Armed Forces distasteful? Will higher remunerations discourage faujis from fighting and dying? Utter balderdash. Earlier, options were limited, private enterprise was strangulated, the Indian Middle Class was yet to rise, profit was a dirty word, colleges were inadequate, private firms wanted graduates, Forces wanted matriculates. It was easier to get into the NDA/IMA/AFA than a college, the population was exploding, there was less to be shared by more.

Under the prevailing circumstances young men came to the Armed Forces since the odds were better. Danger, tough life, salaries, transfers, limited promotion, was irrelevant. Getting a job, and a government job, was paramount. Now, companies have pro-liferated, offering astronomical salaries, colleges have multiplied, opportunities abroad are increasing, menus for jobs run into pages; naturally, the numbers volunteering for the ‘fauj’ have declined. Over the years recruitment suffered, shortfalls became glaring affecting adminstration and operational capabilities.

Yet, the Armed Forces have ensured by their steadfastness, a stable secure republic in which political and administrative jiggery-pokery notwithstanding, the ordinary citizen lives without fear of external threat, and in full knowledge that the Armed Forces are available to restore normalcy in crises. Is this proof of a declining image or sustained image? It is deplorable that many ex-faujis grudge serving personnel their merited salaries, and call it ‘lust for lucre’. There is abundant evidence that enhanced pay scales have not atrophied our fighting calibre. It would not be overstating the fact that today’s officers are doing a better job.

The enemy is different, fashion of war has changed, political pressures are heavy, demands from society and family are intense, mistakes are expensive, media response is swift, unforgiving and persistent. To believe that officers of the 40s to 60s joined for the honour of India, and today it is for money, is a self-pitying thought. Are critics of higher salaries the same persons who want one rank one pension? How come seeking higher pension is honourable, but getting higher salary is disreputable?

Status in Government Hierarchy. Pre 1947, the Commander-in-Chief of India was next in precedence to the Viceroy. After independence, ‘politicking’ overwhelmed administration, and with military coups all around India, the bureaucracy concluded that if the Pakistani elements of the British Indian Army could engineer a coup, why not the Indian segment? That India’s Armed Forces refuse to enter the political arena, and remain aloof even today, has not altered this thinking. Ironically it was under Indira Gandhi’s turbulent tenure that the Warrant of Precedence saw Defence officers slipping down the list.

Let us look at the trauma, if any, this has caused. Quite honestly, it makes little difference whether the Chiefs are above the Defence Secretary, below the High Court Judge, equal to the CAG, at par with the CEC, equivalent to DG BSF and so on. How often does a Chief have to stand ‘behind’ one of these persons when being introduced to the President of Ukraine?At the Republic Day parade Chiefs are exclusively visible, at investitures they have a special place, their cars have unique emblems, their homes are distinct. At district levels, there is protocol friction during VIP visits. But within military perimeters, there is no problem. The author has been the Chief Operations Officer at Palam, Delhi and our protocol is enforced in the IAF area.

We must appreciate that police and administrative authority have a critical role in VIP visits. Mistakes are unacceptable and media enlarges errors. Little wonders then, that the Collector and Superintendent Police personally supervise every moment. This we find abrasive. Would the upward move of the Chiefs have a cascading effect downwards?

And if that happened, will the direct involvement of the DIG, Collector, and Superintendent lessen? Has for example the re-designation of Air Commodores as Principal Directors, or the re-designation of many Lt Gens in Army HQ as Director Generals changed MODs attitude towards us? The one-upmanship within the civilian bureaucracy is shameful, we should stay away, the Warrant of Precedence has little impact on the fauji-civilian equation. Lets accept it and take care of our ‘izzat’ ourselves.

Neglect of Valour & Sacrifice by Faujis. The saying “God and soldiers are remembered only in crises” affects faujis across the globe. Does this mean that Indian Armed Forces are held in low esteem? Does it mean that India’s millions ignore the memory of those who fell in battle? Quite honestly, do we need outsiders to pay homage to our fallen comrades? And if they do not pay homage, whose fault is it? Observe how the isolation between the ‘fauji’ and civilian came about?

Till the late 70s we did not want to be contaminated by the ‘boxwalla’. Now the boxwalla controls the economy, why should he bend backwards for faujis who considered him below par? Civilians no longer consider it a privilege to visit our Messes. On the contrary it is we faujis who seek invitations from the boxwalla to hotels and clubs. The salaries of the “boxwalla” rose dramatically in the 80s; regrettably the fauji remained where he was.

Even the stunning victory in 1971, did not galvanise the politician to raise remunerations.The misplaced belief within the Services that faujis joins for glory and patriotism, if his salary is increased many-fold, he will not make the supreme sacrifice. A more twisted belief could not have come from anyone except us. Given an opportunity, civilians will enthusiastically participate to honour those who have fallen for India. But if they perceive a selfish flavour to the event, they retreat, and advise colleagues accordingly. Besides, we cannot expect them to be passionate about memorials, raising days, welfare programmes and so on. Civilians in large numbers do monumental social and rehabilitation projects.

If we faujis, both serving and retired, honour our dead, and more so the living, it is adequate. How many of us attend memorial services for policemen killed in action? Do we attend felicitation functions for environmentalists who spend a lifetime to improve civic facilities, which we servicemen enjoy? Our ‘izzat’ is in our hands, do we need civilians to enhance it? The less we look for ‘izzat’ from the civilian, the less we will need it and miss it.

Sycophancy, Corruption, and Izzat

Sycophancy and Financial Corruption. Loose talk places sycophancy and financial corruption as rampant in the Armed Forces. Sycophants thrived in 3000 BC, and flourish today, they cannot be wished away. The Forces are not an island of virtuous ladies and gentlemen. They come from the same stock of traders, tycoons, bureaucrats, politicians, financier, farmers and so on. Like in other persuasions, slots at the top are few, aspirants many. The majority accept the levels they reach, but there are those wanting what they do not deserve.

The history of India’s Armed Forces has many tales of sycophancy. If there were three AVMs in the 60s with about 40 Wing Commanders, today there are 30 AVMs with 1000 Wg Cdrs. It looks enormous, but the ratio is constant. It is inappropriate to name earlier sycophants who held critical positions and showered ruin on the Armed Forces and the nation. If the media were to get hold of the shocking financial improprieties of yesteryears, it would pale today’s cases into oblivion. In many forums it is said that corruption is routine in the business world, and that transition for officers into the corporate world is awkward.

The fact is that our military ‘badmashes’ will put any corporate crook to shame. Values have changed in India. In the homes of faujis are children and grand children who scoff at traditions. Many are settled abroad, others have persuasions at variance with the culture of Armed Forces. For them visiting Messes is passe. Old faujis who complain about junior officers are silent about their own progeny on similar issues. Our young officers come from this group and their senior supervisors understand the changed environment.

If in 2014 you treat officers as we did in the 60’s, they will not perform as combatants of the 21st century. Just because cases of un-officer like conduct get blown up on TV, does not mean that financial corruption and sycophancy has increased in the Indian Armed Forces. The calamity is that similar deeds by civilians, does not get equal publicity. One look at the sycophancy in politics, bureaucracy, judiciary, business, medicine should convince anyone where the faujis stand in order of merit.

Lack of Izzat, and Interaction In Cantonments. During the late 70s & 80s a wave of Zero Error Syndrome engulfed us. Bangladesh was born, borders were quiet, only Nagaland and Manipur had insurgency. Punjab and J&K were the best places to serve. Salaries of the Armed Forces were poor, the corporate world was still blossoming, Indira Gandhi was defeated, a bumbling coalition came to power and went, Indira returned, politics took a dive, institutions got corrupted. Militancy started in Punjab, and was defeated at great cost, Indira was assassinated, Rajiv’s circus took charge and produced militancy in J&K, matters went out of hand, or so it appeared.

VP Singh, Chandrashekhar, Deve Gowda, Gujral, four eminently unsuitable individuals adorned the office of the First Minister of Govt of India. Finally, Narsimha Rao came with Manmohan Singh, and India took that turn for the better.

Unfortunately during this two-decade period, Zero Error crept into the psyche of the Armed Forces which is unattainable, and contrary to all military teachings. The relative calm and impossibility of a shooting war permitted mismanagement of our human resources. Thankfully, this is being reversed. As said earlier, the ‘izzat’ of the ‘fauj’ is entirely in the hands of ‘faujis’.

One Tehelka does not destroy our ‘izzat’. A ‘Manorama devi’ does not demolish our integrity. One Promotion Board reversal does not mean the system is rotten. Sexual harassment occurs in most organisations, and to expect the Forces to be absolutely purged of it is being naive. Aberrations occur, unsuitable people slip through the net, be they military, corporate, govt, academic, hospitals.

Human nature will not permit a clean system to flourish. Many old timers brand Cantonments as anachronistic after having enjoyed a wonderful life in cantonments, hidden from civilian eyes and ears. The British left, ordinary Indians moved into cantonments, crowding began, friction developed, minor altercations happened, but this cannot be placed at the doorstep of young officers. The non-military population is equally responsible. The day India’s cantonments are merged with cities, a historical and cultural part of India will die, and along with it the relatively cleaner areas. If there are altercations between military and civilians, they are few and far between.

If Armed Forces are frequently given tasks of the police, para-military and judicial elements of the State, why cannot faujis teach a lesson to the boorish, uninvited?

The ‘fauji’ dislikes getting embroiled with civilians because he is not trained to be riotous and it takes much provocation to get a violent response from faujis. Arrogant behaviour by local ‘dadas’ is common, and if that behaviour is directed towards a fauji, he will react in the only way he has been trained, with full force and determination. It is inconceivable that any fauji will misbehave with civilians unless provoked.

When local political animals and Nuevo-riche act abrasively with faujis, a fitting reaction results and gets branded as unbecoming conduct by “experts” sitting hundreds of kilometres away. Sometimes it may be desirable to make an example of the uncouth that harass citizens in Cantonments. If Armed Forces are frequently given tasks of the police, para-military and judicial elements of the State, why cannot faujis teach a lesson to the boorish, uninvited?

Higher Judicial Authority and Premature Release

Higher Judicial Authority. Media and legal eagles say that faujis approaching High Courts is proof of a poor Military legal system. Incorrect conclusion. Armed Forces dislike Court Martials, it is cumbersome, involves too many people and impinges on operations. In civil courts everyone’s profession is litigation; in the Forces, Courts Martial are unrelated to the basic job. Whenever a Court Martial is ordered, it means that the offence is serious demanding severe punishment. When a Court Martial awards a punishment, in most cases, it is accepted by the accused. Many sceptics will immediately find flaws and say this is unacceptable. But the non-military reader should appreciate the inherent natural justice provided to a fauji who maybe blameworthy.

If a DRDO scientist resigns it is routine, if the District Collector resigns it is normal, if the General Manager of a MNC resigns it is in order, if a machine operator quits it is common, but if a colonel seeks premature release, then the image of the Armed Forces is crumbling.

Court Martial. The process begins with a Court of Inquiry during which if the Court feels that the person may be blameworthy, he can read all evidence and cross- examine all witnesses. Not permitted in civil courts. If offence is severe, demanding a Court Martial (CM), a Summary of Evidence is recorded where the accused is present and cross-examines all who give evidence. Not permitted in civil courts. The accused can object to an officer who is a member of the CM. Can any civilian object to the judge trying his case? Verdict of the CM needs concurrence by convening General/Admiral/Air Marshal. Does anyone concur a judge’s verdict? Yet after all this the fauji can appeal to High Courts. If appeals to High Courts, is proof of a bad judicial system then India’s judiciary is awful, because everyone appeals to High Courts. How come that appeals by civilians to High Courts proves the majesty of Indian law, but when a military man appeals to High Courts it is inadequacy of Military Law?

Premature Retirements. If changing ones job indicates unhappiness and poor image of the organisation, then the corporate world is a useless place. People are constantly moving out and in, and a national picture of this migration is in thousands every month. Release from civil service before ones tenure is considered normal. Why is premature release of military officers deduced as lowering of the image of the Forces? Chemical engineers become software developers, medical students end up as marketing executives, bureaucrats turn to politics, and MBAs become teachers. There are thousands who decide that what they were doing for ten years is not what they really wanted. Architects become com-munication trainers. Pharmacists become farmers, CAs become automobile dealers. Each of these examples is usual and natural, then why raised eyebrows for the ‘fauji’ who changes his profession?

Many officers leave for spouses to pursue a career, or because of a serious illness, infirmity or death in their family. Faujis also look for better prospects. If this last reason for premature retirement is acceptable for all Indians except the Armed Forces, there is something terribly wrong. Whether the release is granted or not is immaterial, the critic’s point is, an officer wants to leave for better salary and perks, ergo the image of the Armed Forces is poor. What perverted logic is this? If a DRDO scientist resigns it is routine, if the District Collector resigns it is normal, if the General Manager of a MNC resigns it is in order, if a machine operator quits it is common, but if a colonel seeks premature release, then the image of the Armed Forces is crumbling. Amazing deductions from ill informed commentators!

So What’s Wrong with the Image? So far, the author has defended the ‘image’ of the Armed Forces reiterating the positives, but there are shortcomings. Many are symptomatic of the times; others due to pressures of discipline and resistance to change. If the image of the Armed Forces glows outside the perimeter fence, then it must shine within. If it remains dull and lacklustre within the ‘fauji’s” house, then it becomes a native enemy.

Personalised Command, Responsibility, Disuse of Appointment

Personalised Command. Every commander’s personality, style, passions, preferences, triumphs, failures, predispositions, must impact on the unit. Be it a squadron, battalion, ship, Command HQs, or the Service in case of a Chief. Officers and men adjust to commanders and this has worked well over the last century with some exceptions. Then what is the catch? It is the misplaced belief that ‘personality’ is the same thing as personal likes, pet theories, social intervention, and so on. While the corporate world prepares its junior managers to become GMs, VPs, and MDs, we have no formal training for COs and senior commanders. This is a serious deficiency. But what is wrong with personalised command?

While the corporate world prepares its junior managers to become GMs, VPs, and MDs, we have no formal training for COs and senior commanders.

A fighting force functions best when the commander’s personality and not his preferences guide the unit. Additionally, the whims of the commander’s wife, if permitted to intervene, has a deleterious impact. When this trait is ignored and at times encouraged by higher formations, the characteristic is carried up the ladder, and then it is too late to change the man, or the woman. Personalised command is a violation of the trust placed in a commander. At its worst manifestation it is like Mohd Bin Tughlak’s leather currency, at its mildest, it may remain hidden nevertheless eroding the very vitals of that unit.

Reluctance to Carry the Can. With command comes responsibility. But many officers have mastered the art of wielding power without responsibility. This trend has been absorbed from our political masters over the last 60 years. With abundant examples of panchayats to prime ministers, from moffusil town judges to justices of the Supreme Court, section officers to senior civil servants, SHO to DG Police, exercising power without accountability, why not the Armed Forces? And yet, the ability to escape responsibility is complicated in the fauj. Commanders malingering during battle amounts to immoral dereliction of duty. Morale plummets when such conduct goes unpunished. Remedy is available in swift exemplary punishment, regrettably it does not happen. Officers with refutable character, indecorous conduct, financial impropriety, and cowardice continue in service, and worse, get promoted. Senior commanders accept gifts and participate in events they should avoid like the plague. Changes are initiated to erase achievements of predecessors.

The philosophy is “Do as I say, not as I do”. Whereas ‘command’ is for demonstrating ones character and integrity, it is used as One Giant Step for Upward Mobility. How many cases do we know where commanders got away with wilful blunders, and a junior took the blame. Take the scams in Ladakh. It is inconceivable that senior officers were not involved, yet how many seniors have been axed? Can the officer who commits such fraud look at his juniors in the eye, issue orders and demand obedience? This phenomenon today is responsible for many ills, including fratricide, suicide, insubordination, and premature release.

Disuse of Appointment. Normally one talks of misuse of authority. This is well known, but what is not looked at is reluctance of seniors to forestall misuse and disuse of juniors. When seniors wilfully ignore shameful acts of omission and commission, faith and izzat melts, juniors get disenchanted. We concentrate on the ‘misuse’ of power and neglect “disuse” of authority. Seniors vacillate, hoping the problem would disappear, and leave a legacy for the next man to clean up. Thus, if a commander will not remedy matters and display leadership in peace, what will he do in combat? Can I follow such a man into battle? Should I follow such a man at all? The recent fake encounters is a result of “disuse” of ones command. Here is a story of Adamapur air base in late the 70s. An Air Marshal was urging officers to be honest about errors, which would be pardoned, but misleading inputs will be punished.

The Flt Lt asked, “ Sir, for four years every visiting Air Marshal has promised that accommodation will be built within one year. Not one additional room or house has been built. This is wilful misleading. What punishment will be meted out?” Silence. The current harassment tales of women officers is a direct result of overlooking known weaknesses of middle and senior commanders, and are best illustrations of ‘disuse’ of authority. If the dictum, ‘lead by personal example’ is adhered to, most, if not all our woes will disappear. A flawless organisation cannot exist; it becomes near flawless, with obvious efforts of leaders who “ do it right, when no one is looking”.

One Missing Element About Salaries

While Infosys, Wipro, L&T, Tatas, Microsoft, Boeing, ONGC, Booze Allen, declare annual ‘compensation’ as many lakhs of rupees, we show standard salaries for each rank. Then we mention humble details about, messing, housing, education, canteen, medical, leave, and so on. The youngster, his parents and public are unimpressed. On the other hand if we convert these privileges into rupees per annum, it would overwhelm any MNC offer. If we are fighting against MNCs for recruitment, then lets fight with their weapon. The total assured perks over 25 years of service cannot be matched by any one else. The fauj has not used this unassailable piece of artillery for recruitment, its impact cannot but, be sensational.

Conclusion

There is much pessimism about the image of the Armed Forces. Multi-optional avenues with financial security are attractive to youngsters. The surety of a Govt job cannot win against the mammoth corporate salaries. Officers are no less honourable today than those of the 40s to70s. If those who profited from their days in the Forces, recklessly denigrate the present generation, it displays their shallow minds. Getting free facilities from civilian establishments is no benchmark for ‘izzat’.

The image of the Armed Forces outside the barbed wire is strong and shining. It is the picture we have of ourselves that needs attention, and the media reflects that image.

Most certainly there are inadequacies within the ‘fauj’. Many are administrative impediments, involving the Govt of India, others are intrinsic and rectifiable. The philosophy “bullshit baffles brains” has been obliterated by the information revolution. Officers and other Ranks cannot be insulated from unsavoury realities about inefficiency and wilful neglect. The non-military population need not be in awe of the Armed Forces, but they do, and will continue to hold the ‘fauji’ in great regard.

The author retired in Dec 1993,and has interacted with a wide spectrum of people from CMDs, shop floor supervisors, software engineers, and financial wizards. The more honest I was about defects in the Armed Forces, the more they understood and accepted them. I have yet to meet a civilian who says that ‘faujis’ are a waste of time. The image of the Armed Forces outside the barbed wire is strong and shining. It is the picture we have of ourselves that needs attention, and the media reflects that image.

If the calibre of today’s young officers were indeed bad, the Armed Forces edifice would crumble in front of us. We must redesign our recruitment campaign and proudly declare the whole ‘cost to company’, our real salaries dwarf those of our competitors. That IAF pilots join airlines for higher pay is not dismaying. If they are disenchanted, it is alarming. What are they un-happy about? Unhappiness can be resolved; the trick is to display leadership with integrity. If commanders can be upright, brave and just, that’s enough. Our image is what our leaders display.