A good article which we need to read, so
that it reaches the powers that be.
                    
                By Harsh V Pant
                June 06, 2008
                It is with a sense of disbelief that one hears the Indian minister
of state for defence, sitting in his cozy air-conditioned seminar
room, pontificating that 'it is unbecoming' of former soldiers to
protest against the treatment meted out to them by the government.
So here's a non-soldier making a public protest. One hopes that it
is not below the dignity of the minister to read this.
                The minister would not have dared to make such a comment had the
protestors been a part of his or his party's vote bank. The fact
that the Indian armed services do not go public with their
grievances does not mean that they do not have any concerns and the
fact that they have been forced to come to the streets should make
the minister and his government acknowledge how desperate the
situation might be.

                The Indian government is fooling itself if it thinks that by
dragging its feet on the issue of the armed forces dissatisfaction
with the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, it can make
the issue go away.

                A country that refuses to respect its armed forces will eventually
end up getting forces that will not respect the nations'
aspirations. A country makes a sacred contract with its soldiers
that while he/she will lay down his/her life when called upon to do
so, the nation will take good care of his/her and his/her family's
needs to the extent its resources would permit.

                This contract underpins the very survival of a nation as when its
territorial integrity and political independence are under threat,
the nation looks upon the only instrument that can protect it -- its
armed forces.

                While all governments have to look for a considered bargain between
their commitments and power and between power and resources, a
responsible government will always be aware of the serious
implications of not spending adequate resources on defence.

                The debate as it has been made out to be in some quarters between
defence and development is a spurious one. Unless adequate
provisions are made for defence, no state will be able to pursue its
developmental agenda. This is much more important for a country like
India that faces a unique security environment with two of its
'adversaries' straddling it on two sides of its borders and problems
on all sides of its periphery.

                A government can keep spouting pious rhetoric about global peace and
non-violence but it realises fully that force is the ultima ratio in
international relations. Politics among nations is conducted in the
brooding shadow of violence. Either a state remains able and willing
to use force to preserve and enhance its interests or it is forced
to live at the mercy of its militarily powerful counterpart.

                Even Nehru, after neglecting defence for all the years after
independence had to eventually concede in 1962 that India's military
weakness 'has been a temptation, and a little military strength may
be a deterrent.'

                The Indian public and press remain apathetic on defence issues. We
make Kargil into a television spectacle, an opportunity for our
journalists to try to show their temporary bravery by going to the
frontlines for a few hours and getting the excitement of covering a
war from the inside. And then when it is all over, our soldiers have
been interred into their graves, we move on to new and more exciting
spectacles -- to our song and dance reality shows and saas-bahu
sagas, forgetting that soldiers are still on guard.

                This is a nation that will cry with Lata Mangeshkar [Images] when
she sings Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon but will not make any effort to
understand the real problems and concerns of its soldiers. It is a
sign of the highly skewed priorities of the Indian media that the
rising turmoil and dissatisfaction within the ranks of nations'
armed forces is being given only perfunctory coverage.

                It is an issue of nation's very survival yet the media seems busy
with its devotion of superficialities. Every rave and rant of
Bollywood actors is religiously covered, detailed dissection of
seemingly never-ending cricket matches are conducted, exorbitant pay
rises in the corporate sector make it to the headlines but the one
issue that can make or break the future of this country is consigned
to the margins.

                We continue to pray at the altar of our false heroes while our real
heroes continue to face neglect and scorn.

                The armed forces feel they have never got their due from various pay
commissions over the years but the government in its wisdom decided
to keep the armed forces away from any representation in the latest
Pay Commission. The dominance of bureaucrats meant that while the
interests of the bureaucrats were well-recognised, the armed
services once again ended up getting a raw deal.

                The discontent is so serious that some of the best and brightest in
our services have refused to go for the Higher Command Courses and
more and more are seeking an early retirement. Indian armed forces
are desperately trying to fill vacancies as other professions are
luring the young of the country.

                Against the sanctioned strength of 300 per batch, the National
Defence Academy finds that it can only attract 192 cadres this year.
The same story repeats itself in the Indian Military Academy. A
country that purports to be a rising power is facing a shortage of
more than 11,000 officers.

                The reason is pretty obvious: One can't think of any major power in
the world that treats its soldiers the way India does. It is indeed
a sorry sight when India's bravest have to literally cry out for
help from a callous politico-bureaucratic elite.

                Our politicians remain more than willing to waste tax payers money
by routinely boycotting Parliament and have never shied away from
increasing their own pay and allowances, claiming that they remain
underpaid. Yet those who defend the sanctity of Parliament are given
a short shrift.

                The abysmal knowledge of defence issues that pervades the Indian
political class probably gives them an illusion that the country is
being protected by divine blessings.

                Political apathy and bureaucratic design are rapidly eroding the
self-esteem of our forces. A functioning liberal democracy needs a
loyal soldier that can take care of the state's security, allowing
the state to look after its citizenry. In India, the State is
gradually withering away, all that's left is the loyal soldier. How
long will this soldier, under siege from all sides, remain steadfast
to its commitments, is a question all Indians should seriously
ponder on.

                Dr Harsh V Pant teaches at King's College London

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