Is Patriotism the sovereign field of Soldiers ?
Unlike many other countries, the Armored forces of India is a volunteer organisation where youth undergo physically,mentally and psychologically tough training and ultimately do the supreme sacrifice of their life,if required , in protecting the Safety,Honour and integrity of this mighty Nation India. As we all know the administration , head of the country is based on civilian supremacy,who does not undergo any basic training on administration.Then ,how do they govern the country.? There is no other way but to be guided by the India Administrative Service personnel.Then where and how do they all understand "Patriotism "
Since time memorial betrayal of a faith has taken place in India.If one had the spirit of Nationalism,Pride of this country ,then we would not have been ruled by others.But the fact remain that we do not appreciate Leadership.And of course, we have to accept that a patriotic leader slowly turns out to be a Dictator.He does not develop second string,third string leaders and is scared of being thrown out.
Under these circumstances,who has to defend this country from external and internal threats.It could only be Army,as patriotism is imbibed in their blood from the very first day of their training.Their service across the length and breadth of this country,hazardous high altitudes,adverse weather conditions and of course in war and peace gives them excellent opportunities to understand the spirit of "Patriotism ".They are the one who practice Leadership and not management.
How the Army should be honoured can be understood very well if we hear the speech of British Prime minister Margret Thatcher.
In the Commons, in an answer to a question about the pay rise, she said,
*“The day, a son of a Brigadier decided to be a CA instead of going back to his father’s Regiment, it will be a sad day for the country. That’s why I am not going to let this happen and I will see that no child of our soldiers opts for a profession for money!"*
It is worth recollecting what the Nation has done to the Army in the past.
How the Military has been demeaned, degraded and demoralised over the last 69 years.
1. *1948* When Indian army was chasing pak intruders on the back run and confident of pushing them beyond whole of J&K, Nehru ordered cease fire. Result- POK and perpetual trouble in Kashmir.
2. *1962*
Nehru pushed the ill prepared and ill equipped military in winters to war with China and to a most humiliating defeat. Advised by his Defence Minister Krishna Menon berated the military leading to the resignation of India’s greatest soldier- General Thimayya.
3. *1965*
Sashtri - a novice in international affairs and ill-advised by bureaucracy gave back Hazipir Pass of great strategic importance to Pak which was won after a great battle and sacrifices of many Indian Soldiers.
4. *1971*
Indira ill advised by fellow Kashmiri PN Haksar frittered a great military victory and made it in to a *political and diplomatic defeat*. Bhutto was ready to sign on any instrument of negotiation on Pak's illegitimate claims on Kashmir to get home his 93000 war prisoners.
As a reward to the military for the great victory, she brought down the pensions of soldiers from 70% to 50%(virtualy 33pc) and raised the pensions of civilians from 30 % to 50%.
As also, Deprived India’s most genius soldier General Bhagat the Army Chiefs post.
5 *1984*
Upgraded the pay of Cabinet Secretary to the level of the Service Chiefs. And thereafter very surreptitiously the babus put Cabinet Secretary ahead of the Chiefs in warrant of Precedence.
6. *1987*
Rajeev Gandhi misguided by the Bureaucrats sent the Military to Sri lanka for the so called peace keeping mission *'OP PAWAN'* and got home 1100 body bags of martyred Indian Soldiers. Rubbing salt to the wounds, Karunanidhi refused to welcome the IPKF at Chennai when it returned from Sri lanka because IPKF killed Tamil militants and terrorists in Sri lanka.
7. *1998*
Vajpayee so dependent on wily Brajesh Mishra, humiliated the military by sacking the Upright Naval Chief for his principled stand against the political interference by the Akalis promoting some one of their clan in higher naval postings.
The following year the nation and the military paid a heavy price due to ignoring the advice of military, Vajpayee going to Lahore when the Kargil heights were surreptitiously being occupied by Pakistan army. 600 soldiers had to die to reclaim these posts.
7. *2012*
Chidambaram the clever Home Minster of Non effective Manmohan Singh, in league with a section of the media tried to defame the military with a planted story of an attempted Army coup just to settle scores with General VK Singh. They raised aspersions on the very patriotism of Indian Military and its commitment to our cherished democracy.
8. *2015-16*
Modi ill advised by Jaitley (blaming ex servicemen for his Amritsar defeat ) through 7th Pay commission completed the unfinished grand design of the political and bureaucratic class to totally degrade and demoralise the military.
*The nation should know and be rest assured that while the politicians and the bureaucrats betrayed and failed the Military, the Military will NEVER fail their nation come what may.*
If the society does not come forward to honour and appreciate the defense services,then the service personnel start thinking whether safety of the country is sole responsibility of the Army while others can loot as they feel like.
Look at the scandal at high level in the Army as reported by "Out look "
Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sahni, who suffers the ignominy of becoming the first General-level officer to be cashiered and given imprisonment in a ration scam by a General Court Martial (GCM), will now have his fate decided by the Army chief.
Lt Gen Sahni, who was yesterday sentenced to three years RI and cashiered from service after being found guilty of irregularities in procurement of rations for troops in Jammu and Kashmir, was the first in the army's history to go on trial before a GCM in the rank of a General-level officer.
65-year-old Sahni of the Army Service Corps was found guilty of procuring sub-standard meat and other dry rations for troops deployed on the Siachen mountains and other high altitude areas in 2005.
Already retired from service, Lt Gen Sahni now faces the prospect of losing his terminal benefits like pension and gratuity besides the rank.
After the GCM report reaches Delhi, his case will go before the Army Chief for confirmation and thereafter to the Defence Minister.
In case, they confirm the conviction and sentence, Sahni can approach the Armed Forces Tribunal in Chandigarh for relief and may be the Supreme Court later.
He is the second General-level officer who has been punished by the GCM but his is the first case of such a senior official being cashiered and sentenced to imprisonment.
Recently, Lt Gen P K Rath faced severe reprimand and 15 years of loss of service for the purpose of pension by a GCM in the Sukna land scam.
Yesterday the GCM headed by Lt Gen Jatinder Pal Singh held Sahni, who was then the Director General of Supplies and Transport, guilty under six of the nine charges framed against him in what is known as the rations scam in the Army. Singh retired in 2006.
Sahni, who is under arrest for the last seven months since the GCM commenced, was also divested of the medals and stars. His plea for bail was rejected.
Cashiering from service would entail the withdrawal of all perks he enjoys as a retired officer of the Indian Army, including pension.
A Court of Inquiry constituted in 2005 had recommended disciplinary action against Sahni after indicting him in the case.
Among the charges for which Sahni was convicted was the intent to defraud in the procurement of rations.
A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had paved way for action against Sahni. The report revealed that soldiers were supplied wheat, rice, pulses and edible oil past their expiry date.
The auditor has also found a serious lack of competition in filing of tenders for the purchase of ration. In fact, it points out that a single vendor bagged contracts for more than 36 per cent of the purchases.
It also said that about-to-expire food items were bought at cheaper rates by contractors and then supplied to army units.
On July 10, 2010, the summary of evidence was completed; giving recommendations to continue disciplinary action against General Sahni and orders for general court martial were issued.
In this regard, a Court of Inquiry which was constituted in 2005 had recommended disciplinary action against him in connection with the case. After his retirement from Army in 2006, the inquiry was initiated.
Lt Gen S K Sahni is the first three-star General against whom the court martial was ordered by the Service, while Lt Gen Rath was punished first. His sentence is yet to be confirmed by the superior authorities.
Another Artillery Service Corps officer Lt Gen S K Dahiya was also indicted on corruption charges by an army Court of Inquiry (CoI). But he did not face a court martial and only administrative action was taken against him.
Another senior official, Lt Gen AK Nanda was accused of misbehaving with his Technical Secretary's wife. The army had ordered a court of inquiry to investigate the allegations.
After receiving the CoI recommendations, the army had "censored" both Nanda and his Technical secretary for their respective roles in the whole episode.
Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, who has been named in the Sukna land scam, is at the moment attached to the Eastern Army Command HQ in Kolkata. Disciplinary action was prescribed against him by the former Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor.
In a sexual harassment case, Major General A K Lal, who was commanding a division on the Sino-Indian border in Jammu and Kashmir, was found guilty by a court martial in 2008 on charges levelled against him by a captain serving under him.
Lal was dismissed from service and has now approached the Armed Forces Tribunal against the decision.
In early 2009, two major generals of the Army Ordnance Corps--Anand Swaroop and S.P. Sinha--faced separate charges of irregularities in the purchase of stores.
In 2006, Major General Gur Iqbal Singh Multani was dismissed from service and was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for attempting to smuggle large quantities of liquor meant for army canteens to his hometown.
Multani, who last commanded the Bareilly-based 6 Mountain Division, was also stripped of his rank.
The list of officers facing charges of indiscipline and corruption include Major General B P S Mander, who was charged with irregularities in the procurement of dry rations.
Two other major generals--K.T.G. Nambiar and Rana Goswami--were also convicted of financial irregularities.
It will be most unfortunate for the country if the Army disintegrate and loose its core value of protecting the Safety, Honour and integrity of this country.
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