Respect the silent soldier Free Press Journal 15 Jan 18
The defence minister recently withdrew the controversial order of 2016, which had degraded army ranks as compared to their civilian counterparts. It was a welcome new year’s gift to the forces. However, there are many other contentious issues which still await her attention. Many are irritants from the past, while a few are recent decisions. Further is the need to make the military capable of handling future challenges and providing it with cutting edge technology. If this is to be achieved, then she needs to be clear headed and willing to take the bull by the horns.
This government has seen four defence ministers occupy the chair in its present tenure, with Jaitley having officiated twice and Parrikar as a permanent appointee, who rushed back to Goa at the first opportunity. The present defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman is possibly the only one in a long time, with no secondary responsibility, hence can devote complete attention to defence. Thus, there are plenty of hopes on her for delivering, the recent letter being a prime example.
A major pending irritant is her recent decision of capping the combined amount of tuition and hostel fees of wards of martyrs and disabled veterans to a maximum of Rupees 10,000. This decision has been taken based on the recommendations of the 7th pay commission, which the nation knows was anti the armed forces, whose recommendations even the service chiefs refused to accept, compelling the PMO to step in. Hence accepting this recommendation is a retrograde step.
As per defence ministry reports, there were about 193 students, who claimed more than the capped amount out of a total of approximately 2700. The present capping would affect possibly 250 students this year. This grant was announced post the 1971 war and hence is a promise by the nation to the armed forces. It gives the families of martyrs and disabled the hope that the nation would care for them, after they sacrifice their lives for the country.
It is an accepted fact that in cases of grants and allowances, there would be some who would misuse it. However, misuse by some does not imply that majority should be denied. This goes against the basic norms of decision making. A better system would be to impose greater checks into the clearance of bills or lay down rates based on current known expenditures depending on the nature and level of education.
Another issue needing her serious attention is equation of allowances between the army and other Central Services. If the soldier cannot be treated as special, then do not expect him to do the unthinkable and place his life on the mat daily. Do not make him feel that since he has no one to fight for his rights, he can be ignored.
Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) has only been denied to the military, while being granted to others. The MoD is aware that the armed forces are neither Group A or B, as they remain the only commissioned service. However, the letter stating that NFU is akin to an allowance and not merged with salary, as also no change in the reporting chain, thus maintaining status quo, has yet not been issued. Simultaneously, the armed forces need their own NFU, which should be formally projected. There are 47 anomalies from the previous pay commissions pending, clearing which would be a major morale booster.
The defence minister also needs to be aware that reservations are never the answer, more so in defence technology. The DRDO should be capable of competing with other manufacturers, after all they have been in existence for over six decades. It was reservations which made them incapable. It is time they are told, improve your quality or lose your defunct laboratories.
The same should be the treatment meted out to the factories under the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The policy should clearly be, compete and win or perish. Unless a few assets of the OFB and DRDO are privatised they would never be galvanised to improve performance. The army has lost immense capabilities and lives due to poor technology and manufacturing. It is time to stop.
The army functions under the MoD. Hence it becomes her responsibility to care for its rights. Treating them as labour and ordering them to clear garbage dumped by others is setting a wrong precedence. The areas where the army was tasked to clear garbage also houses other central police forces, mainly the ITBP. The home ministry never tasked them to do a similar action, then why the army alone. It did hurt sentiments but as it was task given by the minister, it was implemented.
We need to change with the times, care for our soldier and never break promises once made. The silent soldier would continue to serve the nation, in return the nation should respect him. The armed forces have hope on the present defence minister, which she should not break.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army