A POSTING IN A VETERANS’ GROUP :
In Defence of Defence Forces : Rail, Road, Sea or Air -Indian Army Every Where.
Manoj Asthana
This proverbial National saying was suitably amended on 15 August 2016, as during the speech from the precincts of the Red Fort, the Pradhan Mantri complimented the Police for their distinguished services in Nabh, Jal, and Thal.
It is late in life to know that there is another three dimensional service namely the police force which operates in Sea and Air as well, besides their praiseworthy performance on terra firma.
Not that the Nation forgot the services of the Forces, abundant kudos were showered during the International Yoga Day where the acumen of the forces was amply displayed and appreciated while laying out the Yoga Mats.
And of course, while building the Army Bridges with Sri Sri Ravishankar while he went on to defy the National Green Tribunal with his disarming smile.
Some day Army shall head cleaning the Ganga and Jamuna projects as well ,since they are already making rapid progress in that direction.
In the efforts of popularising the Army ,the bar was raised and the Army travelled deep inside bore well pits to take out little Ram Rahim and Rambos ,who were left to explore unfathomable depths due to public and civil administration apathy.
Having done the job well, they attained the exclusive rights to all bore well misadventures across the Country.
The exclusive preserve of the Army~flood and Disaster Relief ,progressed satisfactorily while the National Disaster Relief Team commented from their air conditioned offices as to how well they could have tackled the situation better .
Well done indeed.
But then who was scaling up the security issues while the Army dabbled in Yoga, Ravishankar, Kumbh Melas, Bore
wells ,Earthquakes and Floods.
The Police of course .
When the attack on Air Force Pathankot happened the NSG rappled down like Spidermen and launched Operations while the Military looked on curiously.
The National Security Advisor was conducting the Operations from nearby Delhi, like all Chocolate Commanders do.
After a heavy casualty suffered by the AF, Army and the DSSC., the operation was declared a thundering success amidst serious chest thumping by the self styled Rommels from NSG.
In the interim,the scribes were really not sitting idle,they broadcasted how lucky we were that the terrorists spared the Ammunition dump close by.
Paki militants though refused to take the suggestive disclosures so helpfully offered by our scribes ,dumb lot really.
The Police was invading the Army territories rapidly while the Army started excelling in J&K ,where stone throwers had a field day with the Defence Forces.
While the Army at the line of control took some effective measures ,the Commanders came up on TV and apologised for the wrong doings of the troops,The troops were severely admonished and warned by their mighty Commanders for doing their job.
‘zero error syndrome ‘ was universally effected on the LIne Of Control.Next time the enemy makes an ingress a petrified lot awaits them.
The disillusioned troops look towards their Commanders ,who look at their Commanders and political masters ,who look the other way.
The NSA seems to be running the Military Operations in place of the Director Military Operations.
The Government which came to power with thunderous applause from the Ex Servicemen, turned in an avatar not seen earlier.After having granted OROP in ESM rallies,they announced that OROP would not be granted to the Voluntary Retirement Scheme ( VRS) personnel.
Those who were always found wanting in Military History lessons were elated ,as they never knew that VRS was never applicable to the Defence Forces!!!
But then the Defence Minister knows best.
Why question a wise Minister.
‘Yes Minister’ revisited on National Television
Amidst the kaleidoscopic wide spectrum targeting the Military,one effort which remained constant with the change of the successive Governments ,was the slow yet steady degradation of the Military Potential.
The Police was seen as the better alternative for matters Military . Georges Clemenceau saying that ‘War is too serious a business to be left to Generals’ was taken too literally by our polity.
During the partition, Nehru had felt that the Army needs to be replaced by the Police as keeping a standing Army was felt unnecessary .
He had more faith in his slick abilities to handle the Chinese and was too sure of his brethren from across the Western borders.
A short tempered and highly conceited Nehru had to be convinced that securing the Nations aspirations was serious business and that involved strategy a little more complex than lighting Edwina Mountbatten’s cigarettes.
Finally he did meet his Waterloo when along with his Defence Minister Krishna Menon he displayed his naivety and inept handling during the 1962 conflict.
The Nation suffered humiliating reverses which would haunt the Indian Army’s reputation for decades to come.
The degradation of Indian War potential had commenced at the hands of inept politicians.
The 1965 war culminated in India landing on the negotiating table in Tashkent with Russian PM Kosygin and Pak President Ayub Khan. Lal Bahadur Shastri was arm twisted in to returning back the territory so bravely seized by the Army.
The Military gains were frittered away without any returns.
There is a famous saying in the Military.
If you do not learn from the mistakes from your military history,you shall be obligated to repeat the same.
And repeat we did.
In 1971 despite such a huge decisive victory we returned over 1 Lac surrendered troops without any negotiations favouring our military advantage.
The Shimla agreement that we did , left Siachen uncovered and we still inflict severe drain on our economy and resources since 1984 due to that.
The huge military victory in 1971 was suitably rewarded by the Government ,by applying substantial decrease in the pension of the Military ,which post 1971 war was scaled down from then existing 70 % to amended 50%.
We must be the only Nation in the World where such a decisive victory by our Military was rewarded so magnanimously.
Needless to say our Military Commanders did nothing or even if they did behind the scenes,were given a shut up call.
A new trend was put in place of sending consenting Generals on Ambassadorial assignment to Countries where no IFS ever wanted to go.
This found great favour with the aspirations of the Spent Force Generals and is one of the most effective carrot the Government has ever grown in their Military Dumpyard….or hung before the Military Horse Power.
In Indian Polity the era changes ,the naivety does not.
The new buzzword was FIT, as in Future Indefinite Tense.
Rajiv Gandhi arrived on the political canvas with a futuristic vision ,literally~~Desh ko Banana Hai, A Banana Republic !!!
We continued to use our Armed Forces as human cannon fodder.The IPKF was rushed into the tear drop of India,namely Srilanka,to do what ? No one knows !!
All one knew in IPKF was ,that fire power was not to be used and fighting was to be done with an arm tied behind the back. The Nation lost many gallant young men ,due to the skewed policy of not using firepower in an extremely hostile and violent environment.
The new strategy of fighting with one arm tied behind the back is being propogated while handling insurgency in Kashmir as well.
The role reversal is now complete,and while the Army suffers huge reputational setback and man power losses,the Police provides expert comments as to how well they would have performed.
J&K is an open humiliating ground for the Forces.
From a Police Constable,to Mehbooba Mufti, The Abdullahs ,Ministers,Political Observers,UN Observers,and even the Congress, everyone has a sermon for the Army
What no one has an answer to is, what is the Army doing in a civil area which is essentially the preserve of the Police.
The degradation of the Military potential is now complete with the current government putting the Forces in its place,which as per them is at the rock bottom after the CRPF, Police, NSG,and even the BSF, with their officers being put in Class one services.
May be the Defence Forces can now safely be considered an option slightly superior to private security companies.
Very fine Defence Forces of India are now a subject of TV debates by Urban Goswamis, and Bhakra Dutts.
The Forces even draw adverse comments from the likes of Comrade Kanhaiya Kumar and national commentator Shona Dey, whenever she manages to find time from other controversies or social Chit chats.
Every right thinking Indian needs to know this story and stand in Defence of the Defence Forces , as we seem to have finally Snatched Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory.
MANOJ ASTHANA
Artillery/Army Aviation
