A TALE OF TWO ARMIES

               A TALE OF TWO ARMIES


 This is the story of two Armies of two most powerful democracies of the  world, INDIA where at every step the Governance ensures to demean its SOLDIER who demands nothing but NATIONAL SECURITY & IZZAT, for which the MINISTER wants to have an AFFORDABLE BARGAIN  at the cost of NATIONs safety. Where as in another democracy, USA an ordinary CITIZEN takes the things under his own control to respect the sacrifice of a SOLDIER & ensures the pride of the NATION in its FLAG

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                                जेटली जी 


 THE POOR'BLOODY' INDIANSOLDIER 
                                      BY 
          LT. GEN. S.K. BAHRI (RETD)

The following mail was sent to the Defence Minister on 8 Jun 15, 2015

Lt. Gen . Satish Bahri (retd)

THE POOR 'BLOODY' INDIAN SOLDIER

Dear Mr Defence Minister,

 

I have given the above subject heading because it is ironic that while he is lauded everywhere else in the world, he is is not valued in his own country by the government. I think it is a pity that you have to heed such a bunch.

Recently, all the European countries praised the Indian soldiers who fought in the 1914-18 WWI on their soil, to liberate them and not to subjugate them. 

Our reputation as soldiers in WW II and keeping peace on behalf of the United Nations, is second to none. 

Even the PM showed appreciation for them, during his recent visit to Bangladesh. 

Even the Bangladesh Government gave awards to our retired officers during 2014 for their services during their liberation. 

We have given a good account of ourselves in all the confrontations with Pakistan, since Independence, despite handicaps.

In our own country we appear to be seen as a burden on the Nation's economy so while everyone else, from Legislators to government servants and their hangers on are making hay, the soldier has been termed "an appendage", not even a Class A government servant, who has no access to the country's prosperity, like others. 

Not realising that it is because the soldier is guarding the borders that the termites can continue to gnaw at the vitals of the nation. 

I was at the ESM meeting at the Constitution Club on 6 Jun 15 and could feel their palpable anger. 

I wish you had come and felt the vibrations.

As I mentioned in my previous letter that the new government has still not been able to get a control on the 'babu lok' of Delhi. 

They can give themselves a raise any time, but when it comes to the soldiers dues sanctioned by the 6th CPC or by the Apex Court, they have a hundred precedents and excuses as to why it cannot be done. 

In 1969-70 no CPC had been ordered, the civil servants got a raise approved by the political masters and deliberately left the soldiers out. 

It took us over a year to get it rectified, once we came to know about it. 

But when OROP is due the same gets stuck in the gullet. Why don't these financial wizards raise issues when early, time scale and ad lib promotions, without regard to merit are gotten approved, for themselves?

Mr Minister, you must be realising by now that you have been deliberately made to face embarrassment. 

You were giving various dates of implementation, obviously on the assurance of some one, which you could not adhere to. 

With the result that you are unable to give an assurance to the ESM delegation you met twice on 6 Jun 15. 

The bureaucracy has made you the fall guy, while they will keep on feeding everyone that they are doing a massive job which cannot be done in the immediate future. 

You with you logical thinking could work out the required funds to the nearest crore within a month of taking on your portfolio, but our 'muneems' are still working with their pencils and papers to calculate the amount required. 

Most people who can handle a computer say that they can work out the amount for 95 % of the people in 3 days and for the remaining 5% (who have special conditions) in one week. 

I indicated to you an additional 2 weeks so that it does seem plausible. 

You can confirm this from Rear Adm BR Vasanth (Retd) Mobile No 09845027004. 

Actually, if the Service HQ had been involved they would have not taken so many months that the financial experts of MOD & MOF have taken, because like you, they work with a sense of purpose and not the idea of delaying matters.

On a tangent, may I apprise you that the government which has ruled us for the maximum period since independence seemed to have an agenda to firstly, weaken the military equipment wise, by taking ages to induct new weapons and secondly, to ensure that it's manpower is demoralised. 

No wonder many soldiers ask, "does this nation deserve this Army". 

No weapon works on its own, Sir, it is the man behind the gun that matters. And, if his heart is not in it, no weapon can win a war by itself. Even the most sophisticated fighter plane, like Rafale needs a motivated pilot to go single handed and seek out his enemy and destroy him. 

Do these pen pushers recognise this or do they only keep planning as how to cut down the calories in a pilot's breakfast and save a few pennies. 

Our quality of officer intake has suffered, because who wants to serve in a service which is second class and does not get compensated for the dangers it faces. 

It is better to serve as a peon, serve till 60 yrs, close to home and no one dares sack you for dereliction of duty. You can always form a union and beat the government with a judicial stick.

Mr Minister, please think of the soldier who faces a bullet and not a pen pusher who only thinks how not to make mistakes so that he can get his next promotion and raise. No army wants to come runners up in a war. It will take generations to rebuild a dented edifice,  as it happened in Germany and Japan.

              Think of the

                    POOR

      BLOODY INDIAN SOLDIER. 

The babus are replaceable but not dedicated solders. 

I hope you can convey these thoughts to the PM as I cannot reach him except on Twitter or Facebook, which are beyond me.

With warm regards

Lt Gen SK Bahri (Retd)

A3/502 World Spa East 

Sector 30/41

Gurgaon 122001

Tele 0124 4143180/181

Mob 9810002800

===========================================

A related post:

               Letter from a

             US Airline Civil Aviation Pilot

Its a repeat`- but a story worth telling many times over..in our country the armed forces are the 'go-to' source even during national disasters.

 

 He writes:

 My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. On this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.)
 "Are they military?" I asked.
 'Yes', she said.
  'Is there an escort?' I asked.
 'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.
  'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..
A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand.

He left the flight deck to find his seat.
We completed our pre-flight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin.

'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home.

The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia .

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do.

'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update.

I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.
 The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans.. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told
 that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft',

we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the co-pilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said,

'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said,

'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.

They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety.
      Foot note:

  I know everyone who has served his country and who reads this, will have tears in their eyes.

  Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it!

  I do remember the Epitaph at “Chushul” in Ladakh after the Chinese Ops of 1962 :

  “When you go home Tell them ,for their Today we gave our Tomorrow”
    “They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and respect.

  'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.

  Protect them as they protect us..bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.. in God’s name.

 Of all the gifts you could give a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.

A thought just came.... JFK had said...

 "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

  I think we have always followed that... Though we are not Americans... I still feel the same....
But just a thought came.... Isn't it right time to ask for the other way round...

Its an honour to be a soldier.

But sometime we feel, is it the right country to be a soldier in....
Thought came... So sharing with A Few Good Men