Friday, November 4, 2016

OROP: SUICIDE - IT IS "THE BEGINNING" NOT THE END OF BEGINNING.

SOURCE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlulo4k-IN0


                              OROP

: SUICIDE - IT IS "THE BEGINNING"

      NOT THE END OF BEGINNING

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ERODING DIGNITY : PAKISTANI BULLETS CAN WAIT. INDIAN ARMED FORCES ARE BUSY FIGHTING THEIR SHAMELESS POLITICIANS

SOURCE:
http://qz.com/826283/pakistani-bullets-can-wait-indian-armed-forces-are-busy-fighting-their-shameless-politicians/

ERODING DIGNITY

PAKISTANI BULLETS CAN WAIT.

INDIAN ARMED FORCES

ARE

BUSY FIGHTING

THEIR SHAMELESS POLITICIANS

For decades, inside the wood-panelled halls of the Indian Army officers’ messes, one among a handful of subjects prohibited from discussions is politics. The other two are religion and women.

Indeed, in a region(read South Asia) where generals and politicians have often indulged in musical chairs, the deeply apolitical nature of the Indian Army has been a guarantor of sorts of the world’s largest democracy. On its part, the Indian political establishment, too, has wisely stayed away from interfering.

Symbolic of this relationship is an anecdote about the then prime minister Indira Gandhi asking her army chief, the wildly popular Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, about reports that he planned to take her position. Newly bathed in the glory of the 1971 war victory over Pakistan, Manekshaw is said to have replied: “You have a long nose. So have I. But I don’t poke my nose into other people’s affairs.”

Over the last few months, though, India’s political class has collectively sullied the image of the soldier—and may have even irreversibly damaged an institution largely seen as being above all the pettiness that defines much of the subcontinent’s politics.

Death of a Veteran

On Nov. 01, a 70-year-old army veteran, Ram Kishan Grewal, committed suicide in New Delhi, purportedly in protest against the Narendra Modi government’s wishy-washy one rank one pension (OROP) scheme. A day later, Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal waded into the brewing crisis. Both were detained by the Delhi police, and the focus swiftly shifted to the ensuing political mudslinging.

Cleared by the government last September, OROP is meant to ensure that, regardless of when they retire, soldiers at the same rank and duration of service receive the same amount as pension. However, ex-servicemen still have deep reservations about the implementation of the scheme, which was part of the prime minister’s package of pre-election promises.

For instance, analysts say, the government has proposed to fix the pension amount based on an average figure, while the veterans had demanded that the amount be pegged to the highest figure for that grade. Similarly, the scheme cleared by authorities kept those who took voluntary retirement out of the fray. The protesters said this was unfair as, unlike in the private sector, those opting for voluntary retirement are not provided a lump sum at the end of the tenure.

The OROP crisis, of course, has been churning for over a year. Last June, military veterans across the country went on indefinite hunger strikes in over a dozen cities to force the government i The OROP scheme, as planned by the government, would cost the exchequer Rs6,500 crore every year. nto implementing it. On Aug. 14, 2015, the Delhi police even assaulted some of the protestors in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar area. Days later, three defense chiefs wrote to president Pranab Mukherjee, the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces, with a terse message: “Given the evolving situation, there is every possibility of the situation getting out of hand.”

Eventually, the government did pass a version of the OROP, but not before India’s soldiers were forced to the streets, manhandled by cops, and even compelled to go hungry.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used the veterans during the 2014 election campaign, but quickly forgot about them after the elections, only to be reminded again when the veterans began agitating,” said Mandeep Singh Bajwa, military historian and strategic affairs expert. “The problem is that the BJP made big promises to win elections without thinking through the financial ramifications.” Indeed, the OROP scheme, as planned by the government, would cost the exchequer Rs6,500 crore every year.

This, however, was only the beginning of such tinkering that has fuelled suspicion over the government’s intent.

A Fraught Game

On Sept. 28, the Modi regime unleashed a wave of military bravado through the country after the Indian Army executed what it called “surgical strikes” across the border in Pakistan. This was in response to a deadly attack by Islamabad-backed terrorists on an army base in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri town.

Ever since, the government has sought to ride the euphoria over this successful tactical military manoeuvre by burnishing its muscular image in the run-up to crucial state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Punjab, and Goa.

Within days of the cross-border action, the BJP had begun putting up posters in some UP towns, showing silhouettes of soldiers and Modi’s clenched fist, alongside mentions of surgical strikes and Pakistan.

This, though, isn’t the first such attempt by the Indian political brass. In 1999, after the Indian Army repulsed Pakistani intrusion in Kargil, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad—part of the BJP’s extended political family—sent a number of its representatives to the army headquarters. As former army chief General VP Malik recalled in his book,

Kargil: From Surprise to Victory:

The armed forces were anguished because they were getting sucked into electoral politics as a result of the blatant effort to politicise the war for immediate electoral advantage. At one stage, in desperation, I had to send across a strong message through the media: ‘Leave us alone; we are apolitical.

Thankfully, nothing of that sort happened this time.

Juvenility in the Opposition Benches

Meanwhile, India’s opposition parties haven’t been too tactful either, frequently displaying a particular penchant for awful timing.

In the aftermath of the surgical strikes, with Pakistan openly questioning the authenticity of India’s claims, the Congress and Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party implored the Modi government to provide proof—if only to rubbish Pakistan’s denial. In a country where anything anti-BJP is nowadays automatically construed as “anti-national,” such queries were readily interpreted as questioning the very integrity of the army.

More recently, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), a political minnow, created national headlines after it arm-twisted filmmakers who hire Pakistani artistes into agreeing to donate to the Army Welfare Fund which typically receives only voluntary donations. In this instance, thankfully, the army veterans collectively chastised the MNS for dragging the military into this seeming mess.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Meanwhile, the government’s own machinations over pensions and payments have added to a growing atmosphere of civilian-military distrust.

On Sept. 30, just hours after the surgical strike, the Modi regime quietly executed a move that could severely affect the very people it sought to woo. The department of ex-servicemen welfare issued a letter that announced a considerable cut in the pensions of soldiers deemed invalid due to crippling injuries suffered in battle or during hazardous military service.

“A soldier with five years of service earns Rs30,400 a month; 100% disability pension would match that figure. In its place, he will now be entitled to a flat rate of Rs12,000 a month. A major with 10 years of service earns Rs98,300 a month. In place of that figure for 100% disability, he will get just Rs27,000 a month,” the Business Standard newspaper reported on Oct. 10.

The government initially denied any such move but later tacitly admitted to making such a change when it referred the issue to a panel for review.

A few days later, on Oct. 18, it downgraded the status of military officers vis a vis their civilian counterparts. The defence ministry’s move, coming so soon after the disability pensions fiasco, triggered

“widespread resentment in military circles.” “This isn’t mischief, but mischief-plus by bureaucrats,” an army officer

told the Hindustan Times newspaper.

It indicates a mystifying move to downgrade the armed forces. All this must be read as part of a larger script that has the government trying to cut down on defence spending and lower the standing of the armed forces, according to some defence analysts. Consider, for instance, the downsizing of the China-focused Mountain Strike Corp of the Indian Army from the planned 90,000 personnel to a mere 35,000.

“It indicates a mystifying move to downgrade the armed forces and promote the paramilitary forces and the police. This is uncalled for,” said Bajwa. “There is a stark dichotomy in the muscular, military-focused image that the government is trying to project and its actions.”

Be it OROP or the disability pension, these issues have a direct effect on serving personnel as, in this profession, serving officers are closely connected to the veterans.

“I have had several officers call me during that previous OROP agitation, saying that the next time the issue flares up, they will come down to Jantar Mantar to protest—in their uniforms,” Bajwa said. “To be fair, it is not just the BJP. Almost all political parties have used them, but the BJP has been at the forefront.”

READ ALSO

http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/modi-government-has-taken-more-anti-army-steps-than-any-other-1620966

Modi Government Has Taken More Anti-Army Steps Than Any Other

The Bharatiya Janta Party and its government, which has been hiding behind the army and taking refuge in nationalism to divert attention from its failures, today stands thoroughly exposed. The mask has fallen and they have been exposed for what they really are - a bunch of people raising the bogey of nationalism and patriotism only to exploit the popular sentiment of the people at a time of national crisis in order to garner votes in the upcoming assembly elections.

But the suicide of Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal has exposed the diabolical mindset of the ideology which is trying to create a monolithic Hindu structure.

It is not surprising that the Modi government has not fulfilled the promises it made to ex-soldiers on the issue of OROP. What is surprising is the reaction of the government, the Delhi police, BJP ministers and senior BJP leaders. An army man is dead due to the indifferent attitude of the government, but he is being ridiculed and maligned by the BJP-RSS. A minster who was the Army Chief not too long ago suggested he could be mentally unstable and wanted his mental condition to be stated. The Chief Minister of Haryana, M L Khattar, and his minister Anil Vij raised questions about Ram Kishan Grewal being called a martyr because he had committed suicide. These gentlemen have forgotten that Veer Shaheed Chandra Shekhar Azad shot himself dead while fighting the English police at Alfred Park, Allahabad, during the time of freedom movement and whole world reveres him as great patriot and a martyr. By the logic of BJP-RSS, Azad is not a martyr and his mental status should be examined! This is ridiculous and reflects the ideological bankruptcy of the BJP-RSS.

Their reaction also does not reflect Hindu tradition. In Hindu tradition, the dead are never insulted, humiliated or ridiculed even if they be an enemy. Tragically, these gentlemen claim to be the upholders of Hindu tradition. But let's not forget that these were the forces who distributed sweets after the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. None other than Sardar Patel said so in his letter to the RSS chief Guruji Golwalkar. These were the leaders who mocked the death of Rohith Vemula too, the Dalit boy from Hyderabad University. It was also claimed that he was not a Dalit.

The BJP and Modi want to garner votes in the name of surgical strikes but if you look at their track record, this is the government which has taken the most anti-army measures in its tenure. The disability pension was halved by the Modi government. And very recently, the army officers' profile was downgraded vis-a-vis civilian officers and no explanation was ever offered by the government. After the surgical strikes, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar went to the extent of insinuating that the army had not done anything for the country since independence. Parrikar called the army "Hanuman" who had to be made aware of its potential (by him) so that it could then carry out a surgical strike. Can anything be more insulting to the Indian army than this? This is the army which has fought 4 successful wars with Pakistan including the one for the creation of Bangladesh. Either this government has no sense of history or they have no respect for the army and soldiers. In hindsight, both seem true.

This is the same government which had announced that OROP was sanctioned. Prime Minister Modi had announced this a few days before the suicide of Ram Kishan. If OROP had been granted to the satisfaction of the soldiers, then why has he committed suicide? Minutes before his death, while talking to his son in a phone conversation whose audio clip is being played on TV, he is clearly heard saying that he had taken poison as he was unhappy with the government not granting OROP as demanded by ex-soldiers. He said that he was taking this extreme step so that justice could be done. The suicide was his expression of protest to the attitude of the government. Ram Kishan was no ordinary soldier. He was twice decorated by the President and also by the Chief of the Army Staff. If a man of his character has to take this extreme step, then it has to be understood in the proper context. He had done enough for the country to earn respect, not ridicule, by BJP leaders after his death. It is sad; it is demeaning his supreme sacrifice. Let's have no doubts that he is a martyr.

But a more frightening thing has also happened. If it is not contested now, it will shake the foundations of Indian democracy. There is a serious attempt to turn a vibrant democracy into a police state. Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia were both detained by the police for more than six hours. Even Rahul Gandhi was not spared despite SPG protection. No reason was ever given. When contacted, the Police Commissioner of Delhi feigned helplessness, indicative of the fact that the Joint Commissioner of Police in charge of the area was directly getting instruction from someone higher than the Police Chief.

Can you imagine a similar situation in any other state? How can a police officer detain a democratically-elected Chief Minister and his Deputy? Can the Bihar police detain Nitish Kumar? Or in UP, can the police stop Akhilesh Yadav from meeting any one in a hospital? How can a sitting Chief Minister be treated as a threat to the law and order? It is the duty of an elected Chief Minister to meet the family of a deceased army man's family and offer condolences. But Arvind Kejariwal and Manish Sisodia were denied that right. Let me remind you that this is the same Delhi Police which has arrested 14 AAP MLAs on fake, frivolous and baseless charges. If in a democracy, the police gets precedence over the democratically elected Chief Minister, or people's representatives, and not accorded the respect which he/she deserves, then the signal is not good. Democracy won't survive if the police is not accountable to the elected representatives and does not offer the respect which the constitution demands.

The same police was so drunk with power that it even roughed up the son of Ram Kishan Grewal, detained him for long, and did not let him go near the body of his father. Has Indian democracy become so insensitive or fragile that it is scared of a dead soldier?

A dead soldier has shown the chinks in the armour of the Modi government; it has burst the bubble of nationalism which Modi and Parrikar have been trying to float. It raises the uncomfortable question: how can a government which is so gung-ho about the army ill-treat its own soldiers and lie about its promises? A government which has floundered on all fronts i.e., when industrial output is at a ten-year low, joblessness is the highest in the last six years, Kashmir is boiling, and the relationship with Pakistan has plummeted -well, then nationalism is the only plank which could have earned dividends for the Modi government, BJP and RSS. Ram Kishan's death has changed things at a most inopportune time with assembly elections in five states round the corner. But now there are signs of nervousness in the BJP and Modi camp. The tide is turning. Detaining Arvind Kejariwal will not help a desperate party and its leader; rather, it will sharpen the crisis. People are not fools. They are watching.
(Ashutosh joined the Aam Aadmi Party in January 2014.)

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

PRADHAN MANTRI KA HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUR GENERAL SAHIB KA ''JAI HIND"

SOURCE:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Forwarding as received

Re: Birthday greetings from PM Narendra Modi to Lt Gen SK Bahri (Retd)

The PM seems to be doing the right things wrongly. The OROP fiasco is too fresh in mind to need recounting. Doodh bhi diya to Meengnii daal ke. Then the reference singularly to Police forces in the Red Fort Independence Day speech, ignoring Defence forces totally, compounding it by ignoring GOC Delhi Area who historically accompanies him to the ramparts for the address.

He now sends Birthday greetings (in picture) to senior Services Officers/ Veterans- Gen Bahri in this case, and look what photo the PM chooses for the greeting- The Victoria Memorial !! LOL. Is that the most representative monument of our sovereignty? Of the glory of our armed forces? Of the valour of our soldiers? Of our finest hour?

Could the inappropriate choice be because we ourselves don't have a War Memorial to be used for such communications?

Even that being so, wouldn't a picture of the National Defence Academy, Kharakvasla have been much more contextual? Needed imagination. Lacking there? A good PM encumbered by inefficient staff backup.

Sad for us.

Above observation aside, it may be educative to read Gen Bahri's response. As citizens we need to know, and be aware of what bothers our Faujis.

Here is the response:

(Quote)

"Dear Mr Prime Minister,

Thank you very much for the greetings on my birthday. They were a surprise and are much appreciated.

May I ask for a favour?

Today, I am an 84 yr old officer commissioned in Dec 1952 and belong to the 1st Course of the National Defence Academy. From Jan 1949, when I joined the NDA, I have only seen a steady decline in the status and financial state of the Armed Forces. If this decline is not arrested we will have an abundance of soldiers (due to unemployment) to be lead by mediocre or below par officers. Field Marshal Carriapa said at our Passing out Parade in 1952 that the Jawans are always good, it is the officers who have to be capable of leading them. It is sad that due to the neglect by successive governments only mediocre or below par officers are being inducted as the cream of the youth available has been skimmed off by the civil services and the corporate sector. Till mid '50s we used to be equated to the British company officers and the civil services were considered nowhere near AF Officers. Most senior officers in the police were seconded from the Army who were medically unfit for army service, and the senior most officer in the police held an appointment of Inspector General which was junior to a Brigadier.

Unfortunately, the scene has changed completely. The AFs are being undermined consistently and relentlessly as though the bureaucracy's only agenda is to belittle the soldiers. Previously, the governments were least concerned and aim was how to stay in power and milk the Nation. While the AFs continued protecting the sovereignty, with inadequate equipment due to rampant corruption, the civil services quietly continued up grading themselves vis a vis the soldiers. After the biggest national victory in '71 the slogan being chanted was "India Is Indira & Indira is India". While the 3rd CPC inflicted the most grievous wound on the AFs, by lifting the pensions of civil servants, reducing the pensions of JCOs and OR and not giving any additional benefit to the officers. It looked as though the civil servants had created a new country and taken 93,000 POWs. The cunning and cussedness of the IAS started from the time FM Ayub Khan declared martial law in Pakistan. They started putting fear in the then govt that the Indian Army may also take over the nation. By playing on these fears and the insecurity of inexperienced politicians the IAS ingratiated themselves with the ruling party and started eroding the status of the AFs while consistently upgraded themselves.

When I was commissioned an IAS officer felt that he would be happy if he retired as a deputy secretary at age 55. The AFs aimed to retire as Lt Cols at 48 yrs. The difference was in their pensions. A Dy Secy took home less than Rs 400 pm while a Lt Col took Rs 675 pm. Now every civilian entrant, whatever be his performance, retires as an additional secretary at age 60, while the Lt Col retires at 52 and takes home 50% of last drawn pay. As this service had to carry other services along, except the AFs, crumbs were thrown at them also. Now these services have more additional secretary level officers in a total cadre strength of about 15,000, than all the AFs together, which have an officer strength of about 60,000. Something is radically wrong in the cadre management, which is costing the country a pile while providing poor administrative support to the citizens.

I would like to bring to your notice that in the military academies, the Sword of Honour winners among the cadets do not become the Chiefs of the services. The order of merit (O of M) is decided on the performance during training and then it is revised based on the performance during an individual's service. In the civil services the O of M is decided by the performance in the UPSC entrance examination and they carry it through out their service, whatever be their contribution to the nation's well being. It is ironical that with NFU the civil services have thrown performance linked promotions out of the window, which is ensuring that we stay at the bottom of the comity of nations despite paying much more than our civil servants deserve. Ask any HR professional and he will give an adverse report within minutes, on the way the cadre management of civil servants is being done.

The worst part is that to maintain the supremacy of the civil servant this gang will not hesitate to feed wrong data to any committee being set up eg., the 7th CPC. They have become so confident and brazen that they are not even worried about committing contempt of the Supreme Court by supplying wrong data, to prove their point. I had written to the RM a few months ago that the integration of the MOD with the AFs must be done, as recommended by a knowledgeable civil servant, Mr K Subramaniam in his report, post Kargil operations. This will ensure that decisions by the civil servants in MOD are not taken in silos and the RM receives well considered advice. Otherwise, he will always keep telling the Services, "I will look into the matter" after every biased decision is announced by the MOD. As it happened after the recent announcement of a revised equation between defence officers and civil servants in the MOD. This one sided decision making is not new. In 1975 when I was Military Attache in our Embassy in Paris I was paid Foreign Allowance (dearness allowance abroad) equal to a 1st Secretary, even though I was entitled to FA equal to a Counsellor as per a MEA letter, because the MOD had issued a letter giving an arbitrary equations. It is still happening because the MOD is always looking for ways to belittle the armed forces.

May I therefore, please ask as to why the government is ensuring that the soldiers not only have to fight our enemies on the outside, but also the known enemy within? The latter fight is more debilitating and demoralising. Your government has its objectives clear but regret to say that the bureaucracy is not entirely with you.

With warm regards and wishing you and the Nation a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Diwali under your leadership.

Lt Gen SK Bahri PVSM "

(Unquote)

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Armed Forces' Pay-and-Rank Parity: PMO told Defense Ministry to get Forces Involved in Policy; MoD did opposite

SOURCE:
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/armed-forces-pay-and-rank-parity-pmo-told-defence-ministry-to-get-forces-involved-in-policy-mod-did-opposite-3080536.html

    Armed Forces' Pay-and-Rank Parity:
  PMO told Defense Ministry to get Forces Involved in Policy;MoD did opposite
                                      By
                                                Prakash Katoch

Oct 30, 2016

Barely 10 days after the present government was sworn in May 2014, national dailies headlined "PMO tells MoD, MHA: Get forces involved in policy", elaborating that in an attempt to improve the working environment for the armed forces and other internal security outfits, the Prime Minister’s Office has directed the home and defence ministries to ensure that decisions, especially those relating to the uniformed forces, should be taken only after detailed consultations with their top officers.

The news item elaborated that PMO strongly believed matters relating to the armed forces should not be decided by civilian bureaucrats sitting in North and South Block and that the military leadership should be involved more in decision-making.

Above report further added Prime Minister Narendra Modi had signaled: key decision cannot be left to the bureaucrats; forces must be involved at every stage as they have firsthand experience of what is happening on the ground; entire process of procurement of weapons and equipment was deeply influenced by bureaucrats who have virtually no experience in this field.

The news report quoting a senior official added that any new welfare scheme for armed or paramilitary forces gets drafted by a joint secretary or director-level officer will now change and actual operations officers from the forces will have a greater say.

Was that a lip service or did it get lip-locked by the mafia?

It is often asked who are the mafia, for which no simple definition may apply. But remember the open letter by Anil Manibhai Naik, CEO of L&T to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that amongst other things said, "And the defence production (ministry) joint secretaries and secretaries of the defence ministry are on the boards of all public sector - sickest of sick units you can think of who cannot take out one conventional submarine out for 15 years now with the result that the gap is widening between us and China and bulk of the time we resort to imports out of no choice," adding, "The whole (defence) industry which could have really flowered around very high technological development and taken India to the next and the next level of technological achievement and excellence is not happening."

Of course, Manibhai would not know that while he lamented about submarines, 15 years were being taken to produce an assault rifle that was no match to top ten of its class available globally.

If you think that was long ago, witness the meeting on 24 October 2016 called by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to meet ex-servicemen wherein he indicated at the outset his hurt at the various mails derogatory towards the "bureaucracy" and requested the veteran community from using such language.

Perhaps he is right and the bureaucracy should be placed on the pedestal given the fact that despite joint secretary's of Ministry on Defence on all boards of the DRDO, DPSUs and Ordinance Factories, India has continued to import 70 percent of its defence needs past several decades. Do you understand now why the reorganisation of MoD and injecting military professional doesn’t happen, why HQ IDS cannot be merged with MoD, why users (military) are not at the design, planning and decision making levels of governmental defence-industrial set up, and why the military must be put down any which way with welfare and prestige of serving, veterans, widows, disabled be damned.

The Defence Minister’s insistence to Service Chiefs to immediately implement 7th CPC that brings military below the CAPF, Service Chiefs decision to wait for the anomalies to be resolved first, MoD’s 30 September letter bringing the disability pension of military drastically down from what was earlier vide 6th CPC and MoD eventually forced to refer the issue to the ‘Anomalies Committee’ has been in the news.

Of course, one part of the forked tongue is tweeting disability pension as per 6th CPC for military personnel have been restored. But whom do you believe and how come the anomalies committee has become so very efficient? Had we become so administratively efficient, even World Bank would not have slammed us for ‘ease of business’. The government versus judiciary feud is in the news, but past several months the Armed Forces Tribunals (AFT) are lying defunct because the post of civilian judge to head AFTs are lying vacant. But with the type of mischief against the military being engineered anyway, why bother about any justice by AFTs.

But look at the misinformation campaign launched about government letter No A/24577/CAO/CP Cell dated October 18 that equated: civilian Group B section officer with army captain; civilian joint director with full colonel (earlier equated with Lt Col); civilian director with brigadier (earlier equated with full colonel); principal director with major general (earlier equated with brigadier). According to media, not only did this letter have MoD approval, objections by armed forces were overruled by the Defence Minister - in a note to MoD in August-September this year, army had “categorically objected to the systematic downgrading of defence officers in status/equivalence vis-à-vis civilian officers”.

Following above expose, another media report emerged quoting MoD officials that the October 18 letter in question downgrading the military ranks vis-à-vis civilian officers was only due to “functional” reasons (also stated by the Defence Minister) which is a very poor excuse because it ‘does’ downgrade military ranks. Will the Defence Minister explain what is the “functional” reason and what are the “non-functional part” of the military-civil relationship, or is it because the military is the only government service that has been deliberately denied the NFU while the balance government services including the civilian defence employees are enjoying the same?

Additionally, while MoD denies any reduction in the military’s status (without cancelling the October 18 letter) and that existing functional equivalence as clarified in 1991 and further reiterated in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2005 has only been re-affirmed, another media report states that all these letters cited by MoD were superseded in 2009 by a Group of Ministers report (formally equating army colonels with civilian directors) which was approved by the government. So, does the Defence Minister have the foggiest idea that he is being led up the gum tree by his ministry with the explicit aim to create discord in the military establishment through deliberately downgrading military ranks vis-a-vis civilian defence officials?

Now MoD has struck again with approval of Defence Minister by creating two new civilian positions of Additional Director General (ADG) to look after engineering projects in Army’s Northern and Eastern Commands. This policy decision has been taken arbitrarily by MoD - whatever happened to the PMO missive to involve forces in policy decisions? Leave aside consulting the Engineer-in-Chief and concerned Commands, even Service Chiefs were ignored. Without doubt these ADGs will show two fingers to Army Commanders Northern and Eastern Commands; already there have been cases where civilian officers object to official meetings chaired by the Commanding Officers stating they draw more pay and hence it is they who should chair the meeting. That is why these new ADGs are being placed at Jammu and Guwahati instead of being co-located with respective Command HQ. And you guessed it - Guwahati because 7th CPC grants Rs 75,000 monthly hazard allowance to a civilian government official posted at Guwahati and perhaps the guy at Jammu will be quietly given double that amount with Pakistan shelling villages in vicinity of LoC.

Frankly, this whole exercise of creating to civilian ADG posts in Northern and Eastern Commands stinks about money – getting control of funds with (MES) offices and Chief Construction Engineers (CCE) reporting now to these civilian ADGs. There will be automatic setback to functionality and operational requirements of the military as decisions will be taken by bureaucrats sitting in MoD - exactly what PM Modi referred to above. Take the case of the Border Roads directly under MoD and the recent brouhaha of road construction in Arunachal Pradesh. It is all about connecting the villages close to the border. Little is happening about road construction to forward army posts where soldiers still have to walk two-three days to reach them. With the MES offices and Chief Construction Engineers (CCE) going under the civilian ADGs, matters will get worse.

There is fresh news that government is appointing a three-member committee to look into the issue of pay and rank parity with regard to the military. Obviously it would have no military member – perhaps all bureaucrats under the weird logic that if all the anomalies were on behest bureaucrats, they would be best suited to resolve them. The Reddy Commission on OROP anomalies submitted its report to the government three days back; what surprise it holds is not known. But if the government is really serious about resolving the civilian versus military pay and rank parity, the solution is actually very simple – combatize the civilian defence employees; give them military training and make them part of the military. This will also beef up security. NDA-I is considered by far the best for armed forces. Which way NDA-II is heading, readers can decide.

The author is veteran Lt Gen of Indian Army.