From: Ram Gulrajani
Sent: Friday, April 17, 2009 5:46 PM
Subject: Role of Defence Forces
Dear Sirs
I have been reading all your articles and comments in the REPORT MY SIGNAL BLOG and have greatly appreciated your wide vision on the issues ailing our polity. You all have talked on specific issues and suggested interesting solutions. You have also sown seeds in the minds of ESM to ponder over suggested solutions for the ultimate good of the country. I have pondered over many such issues and here are some of my thoughts.
The elections for the next parliament have begun yesterday. The results are a month away. No one needs an astrologer or a nijumi to predict the outcome. We are sure of two things. It will be a coalition of different hues. The same or similar old faces will enter the august house.
Whichever party forms the government, the conduct in the house will be the same. The parliament and its proceedings have crystallised to a format which will be no different from the earlier sessions. The constitution will be further mauled. More schemes will be formulated to further line the pockets of each member.
We know all this. The welfare of the people and security and integrity of the nation is not even remotely the concern of our leaders. They are there to create more chaos to be able to dip more fingers in the national pie.
Every Election Commissioner has left his seat with bitter taste in his mouth. All their suggestions to carry out election reforms have been thwarted. And same old criminals with chequered backgrounds again and again find their way back into their seats in the parliament. There appears no redemption from this fact.
We know judiciary is blind. Judges are 'lakeer ke fakir' . They only follow what is in the books. Their being active is frowned upon. If they do, the legislature nips it in the bud. Remember Shah Banoo case. Judges granted maintenance to a Muslim woman divorcee and legislators turned it down by suitably amending Muslim Personal Law. There are umpteen cases of this kind where legislators have snubbed judiciary and made it rejoice in their perks and privileges.
The word 'police' has become synonymous with corruption. They have learnt to stoop where a simple salute would be sufficient. They no longer do what they are meant to do. They have left most of their duties to be performed by Defence Forces. They keep themselves busy hunting for opportunities to book cases to be able to extract exgratia cuts. Every new legislation opens an opportunity for them to exploit. Unshaven, ill clad, dirty, pot-bellied, paan chewing, wearing chappals and no cap, having a towel on his shoulders is become the standard image of police.
The Babus, the so called 'steel frame' of India, is no longer stainless. It is rusted, corroded and at the very root of all the ills in the country. It rejoices in the fact that they are able to manipulate legislator, hoodwink judiciary, deploy police to persecute anyone, make ministers sign on dotted line with or without inducements, divert all privileges to themselves and above all, have Defence Forces under their command.
In this kind of familiar scenario what is the role of Defence Forces. Should Defence Forces be mute spectators to ruination of the country? Have the Defence Force Officers forgotten the oath administered to them on being commissioned? They were required to obey all (legitimate) orders; to perform any duty given to them at any time and at any place; to sacrifice their life, if necessary, for the security and integrity of the Nation.
What is security of the Nation? Are Defence Forces meant only for external aggression? Is internal security not their job? If an armyman sees a bank being looted, is he supposed to merely watch as a spectator? Is he not supposed to help in preventing and catching the culprits? This is what is the state of affairs of the Nation and should Defence Forces continue to watch this tamasha?
Let me make it very clear. I am at NOT suggesting military coup d'etat. Defence Forces should continue to take orders from the civilian elected leaders (for whatever they are worth) in a democracy. They must remain as apolitical as their Supreme Commander (The President of India) to whom they owe their first allegiance after the Nation. The Nation and the spirit of the Constitution is paramount for every Defence personnel. When any of these is under threat, it is threat to our freedom and integrity. When various constitutional elements that are suppose to preserve the integrity of the Nation are unable to perform their role, it is incumbent on Defence Forces to issue advisory to the leader of the elected representatives (Prime Minister in our case) as a first step. In such circumstances, there is no need for protocol. The seniormost Chief should straight away seek interview with the Prime Minister and apprise him of the Defence perspective. This meeting should be enough to make everyone down the chain realize that Defence Forces still hold the commanding position and that there is no need to trivialise them.
I understand that Pakistan is a mooli of a different khet. But in the present scenario in Pakistan, this is exactly what General Parvez Kayani did to bring sense into President Asif Ali Zardari over reinstatement of Justice Ifthikhar Chaudhary and thereby defuse the explosive situation. He did not meet President and Prime Minister through Defence Minister. Time has come for India to learn a few lessons from Pakistan Army. We need not do what they have done several time to consolidate their positions in the political arena. I would still like Indian Army to be apolitical but not as tamashbeens watching the ruination and disintegration of our Nation. The Generals must recall their oath. Show more concern for the Nation. Issue advisory when necessary. Help in electoral reforms to stop rubbish getting elected as leaders of the people. If necessary help in amending the constitution to have cabinet of experts, who are not members of parliament. Experts in the cabinet will be able to keep Babus in their place by giving them orders instead of seeking their manipulative advice. Judiciary will do its job with more alacrity and police will reform itself from within when they are freed from the clutches of politicians and babus.
It all boils down to the attitude and guts of the serving Generals sans ambitions to rule the country or hopes of getting post retirement placements.
Col. Ram Gulrajani (Veteran)
Chennai.
