The Indian armed forces , in particular the army has a long and cherished history. It was a creation of East India Company and was known as the British Indian Army. During the days of the Raj, it is understandable that the army was a privileged force as it was the instrument of power. After 1947 the Indian political leadership led by Nehru failed to realize that the army still continued as an instrument of power and national glory. perhaps Nehru had read , but never understood the purport of Mao tse Tung's famous quote" power comes from the barrell of a gun". This failure to understand the geo-political power structure and role of the armed forces led him to neglect the men in uniform. Another reason was his fear of a military coup and he bargained to downgrade the army perks and privileges at the first opportunity.
An aspect of the thinking of the political leadership( Congress party) can be gauged from a ridiculous statement made by Dr Rajendra Prasad, president of India in 1955, when he advocated that the army be disbanded and replaced on border by a police force.
The political leadership from 1951 started the process of devaluation of the men in uniform. the question that is avoided by most army top brass is about the role of the Indian Chefs of army starting with general Cariappa. These worthies just twiddled their thumbs when the process of devaluation of rank and prestige was set in motion. Every year the armed forces ranks were downgraded in the order of protocol and the sad part is that it was accepted by the army top brass. One fails to understand that the Army chief who headed the most organized force in the country and yet he and his ilk never lifted a finger to protest as the devaluation of rank, pay , perks and pension was set in motion.Pay commissions downgraded the ratio of pension drawn to salary to 50% from the earlier 70% and overall the soldier was demeaned. I recollect in one of the pay commissions the soldier was equated to a peon. All this under the nose of the general staff.
The 1962 war did change some perceptions but the still the army chiefs never asserted themselves. After the 1971 war, the army chief could have got the moon, but for some reason the army never put its foot down on anything. It is all very well to blame the "Babus" for all the ills of the army, but I ask what did the general staff do ? this is one of the ironies of history that the Indian general staff acquiescence with the government in all its manipulations. To cry wolf now has no meaning.
An aspect of the thinking of the political leadership( Congress party) can be gauged from a ridiculous statement made by Dr Rajendra Prasad, president of India in 1955, when he advocated that the army be disbanded and replaced on border by a police force.
The political leadership from 1951 started the process of devaluation of the men in uniform. the question that is avoided by most army top brass is about the role of the Indian Chefs of army starting with general Cariappa. These worthies just twiddled their thumbs when the process of devaluation of rank and prestige was set in motion. Every year the armed forces ranks were downgraded in the order of protocol and the sad part is that it was accepted by the army top brass. One fails to understand that the Army chief who headed the most organized force in the country and yet he and his ilk never lifted a finger to protest as the devaluation of rank, pay , perks and pension was set in motion.Pay commissions downgraded the ratio of pension drawn to salary to 50% from the earlier 70% and overall the soldier was demeaned. I recollect in one of the pay commissions the soldier was equated to a peon. All this under the nose of the general staff.
The 1962 war did change some perceptions but the still the army chiefs never asserted themselves. After the 1971 war, the army chief could have got the moon, but for some reason the army never put its foot down on anything. It is all very well to blame the "Babus" for all the ills of the army, but I ask what did the general staff do ? this is one of the ironies of history that the Indian general staff acquiescence with the government in all its manipulations. To cry wolf now has no meaning.
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