The brave stories of the valiant soldiers who gave up their lives in the service of the country had always inspired me to join any wing of the Indian armed forces. Thus, I rued the moment when I couldn’t due of a medical defect. And now, I pity the condition of my motherland when I come across reports of the manner in which our defence forces are conducting themselves.
It seems that the Indian armed forces are too bored of the ‘Honest Institution’ tag and are desperately trying to replace it with ‘the most dishonest institution of all’. Otherwise, how can we explain the long list of scams that the army is figuring in? More importantly, should we start fearing for our own safety when we read reports of the Chinese army slowly ‘invading’ our lands?
Amidst the hustle-bustle of the IPL drama and the daily matinee of the Indian democracy, news on infiltration by the Chinese army in the Western Sector of our country, slithered in. Both the governments denied it. As usual, our army downplayed it.
This was not the first time that the PLA walked fearlessly on our soil. In September 2009, an alarm had been raised within the government after Chinese incursions in Zulung La (Chumar Sector), located in the east of Leh, was reported. Such transgressions are not new to our North-Eastern borders.
Enough reports have been written on the acts of the PLA and many more might follow. What is important to note is the fact that such intrusions raises fingers on our military’s capability to safeguard our borders.
It is true that our defence budget is less than a third of the military spending of the Chinese which, according to official estimates, stands close to $70 billion. However, to quote an old proverb, “a battle is fought with weapons but won by the men wielding them”. Thus the men who fight are far more important than the weapons. Now, if the same men— who are supposed to defend— turn their attention from the battlefield to satisfy their greed then “Delhi, we have a problem.”
The involvement of the top brass of our armed forces in a large number of scams has brought nothing but disgrace to our military and thereby to the nation. The level of corruption in the forces has reached to such higher proportions that for the first time the Army chief had to appear before the PAC in connection with alleged irregularities in running of the Canteen Stores Department (CSD).
If the top level of the armed forces engages itself in such embarrassing activities then it is easy to deduce the message that will pass into the lower ranks. Since a soldier follows his General then he will do what his General does- including corruption.
If a soldier, today, builds a palatial mansion for his family, even if through corrupt means, then the country shouldn’t blame him. Why? Because he is trying to secure the future of his loved ones for he knows that if he becomes a martyr then this corrupt military may not provide any assistance to his wife and children. The Adarsh scam is the perfect example.
In a nation where the widows of the braves who laid down their lives for the country are not given the respect and assistance they deserve, we should be ashamed of ourselves if we selfishly expect our soldiers to remain patriotic.
The shortfall of officers in the defence services can perhaps be explained with the fact that the youth believe that sacrificing oneself for the country only in the name of devotion will be utter foolishness in this money-minded society.
Therefore, if the military can sell its patriotism why shouldn’t they?
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| Who will hold the hands that rise in salute to the motherland? |
It seems that the Indian armed forces are too bored of the ‘Honest Institution’ tag and are desperately trying to replace it with ‘the most dishonest institution of all’. Otherwise, how can we explain the long list of scams that the army is figuring in? More importantly, should we start fearing for our own safety when we read reports of the Chinese army slowly ‘invading’ our lands?
Amidst the hustle-bustle of the IPL drama and the daily matinee of the Indian democracy, news on infiltration by the Chinese army in the Western Sector of our country, slithered in. Both the governments denied it. As usual, our army downplayed it.
This was not the first time that the PLA walked fearlessly on our soil. In September 2009, an alarm had been raised within the government after Chinese incursions in Zulung La (Chumar Sector), located in the east of Leh, was reported. Such transgressions are not new to our North-Eastern borders.
Enough reports have been written on the acts of the PLA and many more might follow. What is important to note is the fact that such intrusions raises fingers on our military’s capability to safeguard our borders.
It is true that our defence budget is less than a third of the military spending of the Chinese which, according to official estimates, stands close to $70 billion. However, to quote an old proverb, “a battle is fought with weapons but won by the men wielding them”. Thus the men who fight are far more important than the weapons. Now, if the same men— who are supposed to defend— turn their attention from the battlefield to satisfy their greed then “Delhi, we have a problem.”
The involvement of the top brass of our armed forces in a large number of scams has brought nothing but disgrace to our military and thereby to the nation. The level of corruption in the forces has reached to such higher proportions that for the first time the Army chief had to appear before the PAC in connection with alleged irregularities in running of the Canteen Stores Department (CSD).
If the top level of the armed forces engages itself in such embarrassing activities then it is easy to deduce the message that will pass into the lower ranks. Since a soldier follows his General then he will do what his General does- including corruption.
If a soldier, today, builds a palatial mansion for his family, even if through corrupt means, then the country shouldn’t blame him. Why? Because he is trying to secure the future of his loved ones for he knows that if he becomes a martyr then this corrupt military may not provide any assistance to his wife and children. The Adarsh scam is the perfect example.
In a nation where the widows of the braves who laid down their lives for the country are not given the respect and assistance they deserve, we should be ashamed of ourselves if we selfishly expect our soldiers to remain patriotic.
The shortfall of officers in the defence services can perhaps be explained with the fact that the youth believe that sacrificing oneself for the country only in the name of devotion will be utter foolishness in this money-minded society.
Therefore, if the military can sell its patriotism why shouldn’t they?