1. Indian press and the politicians routinely blame the bureaucracy for many ills including corruption, sloth and inefficiency. The same press also routinely articulates bureaucratic view of politicians as ignorant and self-serving. Sometime bureaucrat and politician get together to blame press for wrong reporting/misquoting. And, the self-same set by and large calls Indian military a beacon of efficiency and patriotism. Not that sacrifices of our soldiers need any certificates! But when it comes to the same military seeking a fair deal in terms of service including pay and allowances, one sees contours of a different equation emerging. The earlier adversarial positioning vis-à-vis each-other is now shown as what it really was – a fraud . It was our mistake to imagine a drawing room discussion between members of elite, as anything but a system of checks and balances applicable to distribution of spoils within the `family’. Dispossessed of the society including soldiers are not part of the family. Now that the Chowkidar (soldier) has shown the temerity to seek a fair deal, he must be put in his place. He (soldierI is a “whiners”, his Chief is portrayed as imbecile who is being defiant and need to be taught obedience. This disconnect between the elite and people who toil and shed blood for the nation is the reason why we have kept getting defeated at foreign hands for 23 centuries. Do we want this to continue or has the time come to let the elite know the truth and expose fallacy of their position. Choice is ours!!
2. Position of Soldier in a democracy. Soldier in democracy is a citizen first. This stands amply clarified by the Supreme Court of India in more than one judgment. A soldier is first and foremost citizen of democratic, socialist
3. Command of Armed Forces Article 52(2) of the Constitution reads: "Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision the supreme command of the Defence Forces of the
4. Role of Military Leaders in administration of troops. Soldiers do not form trade unions because the task of negotiating a fair deal with the government is assigned to head of unit/regiment/army. It is a duty enshrined in the motto of
“ The safety honour and welfare of your country
come first always and every time.
The honour welfare and comfort of the men
you command come next.
Your own ease comfort and safety
come last always and every time “
5. When Military Chiefs articulating their anguish and opposition on patently illegal downgrading of military officers and reduction in pension of jawans they were performing their legal, nay, sacred duty.
6. Role of press in dealing with a set of people who have legal/ self-imposed vow of silence. There are certain curbs on a soldier’s interaction with media. These are meant to safeguard from premature divulgence of sensitive operational information. Training of military is such that it makes the soldiers intrinsically are shy of publicity. This silence becomes part of their ethos and is reflected in adjectives like `the silent service’, which the Indian Navy uses to describe itself. Most of the soldiers extend these limited restrictions to even matters of routine administrative nature. Hence it is the duty of the media persons reporting on defence matters to be scrupulously fair and sensitive to the ethos of military in reporting matters relating to services and avoid any hint of superciliousness, partiality or impropriety. In the instant case these qualities were conspicuous by their absence. Just demands of the military were termed `whine lists’. The 60 year old Chiefs, who have put in nearly four decades of service to the nation were reportedly `castigated’ by a firm political leadership and `told firmly’ to `behave’. This is nothing but lack of character on part of reporters and absence of editorial control.
7. Role of Government in safeguarding military leaders from slander. Even more worrisome is the absence of sensitivity on part of those in the government. One hand when a TV Channel reported existence of a letter in Army HQ purportedly written by serving senior officer (s), the Press Information Bureau of Government of India was very quick in denying its existence. But when on more than one occasion the press reported about `castigation’ of Chiefs, the same PIB kept totally quiet. At the very least this points to grave insensitivity towards honour and sensibilities of the military on part of government or at worst a well planned strategy to humiliate and down grade entire military.
