One of the first songs that we hear on days like today is the famous "Ae mere watan ke logon, zara aankh mein bharlo paani" by the evergreen Latadi and no matter how many times I listen to it, it still gives me goosebumps. The song is used to commemorate our brave armed forces and beyond such token symbolism, our government, irrespective of the party in power, does not keep in pace with modern times to reward them.
Except for the 1962 war against China there has not been a single war which we have lost. And we could have saved our face even against China had Jawaharlal Nehru not goofed up as per a former air force chief and used our Air Force. But save that for another day. Our armed forces have shown exemplary behaviour in not being the provocation for foreign forces but at the same time has the capability to give a fitting reply. From the 1971 war (if the film Border is even remotely similar to it, it is a great achievement) to the recent retaliation in Myanmar, the Indian forces have never failed. Forget wars, even in times of natural disasters like the Uttarakhand floods the armed forces ensure that civilians like us are safe no matter what happens to them. That is the level of their commitment and dedication. But have we given them enough? And the answer is a resounding NO.
Unfair Treatment:
While the latest budget for the armed forces is nearing 2.5 lakh crore, as a percent of GDP it is just 1.7%. This is much less than the 2% of China, 3% of Pakistan and almost 2% below the Israel (which has similar conditions like us) and Russian budgets. Critics may argue that in absolute terms, it is a huge number but such low spending affects on the future capabilities of the armed forces. As if the slower-than-a-snail process to modernize and indigenize during the 10-year UPA rule was not enough, the present NaMo government, though big on announcements and vision, has not yet shown concrete results. The likes of Rafale jet deal is something which should be done more. Buy some off the shelf and manufacture the remaining in India under the Make in India campaign.
Out of this humongous budget, a good part goes towards the salaries and pension of the armed forces (in spite of OROP not been implemented though it should have been much earlier), and thus it leaves very little behind for modernization. This has led to our armed forces using outdated weapons risking their lives further and demoralizing them. It can be seen from the latest numbers disclosed by Manohar Parrikar in the Parliament that the defence forces faces a shortfall of more than 11,000 officers of which 90% is in the Indian Army. And it would take a good decade to fill in this vacancy. So this means that our battalions will keep reducing as there are no majors to guide them. What a shame for the second highest populous nation to have such a distinction! In addition to the personnel shortfall, the Army does not have ammunition beyond 20 days in case of a full blown war. The politicians may slug it out in the Parliament against each other, but they are not the ones to protect the borders in case of an emergency - it is the armed forces. So it is a wake-up call for our government.
The Air force has its own problems. Training mishaps on the MiG-21 are common with loss of finest pilots. Furthermore we have just 30-odd squadrons instead of the designated 42-44 squadrons. And with planes dating back to the 60s and 70s this will further reduce, heavily affecting the air force. It is a matter of concern due to recent bonhomie between Pakistan and China where China is supplying modern fighter jets to Pakistan while our Tejas Mark II is still a long way before induction. For the navy, losing INS Sindhurakshak and 18 valuable soldiers has further crippled it along with an ageing fleet of outdated submarines leading to regular outbreaks of fire in the past two years. How are we supposed to thwart a threat from a superior Pakistani navy and 50+ strong fleet of Chinese nuke subs? And all this because our DRDO is not able to innovate and produce on time. Call it the bureaucracy or financial problem or a defence minister who for years did not sign files for the fear of being called corrupt (A.K.Antony still remains an honest politician in the otherwise corrupt Congress which fulfils his purpose of not being termed corrupt), the fact is we have a problem as a country when it comes to our armed forces. How long can we ignore it?
Talking of ill-treatment of our soldiers, the government leaves no stone unturned to trouble the soldier's kin after his death. There is a long list of benefits for the next of kin of the martyr but the kin has to run to a number of government departments and wait for years before they get that benefit. In a bizarre incident in Chhatisgarh last year, the CRPF jawans were retrieved from a garbage dump at the Raipur government hospital. This was after an earlier incident in 2011 when policemen who were killed in a Naxal attack in Dantewada were transported in municipal garbage truck. They guard us and we literally dump them!!
Another reason why the money intended for the forces is wasted and they do not get the best treatment is corruption. Our politicians who have not left education, cricket, telecom, real estate, coal and even toilet paper made sure that they do the same with the armed forces. So be it the Adarsh scam or the Sukna land scam, it was ultimately the brave heroes of our country and their kin who had to suffer. Even retd Gen VK Singh was offered a bribe of ₹ 14 crore for purchase of sub-standard Tatra trucks. And the case of Bofors is well documented. We must hang our heads in shame!!
Way Forward:
The only way forward to ensure that the men who ensure our peace are rewarded adequately is to modernize the forces so that loss of lives is minimal. Corruption in the armed forces should be curbed which is easier said than done. But the idea of Joint Chief of Staffs is an idea worth considering. This will give the armed forces greater autonomy as well as increase the co-ordination between the three primary forces which work in silos at present.
Another way is to corporatize the functioning of DRDO and deadlines must be set to deliver results. We have the best of brains, it is time to use them to secure our future. To ensure that DRDO alone does not have the entire responsibility, private players must be taken on board as partners to encourage R&D in this sector. This has already started but the 49% cap stops foreign players from entering India. Give them majority ownership but design rules that the profit must be used to enhance capabilities in India and the government can supersede the Indian company in case it is found to violate the sovereignty and freedom of India. We are the largest importer of arms in the world and financial concerns should be last thing when deciding ownership - we anyway remit too many dollars because of this.
The perception of the armed forces has taken a beating because of which we do not see many graduates not applying for vacant positions. Once the conditions are improved, I have no doubt that the famed youth of this country will throng to serve the country.
I am reminded of the dialogue from the film Baby where Danny in response to the minister's question "are we doing enough for them" says, "Kahan sir, but the fact is they don't really care". True, that the armed forces selflessly serve the country and will not shy away from taking a bullet to save it. But this does not mean we take them for granted. Else there will be a time when we will be the largest importer of foreign soldiers in addition to foreign arms - that is if we retain our freedom! Hopefully the government takes cognizance of this issue and follows up on what it has promised. I still choose to be optimistic. Jai Hind!
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