Conscription need not be the final solution

Deficiency of 11 to 12 thousand officers in the Indian army has persisted for years. In a country plagued by endemic unemployment, such large deficiencies can only be explained in terms of unattractiveness of military service. Since independence, the politico-bureaucratic combine have been working over time to downgrade military service and consequently it has become the very last option for the youth. Both in terms of pay and status, the military has hit rock bottom.

On its part the military has been pleading, both with the government and successive pay commissions, for a fair dispensation for the troops and officers, but to no avail. In a desperate attempt the military tried to avail the services of an advertising agency, at a huge cost, to show case the career, but this too has drawn a blank. The fact is that no advertising agency can whitewash the obvious drawbacks of a career in the Indian military. Because no informed and discerning person can possibly miss the unenviable position in which the military has been placed.

Therefore, as a last option, the army chief has fielded the idea of conscription to meet the perennial shortfall. His concern is on two counts. One endemic shortage in the officer cadre and second, those already in it want to troop out in large numbers. He could not have gone public on the issue without coming to the conclusion, after meeting failure on all fronts (government and successive pay commissions) that there will continue to be lack of volunteers and that only option left is conscription.

However conscription appears anathema in a liberal democracy. Yet national security is not something that can be outsourced! Why so few are willing to join the military and those already in it want to leave in large numbers! There are far too many disadvantages. Poor promotion prospects, inadequate pay and allowances, low pension, early retirement, long periods away from families in uncongenial environments with attendant medical problems, running two establishments, disturbance in children’s education, risk to life in an unending fight against insurgents and all the other travails, attendant to life in the Indian military. All these can be clubbed under what may be called ‘ X’ factor, which has to be duly compensated.

We live in a materialistic world and self serving environments. It is therefore, unrealistic to expect idealism and sacrifices, from only one small section of society, while the rest go about mending their own fences. Disadvantages of a military career vis-à-vis civil services are far too many. Between various organs of the government there must be equity with special dispensation for the military for the ‘X’ factor.

Consider this. Only at the threat of resignation, were the service chiefs able to get, ‘running pay band’ for their officers from the Fourth Pay Commission. The Fifth Pay Commission took away the ‘running pay band,’ introduced 33 years conditionality to earn full pension, a clause that works only against defence personnel; nearly ninety percent of them. It assembled 138 officers and staff (including those from the Postal Service, Indian forest Service etc) to compile the report and did not take even one, yes even one officer from the defence forces for this task. The Sixth Pay Commission is a repeat of the same pattern. Fifth Pay Commission’s report runs into over 2100 pages. Defence forces case is covered in just 50 pages or so, when they are nearly 40 percent of the central government employees; with the largest officer cadre. It gave more pension to a brigadier than, a Maj Gen.

The Committee of secretaries assembled to review the report of this Pay Commission, had an officer from the police but, even on the urgings of the three Service chiefs, had none from the armed forces. MoD’s role was at best obdurate.

This then is how the defence forces of the country have been dealt with. No wonder the shortages persist, lower standards of intake not withstanding. There is, near exodus from the army and the IAF. In the army between 2001 and 2004, in all 2000 officers sought release and this included 2 Lt-Gens, 10 Maj-Gens, 84 brigadiers and remaining colonels and below. How many from the IAS, IPS and other civil services have likewise applied for release from service! How can any government remain oblivious of the discontentment and disenchantment in the defence services! Therefore, the question, who will soldier for the country!

Only on my pointing out to the PM, during our meeting with, that in the case of ‘one rank one pension,’ only the other ranks, upto havaldars have been given monetary increase in their pension, whereas JCOs and officers have been left out. Since then JCOs have been given increase in their pension but officers have again been left in the cold. Does, the incidences of shooting of seniors, comrades, suicides and thousands fighting their cases in the courts reflect on the state of morale!

While other armies opted to live with shortages, the Indian Army, because of insurgencies in J and K and North East and deployment against Tibet etc finds it hard to live with the shortages. In Britain , the top brass simply dug its heels and made the government relent on making the military service more attractive than the civil services. The Army has to compete with the civil services in the job market and ‘X’ factor is integral to that competition. Equally nothing is more valuable than one’s life.

Serious problems in the management of officer cadre are due the pyramidal structure; a service imperative and any further tampering with it, by increasing numbers in the higher ranks will be detrimental to the functional aspects of the service. There is a strong case to enlarge the short service cadre ( six months training and five years service ) and on completion of 5 years service there should be assured induction into state and central police, civil services and or professional educational institutions, (with appropriate stipend), depending on qualifications, choice and suitability. There ought to be a statutory provision for this. Such a course would be more in keeping with democratic values etc than conscription and at the same time mitigate the perennial problem of cadre management and shortages.

The rank and file in the military is equally if not more disadvantaged than the officer cadre. There are no shortages because of unemployment in the country. Even here the better material goes to state police, CPO and other government avenues and only the left over seeks entry into military. A soldier retires at the age of 34 to 38 years. There is no alternate job for him. His pension, because of lesser length of service and 33 years conditionality works out to less than half of that of a peon from the government. He is the same soldier to whom the PM gave the award, ‘Indian of the year,’ at the recently held, NDTV award ceremony!

Responding to the army chiefs loud thinking on the issue of conscription, the defence minister stressed the need to create more facilities and better pay packets to make job in the defence services more attractive rather than resort to conscription. Such false promises have been made in the past by the politicians. Perhaps Mr Antony is of a different genre. The country has to address these pressing issues and give fair dispensation to the defence forces.

Lt Gen Harwant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (retd)
Former Deputy Chief of Army Staff

(This article is also posted in "Report My Signal Professional Matters" Blog with other linkages and comments)
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Comments from Readers

The orignal sin was to cut down our Salaries while KCIOs & ICS were not touched. In 1947 I was an Instructor at the IMA Dehra Dun- Company Commmander (Major) of Miektila Coy of the Postwar 2nd & 3rd Courses of Cadets, when this happened.

Pandit Nehru visited the IMA. Nehru sitting in our Mess at lunch said within my hearing "we have no need for an Army we are a peaceful Nation". Soon thereafter 1st SIKHs had to be flown to thwart PAK attacks into Kashmir, and the so called PAK raiders were Stopped around Baramulla, and India's dependence on Armed Forces has been on the Increase since then. In between others eg BSF and other such like organisations have chipped in, to add to the overall Defence Budget. Still, Army's Role has been on the increase in spite of raising many other Para Military Organisations. While I agree with HARWANT SINGH there is now also an all round realisation that Army has to be paid much better but, its present size is bound to result in hugely increased Budget. Then there is the requirement of newer Weapon Systems. Conscription will not solve anything- Soldiering requires Soldiers, NOT Conscripts. I have First Hand experience of the British Conscripts in the last War. CHEERS.

Brig RS Gill (Retd)
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Firstly, I fail to understand as to why the Service chiefs are worried about the shortage of officers after they have apprised the Govt. Is it the responsibility of the Service chiefs to recruit officers or is it of MOD.I do not agree with the General Harwant Singh's statement, "It is therefore, unrealistic to expect idealism and sacrifices, from only one small section of society, while the rest go about mending their own fences". There are still very many Indians who value the value system and would like to join the defence forces provided they are guided well. Let's put our house in order first. Do the generals and the senior defence officers behave in a fashion commensurate with their rank/ office both in office and outside. Are they free from personal prejudices and idiosyncrasies/ whims/ fancies. The number of court cases is a barometer of the same. Govt will succumb only when the senior officers look after their juniors correctly and do not compromise for their personal benefit.

Col Shivraj (Retd)
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