Army needs to learn

Does the country deserve the type of Armed Forces that we have inherited in our country today? A conversation between OSD at the Directorate General Resettlement, Ministry of Defence and me would perhaps provide a realistic answer to the question.

I was wounded in war and was posted to the Directorate General Resettlement, Ministry of Defence in 1973 immediately after a year’s hospitalization to enable me to get an ear surgery done at the Army Hospital Delhi, which had been damaged during the war. The facility for microsurgery of the ear was available only at the Army Hospital Delhi Cantt then. Immediately on posting, I was directed to meet all officers of the directorate to get to know the charter and working of the organization as a part of induction training and familiarization. I came across a Director rank IAS officer Mr Menon who was positioned as the OSD War Widows cell. He informed me that he has been positioned at the DGR in addition to his own duties in the Ministry to coordinate provision of Gas Agencies to War Widows and Petrol Pumps to the war wounded officers. On a query he told me that the gas agencies and petrol pumps, which were allotted for the purpose, were not adequate to meet the requirement and they have been distributed even before he joined the organization. He had nothing more to distribute to the applicants on the waiting list. There was a long waiting list and the applicants were regularly visiting the DGR hoping for the miracle to happen. On a query as to what was he doing about it now, he told me that he spent about an hour or so in DGR every day and was just passing time at the cost of his main job. He also informed me that there was no chance of getting any more Gas Agencies or Petrol pumps for allotment, as it was too lucrative a business to be given away to these categories of people. I grew curious and asked him why then was he here. “I am here just to enable the government to tell the Parliament that a Special Cell has been created in the Ministry to look after the welfare of the war widows and the war wounded,” replied the officer. Till I left the organization in 1976, no more gas agencies or petrol pumps were allotted barring two ladies who had personally met Mrs Gandhi and got gas agencies allotted to themselves.

It is unfortunate that the genuine spirit, the National pride and interest of the Servicemen and the Ex- Servicemen have not been recognized by the political and the administrative system in the country. The people for obvious reasons are mute spectators to the whole issue. It is therefore, apparent that the Servicemen and the ESM need to strengthen themselves through the available methods, within the political system and the system of governance in the country. This needs to be done urgently for the benefit of the future generations of Servicemen. If the Servicemen and ESM expect the system to deliver, they are mistaken.

Brig V Mahalingam (Retd)

We thank Brig PT Gangadharan (Guards)for sending us the thought provoking article.

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