Our fight is for equality: Naval chief

Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta gave a new twist to the armed forces fight for pay hike on Saturday by suggesting that the issue involved the command and control relationship between the armed forces' officers and their civilian counterparts. His comments came amid reports that the three defence service chiefs have been ticked off for their unprecedented defiance over the Pay Commission report.

Mehta, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, told reporters in New Delhi that the issue was not about money but status and equality. The money aspect has been overplayed by the media, he said.

"It is about status and equivalence that existed (before the Pay Commission) and the command and control relationship (between the armed forces officers and their civilian counterparts)," he said days after the three service chiefs refused to implement the Pay Commission report unless "anomalies" are rectified.

The Admiral made these remarks at a Territorial Army day parade where Defence Minister A K Antony, Army chief General Deepak Kapoor and Air Chief F H Major were present. The other two service chiefs were walking alongside Mehta when the reporters talked to him but they did not make any comments.

Antony, who is reported to have conveyed the government's unhappiness to the service chiefs over their stand, took the salute at the parade and left immediately thereafter skipping customary tea with the officers present.
Our fight is for equality: Naval chief

Military repose no Faith?
I would like to bring out a fact that even the then late Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw when preparing for the war in Bangladesh did not trust the bureaucracy and wanted direct reporting to the then PM Indira Gandhi. There has never been a trust and faith in them.
Brig AB Joshi (Retd)

Utter Brinkmanship?
The press release on 07 Oct by the ministry of defence denying any rift between the government & the armed forces is quite disquieting indeed. The ministers must realize that the anti-services stance of its wayward blue eyed boys has not been in the best national interest & their inspired leaks showing the services in poor light has only increased the chasm. It is to be ensured that the policies laid down by government & not perverted by the copy writers should become the orders. A case in point is introduction of newer anomalies by the committee of secretaries constituted to resolve the existing distortions. It is surely not the money or perks the services or the veterans have been concerned about. It is about the demising status, honour & systematically being pushed to the wall. The government must see the writing on the wall & take initiative to reassure them that it is on the right side.
Air Cmde Raghubir Singh (Retd)
Circulation of some documents on Pay Commission by Army Denied