If a commander stands against higher authority, to safeguard the interests of those placed under his command or in support of righteous conduct, it is discipline of the highest order – acting according to the dictates of one’s conscience, irrespective of the consequences or irrespective of the relationship with persons against whom the action is being taken. The Bhagawad Geeta, which is revered as the greatest philosophical work on earth, teaches this and nothing but this. How will bureaucrats, cringing before their political masters, looking for favours or the political masters, who look towards their bureaucratic supporters, brought up on the lap of psychophancy ever understand the meaning of true discipline.
If you want to know what discipline is, you should ask someone who had served in the Government in the pre- independence days, only very few of whom may be alive. I happen to be one of them– a second world war veteran. Read the story below and ask your readers a question.
How may bureaucrats or how many law- makers of today can even dream of doing such a thing as Russel Pasha of 13th FF Rifles. Did he not know his men?(Later Lt Gen– Military advisor to Field Marshal KM Cariappa on our attaining independence).
The story :
Lt Col Russel was the Commanding Officer of a Frontier Force Regiment, where all the men were from Paktoonisthan. Col Russel, affectionately called by his men as “Russel Pasha” used to go to Paktoonisthan and spend his annual leave in the villages from which his men came, living as a Pathan, dressed as a Pathan speaking Pushtu as a Pathan and biting flesh of the carcass of a full goat, roasted on coal fire, along with his Pathan friends of the village and would return to his battalion on completion of his annual leave.
What else can you expect from the bureaucrats, except elbowing their political masters to condemn the chiefs, who have stood by the interests of the men under their command, for lack of discipline?. This is another repeat of the glorious example of present day neo- rich, mowing down innocent pedestrians with their expensive cars, testifying that there was nothing wrong with the car but it was the pedestrian who came in its way who is to be blamed.
Would you have the courage to have this published as a letter to the editor in your esteemed news paper or the courtesy to send your reporter to interview a ninety year old veteran of world war II.
Col MS Krishnamoorthy
Anti- Military Editorials
The Tribune: Uncalled for defiance: Admiral Mehta’s conduct inexcusable
The Times of India: Army brass defied Govt on pay hike by citing ‘larger interest of the services’
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