The Army Wife

The good Lord was creating
A model for military wives
and was into his sixth day of overtime
when an angel appeared.
She said, “Lord, you seem to be having
a lot of trouble with this one
What’s wrong with the standard model?”
The Lord replied,
“Have you seen the specs of this order?
She has to be completely independent,
possess the qualities of both mother and father
be a perfect hostess for four to forty
with a hours notice, run on black coffee
handle every imaginable without a manual
be able to carry on cheerfully,
even if she is pregnant and has the flu,
and she must have six pair of hands.”
The angel shook her head
“Six pair of hands? No way!”
The Lord continued, “Don’t worry,
we will make other military wives to help her
And we will give her an unusually strong heart
so it can swell with pride
in husbands achievements,
sustain the pain of separation
beat soundly when it is overworked and tired
and be large enough to say
“I understand” when she doesn’t
and “I love you” regardless
“Lord”, said the angel, touching his arm gently,
“Go to bed and get some rest,
You can finish this tomorrow”
“I can’t stop now,” Said the Lord
I’m so close to creating something unique
Already this model heals herself when she is sick
can put up six unexpected guest for the weekend
wave good-bye to her husband from a pier
a runway or depot and understand
why it’s important the he leave
The angel circled the model of the military wife
looked at it closely and sighed
“It looks fine, but it’s too soft”
“She may look soft”, replied the Lord
“but she has the strength of a lion
you would not believe what she can endure”
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her fingers
across the cheek of the Lord’s creation
“There’s a leak,” she announced
“Something is wrong with the construction
I’m not surprised that it has cracked.
“You are trying to put too much into this model”
The Lord appeared offended
at the angel’s lack of confidence
“What you see is not a leak,” he said,
“It’s a tear”
A tear” What is it here for?” asked the angel
The Lord replied, “It’s for joy, sadness, pain
disappointment, loneliness, pride and dedication
to all the values that she
and her husband hold dear.”

click here to read more inspiring Military Poems

AWWA a major source of pain for Army wife

In defence of the military

Tuesday, October,7 2008 (New Delhi).

Let me begin this piece by stating emphatically that it is written in defence of the Indian military. I believe that it is an institution worth defending, warts and follies notwithstanding. And that is why this piece.

Of late, the Indian military leadership has come under a lot of motivated and ill-informed criticism for doing what any self-respecting commander-in-chief would do.

In taking up the issue of pay and parity between the armed forces and their civilian counterparts, all that the three chiefs have done is to bring to the notice of the highest political authority in the country the four core issues that affect the services. And they did it in the most dignified manner possible.

But their action has kicked up a furious debate in the media and depending on who you speak with, there are two views on the issue. Most non-military viewpoints are alarmists, to say the least. A few inspired leaks by the stung bureaucracy has led to a spate of articles and opinion pieces alluding to a breach of discipline and a show of "defiance" by the service chiefs. Some commentators have even gone to the extent of saying that the three chiefs have set a dangerous precedent that does not augur well for Indian democracy! Others have said the chiefs were left with no choice. And unlike any other time, I will be a subjective observer in this.

As someone who has been in the thick of reporting on the pay panel recommendations and the subsequent developments, I must point out without reservation: The three chiefs have never ever defied the government. A quarter century interaction with the armed forces has convinced me that the Indian military is not capable of indulging in politics, leave alone usurping anyone's authority as perceived by some. And even in this case, the three chiefs have simply taken recourse to the best possible method that was available to them. And by appointing a three-member ministerial committee to look into what clearly are genuine grievances of the armed forces, the political executive has shown the sagacity of recognising the seriousness of the issue. Unfortunately, the top bureaucracy has not shown the same level of maturity in dealing with the situation.

Allow me to go back in time a little to understand the context in which the three service chiefs have been forced to do what they have done. After the 6th Pay panel submitted its report, a committee of secretaries was set up to look into various anomalies that were brought to the notice of the government. The service headquarters had reasoned with the ministry that since the armed forces make up for 30 per cent of the government employees, they should have a representative on the committee. But their request was not heeded. Instead, the service chiefs were told their concerns would be addressed without prejudice and with sympathy.

This assurance was taken at face value but when no communication was received from the committee of secretaries, Adm. Sureesh Mehta, in his capacity as chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, asked for the details of the decisions taken in the committee. He wanted to see that the armed forces' concerns were adequately taken care of. But the Committee of Secretaries did not deem it fit to respond to the admiral's plea. So when the cabinet approved the amended sixth pay panel report, it was assumed all the pending issues were taken care of. But to the great consternation of the service headquarters, not only were their major grievances not addressed, three more anomalies, indeed, glaring discrepancies, were introduced by the committee of secretaries in the final cabinet notification.

For the armed forces, this was the last straw. This was worse than the aftermath of the 5th pay commission a decade ago when 48 anomalies were pointed out by the armed forces but only eight were resolved over a 10 year period till the 6th Pay Commission was notified!

It took some time for the reality to sink in but when the anomalies were noticed, all the three chiefs decided to take up their case with defence minister AK Antony. After the meeting, Antony was convinced of the logic presented by the three chiefs. So he apparently asked his ministry officials to prepare a detailed note in support of the services' demand to resolve the core issues and send that communication to the Finance Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office for necessary action.

The core issues, the three service chiefs felt, would affect command and control functions in the field especially between the Army and para-military forces and the navy and the coast guard, to cite just two examples. Having taken their case to the defence minister, the three chiefs felt they would at last get justice. Shockingly however, the finance ministry and the PMO were presented a completely diluted case. Left with no other alternative, the chiefs then took up their case with the Prime Minister himself who too agreed that their concerns were genuine and should be resolved favourably. The only catch was: the MoD had not sent the requisite supporting documents!!

In the meantime, neither the Prime Minister nor the Defence minister could meet because of their pre-scheduled foreign visit. That's when the three service chiefs decided that they would delay the implementation of the flawed 6th Pay panel report. And decided to communicate this decision to their men down the chain of command. The internal communication by all three chiefs in fact spoke about the need for not falling prey to rumours and speculation. For instance, the Naval chief's communication dated September 24, said:

"In recent times there have been several speculative media reports and disinformation on the final outcome of the sixth pay commission recommendations. The service headquarters have maintained continuous interaction with all authorities concerned and our concerns have been highlighted at the highest levels time and again.

Whilst some of our concerns have been addressed we have been constrained to delay payment of arrears and new pay scales to officers and men in view of some serious disparities that have been introduced which disturb the extant parities between defence officers and those from other central services as also adversely affect pensionary benefits of pbor. We are in the process of resolving all pending issues and this may take a little longer than we had earlier expected.

Let me assure each one of you that I will spare no effort to bring our genuine concerns to the notice of our country's leadership with the final aim of giving our personnel their rightful due. In the meanwhile I am certain that one and all will display maturity and patience and not be swayed by hearsay or speculative reports from any quarter. Shano Varuna and Jai Hind."

If the above signal, as the communication is called in military parlance, is defiance then no military chief will ever be able to give assurances to and take his men in confidence. Anyone who has dealt with the armed forces will tell you that there is not an iota of truth in the canard that is being spread about the three chiefs "defying" the civil authorities. Yes, they questioned the bureaucracy's attempts to wittingly or unwittingly introduce pay and status disparities between the armed forces and their civilian counterparts. Yes, they took the matter to the Prime Minister but in no way did they defy the government.

The question here is: Does civilian control of the military mean control by civil bureaucrats? Or should it in reality mean that military be subservient to the elected government and by extension to the Parliament and in the larger sense the people of India? This is the question that needs to be debated thoroughly for correct civil-military interaction and cohesiveness in decision-making in spheres of national security in the future.

What the three current chiefs have done is unprecedented in India's short history as an independent nation and therefore a surprise to many. But they have done their uniform proud by standing up for their men, a trait most essential in any leader but an absolute must for a military leader.

Nitin Gokhale
Senior Editor, Defence and Strategic Affairs, NDTV
In defence of the military

Related Reading:
This is not defiance
Armed Forces gun for the Babus: The Big Chief: Navy Chief lashes out at Indian Express: Why the outcry against Shekar Gupta's column

SCPC: MoD blinks on Lt Col pay demand

New Delhi, September 20 : Responding to complaints by the three service chiefs, Defence Minister A K Antony has agreed to recommend raising the pay band for officers of Lieutenant Colonel rank and their equivalents.
At the same time, the UPA has sent a polite memo to all three services to issue the “government draft notification letter” without any further delay as new salaries and arrears have to be paid to the armed forces on October 1, 2008.

Although the Defence Ministry issued the “draft notification letter” for civilians, the armed forces tactically delayed issuing the letter as part of pressure on the government to address their complaints.

The three chiefs have knocked on the doors of the Defence Ministry, Finance Ministry and even the Prime Minister’s Office seeking what they call “parity with honour” with civilian and paramilitary counterparts.

Finance Ministry sources said the Defence Ministry, in a letter dated September 16, recommended that Lieutenant Colonels and their equivalents be placed in Pay Band 4 (Rs 37,400-67,000) instead of the present Pay Band 3 (Rs 15,600-39,100). This means the Government will shell out an extra Rs 109 crore annually.

This was one of the demands of the services who claimed that even the Lt Colonel equivalent in the Coast Guard would draw a higher salary if the ones in the military were kept in Pay Band 3.

Sources said the Defence Ministry has also recommended status quo ante in the case of pension for PBORs (personnel below officer rank).

The Sixth Pay Commission report said that PBORs should get an opportunity for lateral entry into paramilitary forces and Central Police Organisations but they would forego 50 per cent of the pension calculated on the basis of the last pay drawn on retirement.

Until lateral entry for retired PBORs is approved and implemented, the MoD wants to go back to the Fifth Pay Commission report that allowed personnel to get full pension without serving the requisite number of years for entitlement.

The MoD has also informed the Finance Ministry that it is deferring any decision on the armed forces’ demand that Lt Generals, who are heads of organisations — like the Director General Infantry — be included in the new category of HAG-plus (Higher Administrative Grade).

As of now, Army Commanders draw pay equivalent to the Secretary to Government of India with other Lt Generals equivalent to the rank and pay of Additional Secretaries. The armed forces now want a separate bracket between Additional Secretaries and Secretaries to adjust Lt Generals who are heading organisations like mechanized forces or artillery.
MoD blinks on Lt-Col pay demand but tells services to promptly implement hike

Save India Stop Corruption can ESM Stop it?

You Can Stop....Save India From Corruption....
India 83rd corrupt Nation In the Global Corruption Index, a survey of 133 nations conducted by Transparency International (an anti-graft watchdog), India stood 83rd in the world, alongside Malawi and Romania. India recorded a score of 2.8 out of 10. Last year, India's score was 2.7 out of 10, but it stood 71st in a list of 102 nations, unlike 133rd this time. Finland with a score of 9.7 has been ranked first, making it the least corrupt nation on earth. A score of 10 means a country is seen as being "highly clean", and a score of zero means "highly corrupt". Bangladesh had the dubious distinction of being the world's most corrupt nation with a score of 1.3, worse even than Nigeria and Haiti, which had scores of 1.4 and 1.5, respectively to stand 132nd and 133rd. However, Asia as a whole fared badly in the report on corruption, with many nations in the region being counted amongst the worst in the world for graft among public officials and politicians. Myanmar ranked 129th and Indonesia was 122nd.
Stop Corruption..Save India
BPL households worst hit by corruption: study

Arm Forces with Honour

Honour, Dignity, Status and Rank
In war, there is no consolation prize. Restore the honour, dignity, precedence and status armed forces enjoyed at the time of independence. Let the very thought that the armed forces are being ill treated and discriminated against not gather momentum.
Read the full article as published in HT Chandigarh on 17 Sep 2008:
Arm Forces with Honour: Brig Jogindar Singh (Retd)

SCPC: Marshal Arjan Singh Laments

New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Earlier every girl wanted to marry a fighter pilot but now nobody wants to, thanks to the pathetic pay package and lack of respect for the armed forces and their service conditions, laments Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh.

Talking about the defence forces being shortchanged in the Sixth Pay Commission, Singh said that the morale of the force has to be maintained.

"Bureaucrats work close to ministers and hence are able to influence them. The people in the armed forces are suffering vis-a-vis the bureaucrats. Lowering their pay and rank will affect their morale," Singh told IANS here.
Read more: Now no girl wants to marry a fighter pilot thanks to low pay, laments Marshal Arjan Singh
Air Force Pictures by Bharat Rakshak

RTI Act will prevail over Official Secrets Act

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 14, 2007: Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah has said he is presuming the Government is undertaking a review of the 1923 Official Secrets Act (OSA). Major General V K Singh (Retd) is its latest victim, booked for writing on corruption in the RAW, in view of the transparency regime ushered in by the 2005 Right to Information Act.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Habibullah said: I am very clear that when there is a direct conflict between the OSA and RTI Act, it is the RTI which prevails. The OSA cannot be used in a manner in which it is inconsistent with provisions of the RTI Act.

The OSA is a colonial law that protects the Government from the public. In a democracy, the public is the Government. Earlier, OSA was the guiding principle in terms of custody of information held by the Government. Now custody of information held by the Government has been given to the RTI Act, he said.

According to Habibullah, even on the question of supplying information or documents marked secret (thereby, bringing it under OSA), the competent authority or information officer could use discretionary powers to disclose details. This, he said, was relevant, for instance, to Section 8 (j) of the RTI where a Central Public Information Officer can disclose personal information that has been sought provided public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interests.

As per provisions of Section 8 (d) and (e) of the RTI, in case the RTI request pertains to commercial information or information to a person in his fiduciary relationship, the competent authority, if convinced that larger public interest is served, may part with it. The competent authority, Habibullah said, is the Department of Personnel and Training which holds administrative supervision of the RTI.

Even documents marked secret or confidential, which would normally attract provisions of the OSA, can be disclosed since the discretionary provision is there in the RTI Act. And if these requests are turned down, the applicant can always appeal to the CIC and argue about the public interest served. With such RTI provisions, the relevance of OSA has become very limited, he said. His comments are significant given the fact that the Second Administrative Reforms Commission has recommended scrapping of the OSA. The Ministry of Home Affairs is examining the recommendation.
RTI Act will prevail if there is any direct conflict, says CIC

The Government that appointed the second Administrative Reforms Commission? After a comprehensive review of the RTI Act, this Commission, headed by Mr Veerappa Moily, declared that the time had come for the Government to move “from the prevailing culture of secrecy to a new culture of openness”. As regards the Official Secrets Act, it said that this law had “illiberal and draconian provisions” and that it was an anachronism in its present form.
RAW:Shutting out the truth

Good News: All the Welfare Organisations (Governmental and Non Governmental bodies) claiming to provide succour to Service Personnel and Ex- Servicemen under the Society Act of 1860 are subject to Public Scrutiny. It is mandatory for list of beneficiaries and quantum of assistance received by each to be displayed in the public domain. Similarly all veteran organisations with laudable goals should publish full details of beneficiaries in consonance with the directives of the Society Act. It is the moral duty of the Governing body to ensure the aims of the society is amply fulfilled. It is also the duty of every proactive Veteran to ensure that resources of Welfare Organisations are not fretted away.

Married Accomodation for the Defence Forces

The government is implementing the Married Accommodation Project (MAP) for providing adequate married accommodation for Defence Services Personnel with a view to mitigate the problems faced by the Armed Forces Personnel. The project is being implemented as a welfare measure with the objective of improving the living conditions of personnel of Army, Air Force and Navy. It envisages the construction of nearly 2,00,000 dwelling units at an estimated cost of Rs 17,358 crores in four phases.

Adhere to Time Lines of Married Accommodation Projects- Antony to officials

Comment: There is undue high pressure for accommodation in the cities where good facility for Schools and Colleges exist. The quantum of separated family quarters need to be raised, so that Officers and Jawans while serving in field area are able to provide their family a secure location for education of their children. Many officers and Jawans wish to serve in Field Areas so that the children's education does not get disturbed. Another pressure area is Delhi where senior officers would like to serve, retire and settle down. One needs to give careful thought so that the married accommodation so created does not go unoccupied, which otherwise becomes an idle and wasteful investment. It is essential to have statistics of Married Accommodation lying vacant and methods found to generate revenue from them.

ESM and FAQ's

Q1 Are Retired Defence services personnel not in receipt of pension/ released before completion of 5 years of service eligible to the status of ESM?

Ans. The ESM status of retired defence services personnel is governed by the definition in vogue at the time of his release. As per the definition laid down by DOPT the individuals released before Jul 87 without pension and with less than 5 years of service are also eligible to the status of ex- servicemen. However, each case has to be decided on its merit as per the definition in vogue at the time of his discharge

Q2 Grant of ESM status to pre- 1966 retirees.

Ans. No specific definition of ESM existed prior to 1966. The grant of ESM status to pre 1966 retirees will be governed by 1966 definition. In terms of the said definition ESM means a person released honourably irrespective of the length of service in defence services. The individuals discharged on account of inefficiency or misconduct are, however, not to be treated honourably discharged.

Q3 Are Short Service/ Emergency commissioned Officers eligible to the status of ESM?

Ans. Yes, if released on completion of the specific period of engagement and were given gratuity at the time of release.

Q4 Whether the personnel of Defence Forces who joined SSC and subsequently released on extended period at their own request entitled to ex-servicemen status.

Ans. Yes, if such personnel were given a gratuity and discharged on reasons other than misconduct or inefficiency (honourably discharged).

Q5 Grant of ESM status to the personnel of Army Postal Service (APS).

Ans. The personnel of APS who are a part of the regular army and retired from such service (ie, directly from the APS itself without reversion to P&T Deptt) with a pension or who had been released from such service on medical grounds attributable to military service or circumstances beyond their control and awarded medical or other disability pension come within the definition of ex-servicemen. The personnel of APS discharged on or after 19 Jul 89 satisfying the above conditions only are eligible to the status of ESM.

Q6 Whether the Widow of ESM who have got re- married are entitled to the status of ESM.

Ans. No.

Q7 Whether the person discharged on plural marriage are entitled for ESM status ?

Ans. No.

Q8 Whether the retired defence services personnel discharged on grounds of services no longer required, compassionate grounds, marriage and medical grounds are eligible to the status of ESM?

Ans. As per the clarifications obtained from AG's Branch, discharges are not blameworthy; only dismissals are. Such cases will, therefore, qualify to the status of ESM if they fulfil other eligibility conditions as laid down in the definition in vogue at the time of discharge. The individuals discharged on account of misconduct or inefficient will, however, not be eligible to ESM status.

Q9 Are recruits eligible to the status of ESM?

Ans. Since a recruit is not a rank, they are Not entitled to the status of ESM. However, recruits who were/ are boarded out/ released on medical grounds and granted medical/ disability pension have been given the status of an ESM vide Government of India, Ministry of Defence, Department of Ex- Servicemen Welfare, Office Memorandum No 12/I/2005/D (Res) dated 01 Feb 2006.

Q10 Are the personnel recruited in the Indian Army before independence but subsequently opting for Pak Army after independence and discharged therefrom, eligible to the status of ex-servicemen?

Ans. As per the definition laid down by the Govt of India, to be eligible to the status of ESM the individual may have inter-alia served in the Armed Forces of the Indian Union and released therefrom. Such cases are, therefore, not eligible to the status of ESM.

Q11 Whether the services rendered by the retired defence services personnel as boy before grant the rank may be counted for total qualifying services for determining the status of individual as ESM?

Ans. No. To be eligible to ESM Status, the individual may have inter-alia served in the Armed Forces of the Indian Union in any rank. Since boy is not a rank, such cases are not eligible to ESM status even if medically boarded out and in receipt of pension.

Q12 Are the persons re-employed in Para Military Forces, Defence Security Corps(DSC) and so on eligible to the status of ESM?

Ans. Services in the Para Military Forces, DSC so on does not entitle individual to ESM Status and as such is not to be counted for grant of status of ESM, even if such services may have earned a pension. However, if before joining Para Military Forces, the person was eligible for the status of ESM, he would be given the status of ESM. Para Military Forces cover Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo Tibetan Border Force, Assam Rifles and Railway Protection Force.

Q13 Are the personnel dismissed from the army for having taken part in freedom struggle, mutiny etc eligible to the status of ESM?

Ans. Yes, such cases are to be given the status of ESM as a special case if subsequently granted the status of Freedom Fighter.

Q14 Are more than one wife of deceased ESM in receipt of family pension eligible to the Status of ex-servicemen ?

Ans. Yes.

Q15 What does the discharges under Army Rule 13(3) (i) to 13(3) (v) mean? Are the individuals discharged under these clauses eligible to the ESM Status?

Ans. The discharges under Army Rule 13(3) (i) to 13(3) (V) relate to:-
13(3) (i): On fulfilling the conditions of his enrolment or having reached The stage at which discharge may be enforced.
13(3)(ii): On completion of a period of army service only, there being no vacancy in the Reserve.
13(3)(iii): Having been found medically unfit for further service.
13(3)(iv) : At his own request before fulfilling the conditions of his enrolment.
13(3)(v): All other clauses of discharge. The individuals discharged under clauses 13(3) (I) to 13(3) (iv) are eligible to ESM status, if they fulfill other eligibility conditions as laid down in the definition in vogue at the time of their discharge. The status of discharges under Army Rule 13(3) (v), will, however, be governed by the actual cause of discharge.

Q16 Are the persons released under AA Section 18 (AHQ part II Order No 67 dt 27-7-80) eligible to the status of ESM?

Ans. Every person subject to this Act shall hold office during the pleasure of the President. The individual is not entitled to the ESM status.

Q17 Are the person in receipt of disability pension at the time of their discharge but not presently in receipt of the same eligible to the status of ESM?

Ans. Yes. Such cases are eligible to ESM status.

Q18 Are the persons released from the following units eligible to the status of ESM?
Indian Army Nursing Service
Indian Canteen Corps
AF(I) (The Niligiri Malabar Battalion East West Bn)
Bharat Scouts.
Non ISF personnel.
Bn Railway (D of I Corps)
VH Units-DOFI Corps
Border Scouts.
Ladakh Scouts.
Auxillary Force of India
32 UP Defence Bn.

Ans. As per the clarification received from Ministry of Defence (Historical Division), Woman Auxiliary Corps (India) and Auxiliary Forces of India figures in the list of Indian Army Units pertaining to the period of World War II/1941-1943. The personnel of the Woman Auxiliary Corps (India) and Auxiliary Force of India will, therefore, qualify to the status of ESM if they fulfill the other eligibility conditions as laid in the definition in vogue at the time of their discharge. The personnel of Nursing Service are also eligible to the status of ESM. Regarding other units, the matter is under reference to AG's Branch and further clarification will follow on receipt of details from them.

Q19 Are the persons discharged at their own request/ compulsorily retired and in receipt of pension eligible to the status of ESM?

Ans. Yes, such cases are eligible to ESM status.

Q20 Are the persons discharged with character assessed 'BAD' eligible to ESM status?

Ans. As per the definition laid down by the Government of India, the eligibility of retired Defence Services Personnel to the status of ESM is governed inter-alia by length of service, reasons for discharge, pensioner status etc as per the definition in vogue at the time of their discharge. The character of the person has no bearing on his eligibility to ESM tatus. Such cases will, therefore, qualify to ESM status if they fulfill the eligibility conditions as per the definition in vogue at the time of their discharge.

Q21 Are the persons released on reduction of Indian Army on Demobilisation eligible to ESM status?

Ans. Yes, if they fulfill the other eligibility conditions as laid down in the definition in vogue at the time of their discharge.

Are ESM Welfare Organisations under any Scanner

All the non-profit and State welfare organisations must utilize 85% of its income in any financial year (1st April to 31st March) on the objects of the organisation. In case the organisation is unable to spend 85% of its income in the previous financial year due to late receipt of income or any other reason, the trustees/ governing body may exercise the option to spend the surplus immediately within subsequent 12 months. Surplus income can also be accumulated for a specific project, for a specific maxium number of years, as prescribed. The funds of the organisation are deposited according to the forms and modes specified u/s 11(5) of the Income Tax Act. Many organisations resort to spinning/ parking money in the Banks and circumvent the intended purpose.

We see so many ESM Welfare Organisations in the Public domain, but sadly none of them spell out their welfare activities in monetary terms and indicate precisely who benefits from these organisations in real terms. The audited accounts are not displayed in the respective websites violating the basic principle of transparency.

Moderator