Thursday, November 19, 2015

Some things are like that, it needs a drastic change in mindset!

We, Indians, have a penchant for trying to outsmart another and feel very nice about it, even considering it as a big achievement. How has this attitude come about? Has it been brought by the long British colonisation when they put one against the other to feel secure in this country and to consolidate their position? ......One has every reason to believe it to be true.

Another aspect is the games that the bureaucracy play in any democracy. Fuelling the perennial nightmare in every politician of a military takeover leading to dictatorship, the bureaucrats get through with the most outrageous rules to ascertain their supremacy. It's in their scheme of things to keep the armed forces under their thumb, take far reaching decisions regarding acquisitions and personnel policies without ever being accountable/responsible for their actions.

Just to cite an example, why did the then Defence Secretary go unscathed after the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962 when the then Defence Minister and the Army Chief had to bear the brunt of the colossal failure on all fronts? He, too, was definitely answerable for the ill equipped state of the armed forces at that point of time. How do we let these guys get away time and again? All of us, collectively are to blame. And when these guys go on visits to defence assets they insist on being pampered which is readily conceded to by the ever so malleable top management!........

Yet another Pay Commission has submitted its report which will be implemented forthwith. At the outset, it seems to satisfy every section of the affected. And yes, the pay supremacy of the IAS will be maintained! This assures them of their undisputed position in the pecking order, a factor that they cling on to while systematically diluting that of the Armed Forces! 

A couple of weeks ago, the government had issued the notification on the OROP issue, causing heartburn to the veterans. Why did they've to do that? Or was it another orchestrated move by the bureaucrats to cause discomfort to the Armed Forces and their veterans?

Their attitude seems to be, "You continue to die, fighting for your country and you're being paid for it but don't ever ask for izzat. It's foolish sentimentality."


Tailpiece.

1. This is about an incident that happened years back, when I was a young Lieutenant and Liaison Officer to a bureaucrat who was on a visit to our establishment at Bombay. I was at the airport to receive him and no sooner had his luggage been collected, he'd the gall to hand over his briefcase for me to carry. I put it immediately on the luggage trolley and when queried, answered that I never did such things even for my parents and grandparents, whom I respected and was thoroughly fond of.

2. The crossed bureaucrat reported my arrogance to my Commanding Officer expecting me to be hauled on coal for my misdemeanour(?). What he didn't know was that my CO neither took any action against me nor did he broach the topic ever. What I was told by his personal staff was that he'd a hearty laugh when he heard the story and that he was quite fond of me!    

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