The move by the Army Chief, Bipin Rawat, warning soldiers against airing their concerns on social media, seems to be a knee-jerk reaction (“Rawat warns of crackdown, but another video surfaces”, Jan.16). Rather than looking at better means to address the issues being highlighted by the foot soldiers of the Indian Army, it is strange how the chief seems to be more concerned about shielding the “status quo” of menial traditions being followed within the army. How does tradition build bonds or even ensure discipline? While there is so much talk about modernising our armed forces, incidents which highlight the absence of basic needs show the “lack of organisational modernity” within our forces. There is also a need to realise that these soldiers are not taking to social media out of some sudden craze but rather out of frustration with existing grievance redress mechanisms. Silencing such voices by issuing threats of punishment is adopting an “ostrich-like approach” towards the darker realities.
Abhilash Thimmaiah,
New Delhi
The warning will only affect the morale of jawans. That jawans have ample opportunities to register their grievances is false and imaginary. It is well known that our jawans live an “orderly life” throughout their career. Superior officers need to look at ground realities and ensure that jawans get what they want and deserve.
B. Prabha,
Varkala, Kerala
The fact that an authority as high and credible as the CAG has reported on “poor quality food” points to something murky.
Considering the stupendous task, responsibility, vigil and strenuous efforts our soldiers put in to ensure the nation’s security, they need to be kept in good stead and treated with honour and dignity. Good sense should prevail upon the authorities concerned to ensure that our jawans are given fresh and nutritious food.
R. Sampath,
Chennai
It is demeaning to get army jawans to carry out menial jobs such as washing clothes, polishing shoes and walking dogs of officers. If repression is continued for too long without redressing grievances, it may lead to undesirable consequences, in turn affecting discipline within the forces.
T.S.C. Bose,
Hyderabad
The soldiers have only highlighted their grievances and not committed any crime. Far from providing succour to personnel who toil in inhospitable terrains, such “threats” will only demoralise them further. The sahayak system was a manifestation of the colonial era and it is time to give this unfair practice a quiet burial. Steps need to be taken to ameliorate the suffering that jawans undergo.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan,
Tiruchi
All is not well with the Indian Army. Over a period, both the Army authorities and the government have ignored soldiers and their welfare. The One Rank ,One Pension movement has further created a deep void between the officer cadre and jawans. Leaving behind his ostrich-like mentality, the Army Chief must recognise the low morale and take corrective steps. It is not the machines and the officers who matter the most but the jawans, the JCOs and the field officers who are the real teeth in any war.
A.M. Manohar,
Hyderabad
