Since independence, several changes and improvements have been made in our society, politics and in the Indian economy. India is now “ViswaGuru”. Democracy in correct means is the backbone in our country. Our soldiers are the heroes of the nation who protect us from all kinds of external aggression and aid civil authority in any kind of crisis in civil society. But still we may find many unparliamentary activities in our Armed Forces as reported in Social Media and the same has been confirmed and found true from the veterans and serving soldiers in our Facts Check mechanism.
We have faith in the policy of the existing Govt and our PM. The traditions are flowing through the Indian Army since its inception to enjoy the power in the name of command and control and the bureaucrats don’t want to bring it to the lights. I just want to produce a glimpse of the discriminations and disparities in pay and perks to officers and other ranks in the Indian Armed Forces that circulated widely in social media and the agitation and demonstration continued at Jantar Mantar for a long time. These things have gone viral on social media. Meanwhile, the Govt authority has also warned the ex servicemen that circulating any disparity/discrimination (even though it is real) in any media platform is a punishable offence under the Army Act.
But they can’t stop the voices of veterans and soldiers who are still deprived of their rights by issuing such orders and punishing them. All Indians have the right to express their views and comments on the Govt in public, it being a democratic ruling in our country and not the reign of so called “Gen Musharraf of Pakistan”. Publishing such incidents is not a breach of Indian Official Secret Act 1961 as already established at the High Court of Chandigarh.
To resolve these issues, our Govt should constitute a committee and arrange the meetings with the Veterans (JCOs/OR) Federation and jawans / JCOs to analyze/study the problem area and suggest a definite solution to the govt to remove all the disparities and unparliamentary activities within the Army. In the eyes of law there is nothing misappropriation in the demands of the Jawans. So, the voice of the Jawans, the backbone of the Indian Armed Forces must be heard with a democratic point of view.
In India, there are courts and still people have faith on Law and order of the country which has been proved in recent days – in a case of Chandigarh High Court wherein such a person was arrested by police based on his comments on the discrimination and mistreatment to other ranks by officers. The authority has failed to establish the offence of the sena medal awardee veteran soldier and released by court with respect being found not guilty.
The discriminations, disparity and misuse of powers in the name of command and control as reported viral in the social media is as under-
“MSP for officers and Nurses whose job is performed at AC Rooms (80%) are granted MSP Rs 15,500/- pm whereas MSP of PBOR including Subedar Major who are mostly deployed in field or ground duties (80%) is only Rs 5200/-”
Reemployed officers are enjoying their pay fixed at the same stage as last pay drawn in the Armed Forces but reemployed JCOs/OR are not allowed. Jawans will draw the entry level pay of the post only which is more time half of the last pay. Whereas officers are getting 6 times more pension than a jawan instead of this they are getting “Pay protection” in Govt jobs.
The initial commissioned rank of Second Lieutenant has been scrapped to get a higher initial pay scale at entry level but never bothered for Sepoy rank to be scrapped.
Time bound promotion has been allowed by AV Singh Committee and confirmed 3 consecutive promotions as Capt after 3 years service, Major on completion of 6 years and Lt Col at 13 years but a Sepoy after 17 years of bonafide military service, do not have any such confirmed time bound promotion scheme.
MACP is allowed instead of promotion which ensures only one additional increment after 8 years of services with an increase in pay of maximum Rs 1500/- whereas on promotion from Major to Lt Col, increase in basic pay is Rs 41,000/-. Who will constitute “the Second AV Singh Committee to recommend 3 time bound promotion within 13 years of service for Jawans ?
Promotion to any rank of Jawans/JCO is always based on ACR but for officers no ACR is required for consecutive first 3 promotions, why ?
Who justified that an officer’s car will become scrap within 4 years and they will be allowed to buy it again through CSD but a jawan’s car will not get a scratch for life time ? They are entitled to only one car in the entire service ?
“Chandrayan has successfully reached the Moon , G20 presidency of India proved to be capable of becoming Viswaguru but the soldiers of Indian Army are still used as personal servants by the respected lady wives of Army Officers at their quarters for domestic jobs. To hide this kind of misuse of manpower by commissioned officers, this thing has been named as “Buddy” which is similar to the words of “Friend” but it is not understood, why are officers wives so interested to keep “Buddy” at their home ?”
Who will ensure the utility of Buddy is at the proper line of control or not ? Many educated soldiers committed suicide as they were deployed to become buddy cum free domestic servant at officers quarter.
There are hundreds of disparities and misuse of power in the name of command and control is being ruled in the Indian Armed Forces as it has been published by confirmed sources in various media and interviewed thousands of veteran soldiers including some loyal officers. As I proposed at the beginning, every problem has a solution, like this it also can be resolved by forming a committee to study the problems and suggesting a definite solution.
In conclusion, it can be stated that, in all these misappropriations, the officers should not be guilty at all. They are just enjoying the facilities provided to them. Once an officer is posted to a unit/HQ, is provided them Free Servants, some time for senior officers it may be more than 4 persons also – one for maintaining School going children of the senior officer, one for gardening, one for ration/grocery items /vegetables collection/purchase, one for cooking, one for dress maintenance/shoe police and other domestic work – like washing cloth, cleaning home, take care of pets etc.
In an interview at Jantar Mantar, a senior officer stated that “Go and see, BSF and CRPF officers use dozens of such helpers/ jawans – no body pointing them”. So, we can approach the Govt authority to investigate the alleged issues by duly constituted committee to confirm the correctness of the complaints raised by the veterans and soldiers and act accordingly.