Uniforms cant be turned into badges

Indian Military Veterans

Uniforms cant be turned into badges

Author:

Maj. Manik M. Jolly, Veteran

Sena Medal

The ‘3 Year Tour of Duty’ proposal comes in light of ‘shortage of officers’ issue that has been under discussion since past couple of deades now. On another note, we are 1500 IAS officers short. As on Jan 2019, we had around 5200 IAS officers against requirement of approx 6700. We are also 900 IPS and around 600 IFS ( forest ) officer short. Overall, the shortage is around 22% against required cadre. In Armed Forces, the required strength is around 50,312 and on duty we have around 42,913. Hence the shortage is roughly around 15%.

Where is the need for ‘Tour of Duty’ more? Where is the shortage more ?

But this ‘tour’ to bureaucracy will not happen. The control bureaucrats have, they’ll rather ensure that this periodic intake of temporary over excited civilians happens in Army, and not with their service. Everyone understands the implications here. The temporary guys cannot be asked for lead operations or will never have enough seniority to purposefully and permanently take on some Command. It will actually be a joke, at the cost of ethos, principles and values on which Indian Army stands. 

The reason Indian Army is this massive fearless juggernaut is because of the inclusiveness and freedom it had maintained in training itself and running the operations. Now they want to include ‘Tours’ into this Organization where even the Dinner table is set the way it was done hundred years back. 

The uniqueness of Armed forces come with the fact that while systems and weapons have progressed fast and with times, the intrinsic values have remain unchanged and have been a matter of pride for each soldier. This, stands to be compromised majorly here. A quintessential soldier puts in a lot of hard work to finally understand and respect the fact as to why he has to stand in attention in a Boss’s room even if there are 10 chairs lying around. You don’t expect this to be followed by ‘Tourists’. The casual approach to their induction itself will be a precursor to their queries on things that have takes years to emb ed in units. 

“ Lt Manik Jolly, listen carefully. Ours is not to reason why, Ours is to do or die !” Was told you me by my CO around two decades back. And he had to emphasise it because even after three years in NDA and one in IMA, I doubted his decision and asked why. And good that he chided me because military does not have scope of doubt and discussions. It’s prepared for war and if you do not have faith in your commander’s decision and few hundreds troops start asking “Why should we climb that mountain “ from their CO, God save the Army ! This, will be the most critical issue with these civilians coming in.

Also, this idea is not only ridiculing the whole effort youngsters make into getting into academies like NDA , IMA etc , but will cause massive chaos once implemented. Few lakh apply for NDA, a hardly 3-400 are taken every year. There is no second NDA ! Either you’re in those 300 or not. It’s not like if you’re not getting Pune you will get Guwahati. Hence, this is an exceptionally demeaning gesture to the entire Armed Forces fraternity where it’s just assumed that one day you can get up and join the Army, because you want to ‘Tour the forces’. 

The MoD should clearly say that let this be implemented in concurrence with same ‘Tour of Duty’ for all services together, Military and Civil. Let deficiencies be filled all over by interested civilians keen to serve the nation. Nothing against them but Uniforms can’t be turned into ‘Tour Badges’ ! 

Jai Hind 🙏