Harsha Kakar
Pre-2014 elections, the Rewari ex-service men rally was the turning point for the backing which Modi received from the serving and veteran military community across the country. His promises on granting OROP, giving the armed forces its due, enhancing its capabilities and restoring its pride and status won the hearts of the armed forces community. Serving and veterans voted for him in strength, expecting to witness a change from the past. Military personnel are never single voters. They are backed by family and friends.
Post the elections the scenario began to change. OROP was partially granted, which could be said was far better than what any previous government had ever considered or granted. However, there were major shortcomings which the Government still refuses to address, stating in the courts that it can do no more. It remains a sore point and the agitation continues at Jantar Mantar.
Simultaneously, the Government began ignoring the armed forces and possibly taking its support for granted. It began diluting its status as compared to other central service cadres and even went ahead and accepted a severely degraded pay commission for the armed forces. It was the determination of the then service chiefs to stick to their stand of rejecting the pay commission, ignoring directions to issue implementation orders, which compelled the PMO to step in.There are still 46 anomalies pending from earlier pay commissions.
If this was not enough, it cancelled entitled rations for officers and granted them a measly figure, even lower than that entitled to a prisoner in jail. It began challenging justified verdicts on pension and disability granted by the Armed Forces Tribunal in the apex court indicating a growing callousness against the armed forces. This despite strong recommendations to its contrary by a committee formed by the ministry itself.
At present there are multiple cases in the apex court on which the Government is acting against the interests of the serving. The first is the case questioning the actions of those who operated in Manipur under AFSPA. It should have been defended by the Government, as they had ordered the army to deploy, however is being done by a group of serving and veterans, with the ministry as silent spectators. Similar is the case involving Major Aditya, whose father is in court on his son’s behalf. It was the MoD which initially gave sanction to the Jammu and Kashmir Government to file a FIR against Major Aditya, which the court has set aside. This attitude indicates that the Government is ignoring the army and leaving it to the mercy of the courts.
The next is the grant of Non-Functional Upgradation, which it refuses to accept for the military.The case is now in the apex court. It has sought at every stage to either delay judgement, including challenging the court on its power to question Government policy. This action has severely impacted the faith and trust of the military towards the Government.
Degradation of the rank and file in comparison to the non-uniformed has been the maximum under the present regime. Its own ministers maintained a steady silence while the bureaucracy and even the Armed Forces HQ Cadre (AFHQ Cadre), a Group B support service, issued policy letters seeking degrading defence ranks. The fact that the MoD permitted it to happen under its watch has enhanced anger across the board.
Another issue which irks the armed forces, both serving and veterans, has been a drastic reduction in their defence budget this year, an aspect highlighted by the parliamentary committee and even the Vice Chief of the Army. This has forced the army to reduce planned expenditure and construction of housing for its serving members to transfer money for making up shortfalls in ammunition and procurement of essentials for upgradation. No self-respecting Indian would desire that its military lacks capability, while the Government wastes money on non-essentials.
Opening of cantonments without catering for security, non-release of the Reddy Commission report on OROP and ignoring complete staffing of the Armed Forces Tribunal, reducing its effectiveness are other irritants. The latest has been an announcement by the defence minister on opening military hospitals to the public in Uttarakhand. Military hospitals presently cannot meet even the additional strength of the veterans, who are forced to run pillar to post for treatment, now it would only become more difficult.
The Prime Minister and the Defence Minister have been visiting troops for Diwali, more as a photo-op, rather than to solve issues which impact their morale.
Recent reports indicate that seeking to gain from military successes the Government aims to celebrate surgical strikes in grand style, announcing it as the centre piece of its Government’s performance. It may even seek military bands and some veterans to indicate it still has support. While it may win some votes, however for the military community it is nothing short of exploitation for political benefits, ignoring the military’s true concerns. Such an exploitation may only go against the apolitical ethos of the army and lead to greater resentment.
With 2019 elections drawing close the NDA State and Centre units have begun seeking to re-engage the military veteran community, hoping for its support. They are aware that by reaching out to the veterans, they would indirectly influence the serving. Messages of senior party leaders desirous of interacting with veterans has begun. Veterans are being asked as to what the Government should do to regain their trust and support.
It is evident that the ruling alliance is aware of the benefit it had in 2014. It is also aware that since then, it has lost trust of the military community, which may impact its performance in 2019. Its desperation to regain lost ground is now becoming evident. While veterans may not be united as a community but them and the serving being let down would make them choose differently. The courts are also yet to decide if the serving can vote where ever they are posted, while their families would vote at their home bases. This could tilt scales.
In the ultimate analysis, in case the Government seeks to regain the trust and support of the veteran community, they would need to remove those irritants which have caused the divide. It is neither difficult, nor impossible. It needs will and determination. The question is, does the party have the will to do so?
The author is Major General (retd)
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