There is no illusion to suggest that defence preparedness and keeping the right balance between finances and motivating the soldiers are tough task.
The government's new initiative Agnipath is path-breaking and needs encouragement.
New Delhi: In 2014, during the high-pitched election campaign, I travelled with Rajnath Singh, then BJP national president. At one point, I said, “The BJP will be coming to power but people have very high expectations from you all”.
Singh smiled back and said-“We will perform, and on certain aspects of good governance and national security, we will even take drastic steps.”
Whether a major initiative like Agnipath was in his mind, I am not sure. Even if he had, he hardly mentioned it. But defence-related expenditures and BJP’s focus on fighting the terror menace were something he spoke about at length.
In circa 2022, he is India’s Defence Minister, and the government has taken a path-breaking decision to encourage youngsters to join the military.
The government’s move would bring down the armed forces’ pension costs, along with salaries, which make up a huge chunk of India’s defence budget. The country can only pay what it can.
But defence preparedness calls for huge responsibility and planning.
At the end of the day, one needs money. The government is actually being visionary in drawing the plan–billed as ‘military reform’-and also transparent in letting the country know how things stand in terms of revenue expenditures in defence.
Transparency is the only choice, and at the same time, another choice is to keep the momentum of defence preparedness going full steam. In terms of military reforms, perhaps the government would also take steps in the future to correct some of the existing lapses-which is part of the legacy in governance.
India’s large share of the defence budget and GDP go on internal security plus VIP security than on revenue expenditure in the defence budget. China’s defence budget is five times that of India.
During a Defence Correspondents’ Course in 2000, a group of journalists from across the country were told at the Military College of Combat at Mhow that men in uniform essentially deliver focusing on three Ns – Naam, Namak and Nishan (Name, Salt that is – country’s expenditures on them and the military insignia of the unit or regiment and national flag).
There is no case to argue that money matters or payment issues can influence the commitment level of the Indian armed forces.
“During my service, when interacting with the armies of many countries, my foreign peers wondered how the Indian soldiers recaptured the icy hills of Kargil, attacking them frontally (crossing the Line of Control was forbidden) at heights where mere breathing was a survival exercise,” writes retired Lt Gen SS Mehta in a newspaper article.
But having said these, one ought to debate an argument that is being created by negative forces that the four-year tenure types’ Agniveers’ may not have the essential motivation to lay down their lives aware that they are there for just four years. This is a far-fetched argument.
A soldier’s commitment to his or her nation is not decided by the years he is there in service or will be in service. It is perhaps created on the day – at least in the soldier’s mind – he or she joins the forces.
Of course, the task of military leadership by three chiefs and the strategic leadership by the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister is gigantic and tough.
All have to motivate their men and women and imbibe that ‘regimental spirit’ and unit’s battle cry to take on the enemy. Patriotism and nationalism are the flavours now. Even common Indians now talk openly about giving or doing something for the country.
Demonetisation in 2016 was a case wherein people suffered, yet everyone kept faith in the country’s political and administrative leadership with the hope that this would clean the Indian economy.
Another example PM Narendra Modi gives – about the surrender of subsidy money by beneficiaries on the purchase of cooking gas was stunning because the response came voluntarily.
If common people see things are tried ‘sincerely’ at the top, the mass level commitment and performance yardsticks are bound to improve.
A soldier not only follows his officers, he emulates them as a role models – sometimes even without knowing that he is doing so. The motivation in an army camp is so much guided by camaraderie and brotherhood that officers from different states – when working with Gorkha Regiment or Punjab Regiment would unhesitatingly declare-“We even think like a Gorkha or a solider of that Regiment”.
The military is one component of the government that has always delivered and will continue to deliver.
The new experiment or policy move can not dilute the stance. But it is true that the detractors of the present dispensation would be working overtime to find fault with the new initiative as they have done with every revolutionary steps like banning Triple Talaq or implementing GST and Direct to Bank Transfer policies.
The negative forces in India and their eco-system should be told that when one makes a ‘hole’ on a plane sheet of paper and asks a classroom what they see – the possibility is all will say the ‘hole’. But the paper is still in your hand, and it is clean and blank.
We are at the threshold of making history. The ‘rediscovery’ of India’s military policy and keeping young men and women at the forefront of that process is exemplary.
Patriotism is indistinguishable from the military men and women and their lifestyles – a four years stint or longer would not make any difference.
The Indian Army has reportedly listed out weapon systems such as Russia-made smerch rockets, battle tanks and even missiles, but it is also reported that there aren’t enough funds to procure more of these weapon systems.
At least that stage will be over, and the country will get around 46,000 young patriots in the first year of joining the forces in camouflage.
Agnipath Scheme: Fact sheet on Armed Forces’ new recruitment programme busts myths
As protests broke out against the newly launched Agnipath recruitment scheme, government officials on Thursday (June 16) brought out a fact sheet to clarify myths being spread about the programme.
Government officials denied that opportunities for youth would decrease as a result of Agnipath. In fact, they said the opportunities for youth to serve in the armed forces would rather increase.
“In the coming years, recruitment of Agniveers will be around triple of the current recruitment in armed forces,” the government officials said.
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Another myth is that Agniveers will have an insecure future. Officials said those wishing to be entrepreneurs would get a financial package and bank loan scheme.
The other options that they can go for include further studies, for which the government said the students would be given 12 class equivalent certificates and a bridging course for further studies.
“For those wishing to obtain jobs- they will be given priority in CAPFs and State Police. Several avenues are also being opened up for them in other sectors,” said the government officials.
As far as the myth regarding the regimental bonding getting affected is concerned, the officials said that there is no change being done in the regimental system.
“In fact, it will be further accentuated because the best of Agniveers will be selected, further boosting cohesiveness of the unit,” said the officials.
Refuting the claims that the scheme harms the effectiveness of the Armed Forces, government officials said that the system has already been tested in most of the countries where such a “short-term enlistment system exists”, and hence it is “considered best practice for a youthful and agile army”.
“The numbers of Agniveers to be recruited in the first year would only make up 3 per cent of the armed forces. Additionally, the performance of the Agniveers will be tested before re-induction in the army after four years. Hence Army will get tested and tried personnel for supervisory ranks,” the officials said.
Showing faith in the youth of the country as against the myth that the “21-year-olds are immature and unreliable for the army”, the officials stated that most armies across the world depend upon their youths while also adding clarifying that “at no point of time will there be more youngsters than experienced people”.
“The present scheme will only bring about a right mix of 50 per cent -50 per cent, slowly in a very long run, of youngsters and experienced supervisory ranks,” the government officials stated.
They further rejected the possibility of the Agniveers proving to be a “danger to society and joining terrorist camps, and said that such a myth is an “insult to the ethos and values of the Indian armed forces”, and the affirmed that the “youngsters who have worn the uniform for four years will remain committed to the country for the rest of their lives”.
“Even now thousands retire from armed forces retire with skills etc. but there have not been any instances of them joining anti-national forces,” the officials clarified.
As far as the myth and allegation that former armed forces officials were not consulted while constituting the Agnipath scheme, government officials said that extensive consultations with serving armed forces officers for the last two years were made.
“The proposal has been framed by the Department of Military Officers staffed by Military officers. The department itself is a creation of this government. Many former officers have recognized the advantages of the scheme and welcomed it,” the officials said.
Notably, several aspirants for the armed forces are unhappy with the changes introduced under the new recruitment scheme for the Indian Army, particularly the length of service, no pension provisions for those released early, and the 17.5 to 21-year age restriction that now makes many of them ineligible.
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Agnipath recruitment scheme, which provides an opportunity for Indian youth to serve in the regular cadre of the Armed Forces for a period of four years.
Agnipath scheme aims to make the Army a future-ready fighting force capable of meeting multiple challenges across the full spectrum of conflict, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande said on Tuesday.
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