We must stem the rot

The “Dishonor Roll” of officers, involved in acts of corruption, dishonesty, inducement and lasciviousness in the past decades; and written about as well as debated and discussed in both the print and electronic media respectively is indeed a matter of great concern for the Army and it must not be argued against and defended unjustifiably. That there is a prevalent culture which has embedded itself in the minds of the majority officer cadre, which pedestalises success at the cost of all else, including principles and values, is a given. The danger is the insidious manner in which this culture has seized and gripped the Soldier Combatant also and may assume alarming proportions in the imminent futre. It is in the interest of the Army to accept the situation and not go into a denial mode about such happenings, which are engendered by arresting the symptoms and not addressing the actual malaise.

In most acts of wrongdoing, decadence, veniality and inducement it is the intent underlying the action which qualifies the deed. The recent happenings of perceivable disrepute have mired the Army’s image and standing, and is attributable to the inducement to which each of these officers has succumbed to. Having been a part of the System for a sufficient period of time to know the nuances of the Game played in the confines of the Court of Inquiry (COI) and the manner in which its Findings and Recommendations can be Doctored, to contrive justice, is not an argument I am willing to buy in the instant case, to fix the blame on the guilty. Therefore, I am absolutely convinced in my mind that each of the alleged officers are guilty by design or default, and must be proceeded against without much ado.

On 01 December, 2009, the Electronic Media News Channels were abuzz during prime viewing time with the story about the 72 acres Sukna Land Scam and the involvement of three/four top General Officers in the matter. While one understood that there was no direct sale of Military Land and misappropriation of money accruing from the same by those brought under the scope of the Court of Inquiry, what did stand out unequivocally was an Error of Intent n the part of each and every one. For the Military Secretary (MS) it was an inducement by Mr. Aggarwal to settle him into a prestigious and remunerative post retirement job. For General Officer Commanding (GOC) 33 Corps it was to play ball at the behest of the MS and induce him into manipulating a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the educational institution. For General Officer Commanding (GOC) 11 Corps, who was then an immediate sub-ordinate of the GOC 33 Corps it was going along with the desire of his superior Officer, for a price, not in the material sense. Each of these officers had his own Agenda and felt secure in his choice to do what could be quibbled as Correct, in the circumstances. That there was the weight and authority of the S in the apparently genuine and just cause of working out a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be inked between the Army and the Institution was an infallible assurance of probity and correctness in the entire matter. Even though I am not privy to the Findings of the impugned Court of Inquiry my conclusions are based on my understanding and an innate sense of justice.

In a previous case, wherein a General Officer Commanding a Division had misused his sense of propriety and authority to induce subordinate Brigade Commanders to indulge in unscrupulous acts of commission, what stands out significantly is the degree to which Senior Officers of the Army have stooped to and brought to disrepute the Service, which has nurtured them on the Chetwodeian ideology of selflessness.

The source of these moral misdemeanors can be rightly attributed to a perceivable lack of character driven leadership in the Army. It is only when we give in to the market driven practice of succeeding at all costs irrespective of the means to it, that Functional Leadership takes a back seat. The hackneyed “Do as I say and Not as I do” and “ No Lord is a Hero to his Valet” are in practice and circulation amongst the officers and soldiers, respectively. And this is what is worrisome, because it reeks of hypocrisy and double standards – despicable qualities as such and more so for the Men in Uniform. We need to emphasise and insist upon making Character Driven Leadership a Habit which transcends and subordinates situational ethics.

The time has come for most of us to make a choice and not duck the challenge posed by the truth in Practice and Functional Leadership. It is only then that we will be able to stem the rot which may completely overwhelm and engulf us in the years to come.      

Brigadier  (retd.) S.D.Dangwal VSM

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