Good and Success,Must Become Mutually Inclusive

WHAT CAN THE ARMED FORCES LEARN FROM THE ANNA HAZARE MOVEMENT

In a representative democracy as we have in our country, the supremacy of the parliament is unquestionable and non negotiable. That this institution was jolted and forced to take notice of the people’s demand for an effective Lok Pal Bill to be introduced, discussed and most likely become law, is a defining moment in our political history. The collective outcry of the people against  the menace of corruption in public life, literally compelled  the government to take notice of this demand and thus initiate a process for probity and rectitude in our polity.

While comparisons are always odious, the situation in the Armed Forces though not exactly analogous to that in civil society, does have the potential to grow into what is undesirable and unacceptable, commensurate with its traditions and culture. With the proliferation of the electronic media, trend of investigative journalism and the Right to Information Act, perverse acts of misappropriation, misuse of authority and financial impropriety have come out in the public domain in the past decade, rather regularly. There have been a series of dishonest acts involving senior and middle rung service officers which has embarrassed the Armed Forces. Rations, Sukhna and Adarsh scams have epitomized this venality amongst our officers.

Given the process of selection, training, grooming and on job learning which officers of the Forces undergo; selflessness, probity and rectitude in their conduct and dealings is the keystone of this arch for character building and development. Moreover, the draconian statutory Army/Navy/Air Force Act which oversees and dispenses justice in the Services, makes it very difficult to believe that the greed for lucre can cheat such a class of people and make them succumb to temptations, despite its inbuilt punitive deterrence. Well, the possibility is always there, even if one was to argue one’s case by maintaining that these are aberrations only and not the rule.

To begin with, the situation was quite similar to what obtained in public life, when a ‘Jeep or Mundra scandal’ was few and far between and political leaders were largely above board. But with the period of time, owing to various reasons when politics became a refuge for scoundrels and no longer a selfless public service - the rot set in. Corruption got institutionalized and politics criminalized. Political leadership was colored by muscle and money power, having scant respect for ethics and morality in public life. The national environment was insidiously becoming vitiated and ‘short term gains’ mentality amongst the people was emerging to the fore. People were continuously inveigled into believing that the System had undergone a transformation for the worse and redemption was way too beyond any individual or collective effort. The future generations of the country were being nurtured and indoctrinated with these beliefs. A wrong was redefined as such, if only one was caught in the act. Situational ethics became the buzz word for survival in an emerging and competitive environment, which had slowly but surely gripped the minds of the people.

 The personnel of our Forces not being an island in this ocean of  humanity, were similarly impacted and Good was substituted by Success. A culture of mutual exclusion than inclusion was slowly overtaking the principles and values of positional and personal leadership, which were embedded in the military traditions of our Forces. Character, which is the most potent driver in a leadership calculus was becoming endangered and sycophancy was redefining loyalty. The spine of leadership was constantly under threat from the pseudo officer ship, which  was fast climbing the rung of ill gotten success. Service privileges were transgressed with blatant impunity and authority misused for personal gains. The environment had become perverted.

Generally, a feeling of fear to stand up against the wrong of superiors and show moral courage in adverse circumstances, became the sine qua non of the Forces’ officer ship. This, even when the Defence Services Regulations and the respective Service Acts encapsulate provisions to uphold righteous conduct and loyalty to principles. Showing spine, as understood in the Services became passé and wrong became predominant. Just as it is in the case of the much maligned politicians in civil society, the senior echelons of the Services were becoming similarly venal. Their condition was sustained by authority and fear of the subordinate officer ship to rock the boat. This class of officers exulted in the situation created by the prevailing circumstances and eventually the System was subverted. The voice of truth was buried.

The Forces demand of its junior and middle rung officer ship, to take a leaf from the recent movement of civil society against corruption in public life, and fearlessly expose those who indulge in unethical and immoral conduct in their official conduct. The Statute and the Organization will always uphold the truth, provided it is  spoken and revealed with an abiding sense of commitment and absence of any motive.

After all it was for a retired Army person to give this message,through his personal leadership, for the young and future officer ship of the Forces to emulate and practice.

Brigadier (retd) S D Dangwal

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