HANG YOUR UNIFORM.......................

HANG YOUR UNIFORM AND………

It is generally being perceived that Army officers are far superior to the civilian guys. How this could have started? Right from the training Institution, it is grilled in the minds of officers that they are different from the civilians. I do not say that it is being taught that civilians are some sort of villains and degraded men. But it is going into the minds right from the beginning that Army guys are something different from others. In fact the roles of civil servants and Army officers are entirely different and can not be compared at all. But some type of parity has to be made and protocol has to be established. The trouble is mostly while comparing with IPS (Indian police service) and IAS( Indian administrative service) cadres. There is no doubt that IAS and IPS officers enjoy more status in society by virtue of their authority over the civil society while army officers have none. Your status is function of authority you wield in civil society. Army guys are limited to their units, officer messes, clubs and canteens and few Institutions and some own empires. In civil society, army does not enjoy any authority. This is typical of any democracy and it shall be like that only. Any amount of crying shall not change it. During East India Company rule and subsequent British rule army officers were also posted as Heads of Districts and into some key positions. The Britishers ruled Indians by military authority. It was more or less a military rule. Even Mountbatten who was a serving senior naval officer of British Navy was the Head of the State in India before Partition. He was still in uniform heading a civilian administration. It was a colonial rule. Our present State is entirely different. It is democracy at least on paper. It is entirely different thing that families rule in India and people vote based on feudal loyalties. If a member of parliament dies his son would be slowly inducted into cabinet. No one has courage to question in own party. Such guys would be thrown out lock stock and barrel. This is Indian democracy that is rather an apology. Yet it is a democracy as every 5 years the ritual of election goes on. Army officers can expect to receive similar status and respect when they are given positions in civil administration along with civil officers. But this is not possible in a democracy. This can happen only under military rule. Under such situations automatically army becomes supreme and every one is reduced to second position. We have seen this happening in Pakistan several times. This also would be disliked very greatly as we have witnessed across the border. There is no doubt that an IAS officer in normal course without showing any very great efficiency or performance of merit can expect to become a Joint Secretary that is equated to Major General of Army at much younger age and service and if some one is bright will go further up soon to become Chief secretary an additional Chief secretary too. Most of them will become secretaries. Most of the IPS officers shall become Inspector General of Police, additional Director Generals of Police. All most every one becomes a Superintendent of police at very young age and wields great clout in district. At army head Quarters I saw many Major Generals holding files waiting to see some IAS guys who were probably of the age of their sons. But that is life. In army the officers slog and go through an obstacle course and filtration at every stage and many miss the bus as majors and hang on to be wasted out as time scale Lt cols. Lt Cols who miss the boat are given time scale Colonels rank if they decide to hang on and many have no choice, as a gesture and they are happy with that. Let us accept the fact that many bright men become victims of the system prevalent in army and become sore helpless. Fancies, whims, eccentricities, take great toll in promotions. Most of the officers instead of representing against the verdict on promotion prefer to leave or swallow as nothing is likely to come out of the representations.

The courses done in army are of no use outside. One may have any length of tail of army qualifications such as Psc, Ptsc, Sdmc, Ldmc, OAE, and OAME JC, SO become irrelevant outside. Only University qualifications have some value and the experience is of great relevance. Even the guys who do staff college at Wellington are given a university degree probably by some university as MA or MSc. What value it will have in civil society and what is its use? There is no relevance. One might have commanded regiments, battalions Brigades or Divisions and Corps in army and fought at Kargil peaks, but for civilian sector, this is no meaning and value. They however may appreciate your achievement, could show some respect and give a cup of tea and then say thank you sir. Some bluntly say that you do not fit in to the requirement. Or your experience may not fit in SIR. But when it comes to the aspect of giving you a position in the industry they will soon back out. I know one Brigadier after retirement was given a job of General manager of an organization and the MD of the company was not even the age of his son. Once they went to an airport to receive some one and after the guest arrived the MD told the poor Brigadier to take care of the luggage and get to the guest room. The brigadier promptly replied that it was not his job. When he went to the office after an hour there was an envelope on his table with cheque of one month salary and a thanks letter. The senior lot faces humiliation in such jobs. Most of the senior guys prefer to stay at home, have a drink in the evening, go for a walk, twist moustache if some one has one and be happy than face humiliation at the hands of unworthy men. They are the real wise men who decide maintain their honor and self respect. These guys have enjoyed unlimited respect and power and pomp and show with in four walls of army and once are out have no identity. What civilians need is a person who can immediately get set and show results. The more one retires senior, more useless he becomes outside. He can not fit in. Heavier the brass, lower is the value. If a person misses boat as a major or even as a Lt col he will be still accepted outside being of younger age and he still can adjust and prove himself soon provided he is able to wriggle out from the cruel clutches of army that is like a giant deadly squid/ octopus with long deadly tentacles. Guys who hang out as Colonels after missing the boat or waiting for the time scale rank would surely become dead and rotten wood outside. They may put any brave face. This is a fact. They have hardly any useful time left for outside. There may be exceptions. But by and large, once army officers get out of service at higher age group they are not accepted in civil sector. Some guys move around with cards printed as consultants for group of companies. God only knows what consultancy they can give outside. IAS officers if they leave early, ample jobs are available in corporate sectors. Many IAS men vexed up with riffraff politicians are opting out of the service. These services are no more attractive as political interference and misbehavior of politicians have degraded these services very greatly. There are many instances of misbehavior by politicians with collectors and they get away clean. All is not well othrside too. Other guys wife always looks beautiful. IAS guys are considered born managers. With army guys, civilians generally feel that service persons will not be in a position to adjust easily. They consider them to be of one track mind. There are some places as security officers that are infact low level appointments by any means where service persons are preferred along with retired police officers such as Deputy Sp or Inspectors. These are glorified Chowkidars infact. Once one comes out of service and on the street he is a common man. Let us do some plain talk .Your rank does not help in any way outside. Every one is an ex servicemen. Infact many army officers do not want to reveal their rank once out. Higher is your rank poorer you will feel outside. What pinches you is here most. An IAS or IPS officer even after coming out of service still has some contacts in the departments and the circle continues. Their works are done promptly. A civilian guy has nothing to do with army except some favor in canteen. But army guys particularly after retirement has to get in contact with civilians every day. After retirement it is also true that you are not much welcome in your own organization. People are worried that you might ask some favor that might put them in inconvenient position. They avoid you. For a year or so after retirement you may have contacts in the station units and you are welcome because there will some guys still working there who worked with you or under you. Once these guys are posted out, you are not recognized in your own corps. You have to introduce and beg for identity. Frustration develops and soon you loose contact with your own people and fade out. Your status is lost permanently and is limited to your faded name plate at the gate and to your drawing room where you display some worn out, defaced, corroded mementoes and photographs. One of my friends threw out all his mementoes after retirement. He says he is very happy now. Service person has to stand in general queue after retirement. Service retired officer has to stand in line for ration card, voters card, ex-serviceman facility for his children’s admission in Engg Colleges, paying electricity bills, water bills, paying vehicle tax, what else and what not. He was away from all these things while in service and in a flick all his jobs were done by the men and his sub ordinates. He is out of the glorified world of “Koi hai ( Any one there?)” and the bed tea served by the orderly. No one to polish shoes and belt. No one to give shoes in hand. He is brought down to mother earth. The red star plates and revolving lights on the car roof and the guys opening the car doors and clapping crowds all vanish overnight. He starts feeling the loss of status which never existed even earlier outside to a great extent although he lives in imagined paradise and falsified world of glamour and false prestige of British imperial order.

In spite of all these things army service is a noble service as one bears arms for the nation and is prepared for supreme sacrifice. There is no doubt in that. It can not be compared to any service. One can not demand recognition in society. It should come out of ones deeds. But peace time army infact has no value and recognition.

But when question of perks and salaries come, Govt has to maintain some parity with other civil services. Government may do any thing, there is no accepted compensation for loss of limb or life. Even crores of rupees shall not compensate a mans life. They can never be compensated. Any number of pay commissions may come, situation is not likely to change and unhappiness would continue. These pay commissions give marginal benefit appearing bright superficially. In nut shell these are marginal. It can never give compensation equal to corporate sector. One may get something in left hand and taken out from right hand as Tax. Finally equation is unbalanced and unhappiness remains as reality .The best way is to permit the officers to leave with a proper exit policy. But Government is scared that all best lot will get out while time passers will remain. Probably this may not be true. Many are happy to remain and slog it out because the service is safest and one is highly protected. There will not be exodus. Many guys rattle out but when one asks them to put in papers they shall hesitate. Hands tremble. Some bright will definitely leave. Why have some who is not interested to serve. The decision has to be bold. When three lions on the cap of Colonels were taken away in 1985 many in hush hush claimed that they would leave the service. But none left. Many are not sure of themselves and they knew their worth outside. Many thought they would become Brigadiers. Only few became. They became dead wood soon. Exit policy is a must in army for healthy growth. Army can not be freed from the comparison with IAS and IPS men and this disparity would continue because you are not making the rules. There are others at right place. You are at the receiving end. It has to be accepted as promotions in army are limited. Imagine all regiments commanded by Major Generals and companies commanded by Colonels with second in command as Brigadier. Division would be commanded by Lt Generals and. Army Chief has to be a Five Star General. Probably soon this will happen if every one wants to become a brigadier or Major General. Many will also become time scale Major Generals. Let them be happy that way. When I joined service all Lt cols used to be dined out at Corps mess in Secunderabad on retirement and Corps silver salver was presented at the function. But when I retire I had to beg for the silver salver by writing letters to Army Head quarters and it came after an year and was delivered by a JCO at my house. Degradation has its own ways indeed. As years passed. the rank were upgraded to Brigadiers for dining out at corps mess and soon it will be for Major Generals. Once the slide down takes place there is no end. It will continue. Like exponential curve after some level the down gradation reaches saturation and there is nothing further to down grade because it has reached the lowest and becomes asymptote. Happiness is maximum at this stage as every one is in same boat. All are major Generals and there is nothing further to aspire for. More the number merrier it is.

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