Eradicate poverty, misogyny, unemployment. Eradicate casteism, non secular bigotry, corruption within the authorities; eradicate corrupt politicians; eradicate the non-accountability of govt officers within the corridors of energy. Eradicate the sickening VIP culture– this sense of ‘entitlement’ of the elected representatives of India.
Sadly, the management on the helm is hell bent on re-writing historical past and destroying the very material which makes a profitable ‘nation state’– a homogenous assortment of residents, concepts, philosophies, religions, colors, ethnicities. A shared historical past woven with various cultures and languages.
In a mature democracy, you’ve gotten the liberty to put on what you need. To eat what you need. To drink what you need. And an absolute freedom to consider in what it’s essential to. All this, so long as established societal norms are adopted. In a real democracy the residents are assured not solely equality earlier than legislation but additionally equal safety of legal guidelines.
And we’re India- not some tin pot state like Iran or Pakistan or Saudi Arabia or Uganda or N Korea. Our state energy is supposed to look outwards not inwards. And if the foremost menace is from inside; then we too are a failed state and our governance wants a relook. In our misguided quest to rewrite and modify historical past mixed with a misplaced urge to ‘undo previous wrongs’, we’re on a nationwide binge to vary names of cities, locations, roads, buildings and monuments, traditions and tradition. Quickly we can have it that the British by no means even got here to India! And the ‘mughals’ had been foreigners! And that previous governments stood for all that was incorrect in India!
A robust nation thrives on its historical past, its previous, its successes and failures, its customs and its traditions. Its range. So does the Indian Navy. Ever thought as to why some states are in a position to convert their primary sources and human strengths into credible combating energy regardless of restricted sources. And why do some states carry out poorly regardless of materials and tools benefits? It’s as a result of navy and thereby nationwide energy, is determined by the political tradition, the prevalent social constructions; beliefs, doctrines, traditions and cohesion of their armed forces. Tradition and traditions form the behaviour of a physique of males in peace and struggle. Camaraderie and brotherhood in uniformed males springs from customs, traditions, shared hardships and legacy. Traditions and unit ‘individualities’ are the essence of what binds navy models collectively, offering a cohesiveness among the many particular person members, which permits the unit to operate successfully as a collective entity. These models that foster a way of custom, belonging, teamwork and a way of collective delight possess a unified power, which improve accomplishments, endure challenges and overcome hardships. Due to this, unit cohesion is a robust mission multiplier that instills troopers to carry out to the utmost of their talents for the good thing about one another, the unit and finally the nation.
And now begin destroying the ‘distinctiveness’ of the Indian navy system. The ethos, traditions, historical past, glamour and the ‘binding pressure’ of the Indian military– convert it into one other ‘CAPF’! A ‘numbered’ police or CRPF/BSF/ITBP battalion. No traditions to go by, no tradition, no delight of ‘belonging’ — only a naked railway ready room. Enter, while-away your time and go away. Neither will the unit bear in mind you, nor will you ever go to the unit once more.
No, they won’t climb Tiger Hill once more in the event that they belong to a quantity with no historical past and custom.
Minimize out the bands, navy parades, elevating days, fanfare, the aura, the pomp and present which makes the navy of any nation a pressure to be reckoned with. Neglect previous glories, wealthy histories. Neglect the customs and traditions imbibed over centuries. Neglect the battles fought by Indian troopers/models everywhere in the world, the medals received, the citations given, the battle honours, the struggle cries, the lanyards. The problem is extra of a ‘no physique’ imposing his ideas on a navy system. One man who has come briefly into the political system and made an offhand (uncalled for) comment about ‘sabhyata’ has induced turbulence in your complete navy atmosphere. An individual who’s least certified, an individual who has by no means donned the uniform is at this time telling the Indian navy ‘the way it ought to behave and modify its trappings, tradition, traditions and ethos’! The issue lies right here.
We overlook that motivation, perception, cohesion and traditions maketh a military not simply tools alone. The US had the perfect tools and struggle materials in Vietnam and Afghanistan. It failed. As a result of the troopers and the nation didn’t have the cohesion, delight and perception in themselves- the management and the trigger. Ukrainian troopers have the motivation, the assumption, the delight, the cohesion, however for the Russians- its simply ‘one other job’. Motivation comes from ethos, perception, traditions — naam, namak, nishan. Most individuals overlook that the Indian soldier fights first for the honour and identify of his unit and the collective status of the troopers who make this ‘unit’– after which the nation. Distinct however interlinked.
Saragarhi was not for India. It was not even in India. Rezang La too was for the Battalion and for that intangible ‘unit brotherhood’ amongst these troopers who determined to present their all; final man final bullet. A brotherhood which had been nurtured as a part of unit ethos, a way of belonging, delight blended with traditions imbibed over a time frame. For them, after this had come the considered the hinterland, motherland and family members behind. Nepali Gurkhas too don’t die for India. They die combating ferociously for his or her unit and the Gurkha custom.
Tinker with the navy now, remorse later. Change the tunes (hum honge kamyab) by all means, however don’t eradicate the previous (auld lang sayne). Why not let the lads in uniform resolve all this? Why not let the col of the regiment or the navy hierarchy take a name on the lanyard or the color of the belt or whether or not to retain battle honours or mess/regimental traditions or the regimentation of the Indian Army or its recruitment/service norms or its gown codes; all vastly profitable until at this time, and since centuries. Every time a change was required, it was completed by the navy machine itself. By competent uniformed males who’re most certified to hold the rank and file with them.
This can be a traditional case when three and 4 star generals of all three providers can be a part of palms and inform the institution, ‘Lay off– that is purely our area’.
Alas, even Krishna Menon and Nehru can be turning over of their graves.
Brig D S Sarao, is a veteran military aviator who has flown extensively in J&Ok. He was critically injured in Op Meghdoot throughout a casualty evacuation. He’s a prolific author, tutorial & lecturer.
(Views expressed are the writer’s personal and don’t replicate the editorial stance of Mission Victory India)
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