An ex-army man's lament on why the force is so demoralised
An ex-army man's lament on why the force is so demoralised
The future of the Indian army, according to Colonel Bheemiah, is bleak. The man who served the country in two wars thinks no youngster will want to join the Indian armed forces since soldiers today are seen "as security guards eating away your fortune".
Colonel Bheemiah, one of the ex-servicemen who took out a procession on Sunday to protest against the discriminatory pension system and the indifference of the authorities, said: "It is not good for the country but I cannot stop speaking the truth. The shabby treatment meted out to the defence staff will drive people away and the armed forces will one day be without men."
Falling short He said the army, with 1.1 million staff, was already short of 11,371 officers. The Navy has 1,500 vacancies and the Air Force needs 3,000 officers.u00a0
Bheemiah, who joined the Air Force as second lieutenant in 1962, opted for voluntary retirement in 1987 when he was lieutenant colonel because there was no motivation in terms of salary, promotion, respect and social life.
"There was a time when the soldiers were proud of themselves because the nation respected them and was thankful to them," he said. "Today, we are seen as security guards eating away your fortune when your priority is to make money."
Bheemiah was part of the Air Force when India fought the two wars in 1965 and 1971 against China and Pakistan respectively. "In 1971, our company killed five enemy soldiers and of them, two were my victims. We were proud then, as we had done our bit for the nation's victory. But later, harsh reality brought us back to earth."
He compared himself with two police officers in Bangalore, who were equal to his rank but elevated rapidly, leaving him behind B N Garudachar and A R Nizamuddin.
"These two officers were DCPs when I was posted in Bangalore as a Captain in the late sixties," said Bheemiah.
"We were equal in rank, but they retired as DGPs while I was still a lieutenant colonel some four ranks below them. And this explains why we are demoralised."
"Earlier, the armed forces were the first priority for young Coorgis," said Bheemiah, himself one. "Now, it is not even the last priority."
