THE DIGITAL CURSE-STORY OF A HACKED

The debate on whether technology is a boon or bane will continue for years to come. That it is essentially an enabler with double-edged application is likely to be the conclusion, if at all there is one. 

For those of us who are aware of the hacker's delight and the agony of the hacked, there is no means to anticipate the increasing sophistication and teamwork of hackers engaged in their nefarious and despicable activity. "Really?" some may argue. No different from human trafficking, drug peddling, arms smuggling, terrorism and so on. Yet another,albeit distant activity, of exploiting another human being. 

What is the level of sophistication in hacking and what needs to be done may vary with individual interpretation. Let me narrate my story.  

Reasonably aware of dont's, my investigation reveals that fake messages purportedly from the Microsoft team started to arrive at irregular intervals on resetting my account using a four digit number sent on my cell. Hotmail users would know the story of the Samir Bhatia invention bought over by Microsoft and facilitation of Outlook-the chain of which I have never bothered to study, may be exploited by clever hackers. Was it the case? not sure but it appeared from the" MS team."

Blissfully unaware that my address book has been compromised as the password had been duly and successfully changed, I changed my PW as a precautionary measure as soon as vague reports started to arrive on a message from me to my friends. I posted a message on the wall of my FB page and to my WhatsApp groups.My immediate investigation of possible methodology of hacking revealed that the hacker had changed my PW from Nigeria as contained in a machine generated message from MS team. The first red flag should have been raised by team MS. The exact modus operandi followed by the hacker is not clear to me. 

What followed thereafter was a series of well planned moves that indicate an extremely well versed team of people with expertise on internet and banking fault lines. Here is why I think so.

• Use of knowledge of Hotmail/outlook and likely gaps therein
• How my emails have been studied to establish names of my family members to prove that their mails for financial assistance is duly authenticated when challenged. 
• This includes dates of loss of my wife and son
• Authentic picture of a new born baby at a hospital in California
• use of language and even font used by me
• Four to five bank accounts established purely for collection of fraudulently acquired funds.
• All banks are located at Noida, delhi and remote places in UP where the money was withdrawn the same day.
• Very factual and calibrated responses to those that questioned them. Even thank you mails for their handsome contributions.
• Different stories to suit the target.
• Remain engaged on outlook.com despite my changing my password on hotmail. Even as I type this they are engaged in entrapping more unsuspecting but gullible friends.
• The whole operation has been planned and executed by experts from multiple specialisation, Former employees of software/IT companies and/or the banking sector appear to be working together in multiple locations. 

Sadly, those who were scammed did not follow the basic step of authenticating the info on cell or other means. It was gratying to note their devotion and faith in me. The perpetrators of the crime took advantage of just that. There were many red flags in their appeals that should have alerted the users of internet. 

Using this as a case study and the useful contribution of dedicated cybercells created for this purpose, I intend pursuing this dirty gang. I know they will read this and laugh away. You wont be laughing for long.

COURT INTERVENTION IN MILITARY TRAINING-BOON OR BANE?

COURT INTERVENTIONS IN MILITARY TRAINING- BOON OR BANE?

Is a Court-led decision on criteria of induction and training of military personnel a new norm?

The intervention of the supreme court resulted in a judgment favouring the entry of women into the National Defence Academy (NDA). Until a few decades ago,15-year-old lads barely out of 10^th standard competed to go through a selection process and complete a rigorous Military cum academic course spread over 3 years. When increasing demands for recognition of academic qualifications so necessary to pursue a second career became a necessity, the age limit for entry was raised to a minimum of 17.5 years. As most readers would have surmised, that met the academic profile of 10+2 followed by a 3-year graduation plan. The recent stipulation to make Btech the minimum qualification has lengthened the course by one more year. But unlike in a university both academic and military programmes run concurrently.

Until the recent Supreme Court judgment, entry of women to the military was open to only graduates selected for specific branches and the training was under 10 months. The judgment may not have considered the entire range of service conditions applicable to the NDA. The possible gaps in arguing a case of Military induction and training in a court of law may have unintended downstream repercussions if not addressed at the earliest.

Some thoughts on Intervention By Courts

Management of violence is the term globally accepted as the profession of a soldier.  Due to the uniqueness of this profession, right from the type and quality of the entrance examination, to specially structured selection boards and strict physical and medical standards have been acknowledged as the raison d’etre for induction of Military personnel. Rarely if ever, have courts intervened in the manning and training pattern of the Military. Why? Because, the greatest humiliation to the country, i.e., a loss in war, must be prevented by not compromising on standards for combat readiness. Universally that judgment has been vested in the Military. Ergo, the process of induction and how to train and fight are left to the professional judgment of the force. It is estimated that biannually, out of over 5 lakh volunteers who appear in the UPSC examination, only 350 survive the test for final selection into NDA. 

The only fact that militates against the induction of women in front-line operations, is battle fitness. The battleground does not differentiate between men or women in its demand on the human body to withstand the stress of humongous proportions.  Nothing can be further than the truth that men and women are equally competent to handle this stress. If it were to be possible, we would not have separate events for men and women at the Olympics or any other sporting activity. The thought of having mixed gender teams to represent the country has not even crossed the minds of sports experts. Hence, the participation of women in front-line combat in the Army, in particular, may be ruled out.

The Courts were perhaps not briefed that the initial induction of women in the 1990s had clearly delineated departments and assignments that were eminently suited for women. The short service route of induction was accepted as the preferred option. When the pressure was mounted for the award of permanent commission for the women, it did not in any way adversely affect the combat efficiency of the service. In fact, it enabled continuity in departments like education, meteorology, logistics, ATC, etc. where the women excelled. There is scope for increased intake of women in these branches.

The situation in NDA is substantially at variance vis-à-vis other academies for the following reasons;

·      The entry-level is at 17.5 years of age

·      It is a 4-year long course of rigorous physical and academic content running concurrently, as opposed to a relaxed university environment. Training in NDA as can be gleaned from internet is rated as one of the most physically challenging courses in the world.

·      Relaxation of physical standards of fitness for any cadet, is undesirable or even unacceptable, given the geographical, socio-political, and economic posture of our enemies. Contrary to popular belief, a combat situation does not rule out the boots-on-ground requirement to hold territory despite the use of modern technology in warfare. Kargil and more recently, Doklam underlined this fact.

·      Successful completion of NDA, under reduced standards of fitness, would technically enable women if not trained to withstand grueling combat conditions, to stake claims for leadership roles in combat zones. The courts would then have insufficient legal arguments to deny them unless those are stipulated at the very point of entry.

·      Given the uniqueness of the profession, merit has to be the only criterion for all military activities. Hence, quota/reservation has no place in military parlance. Courts have never intervened in the criterion of merit. It is hoped that they never will, for, that would be a recipe for disaster in any Military of the world.  

·      If the above is a truism, surely it is not the intention of the court to introduce a quota system for women in the Military. If international criteria for sports do not see the logic or need to impose a single qualifying standard for men and women, how can a war be fought with such anomalies?

 

One may argue that some men too fail to meet rigid standards of physical training and deployment. The CO is expected to revert such personnel to peace stations and ensure that they are not promoted to the next rank. This is also the reason why the age profile of Command at combat levels is constantly under scrutiny.

In none of these activities, it is hoped that there is any scope for judicial or legislative intervention.

Can the courts based on their decision to direct the Military through the Govt to induct women in NDA, also intervene in standards of training, combat activities, and the ethos and the culture so assiduously built into the system? Would they lay down height, weight, eyesight, hip to heel lengths specified for pilots, or indeed the limits of endurance stipulated for combat? Surely not.

Experience in Western democracies.

At the outset, it must be noted that induction of women in the Military was initiated in countries that had serious demographic imperatives, such as a shortage of young men. Soon it assumed other connotations. It is generally considered to be politically incorrect if issues regarding women in the Military are raised to invite discussions on their fitness. In the USA, the military stays clear of commenting on women. However, numerous reports in the open domain are available on the ill effects of over fraternalization under closed and hostile living conditions. “Tailhook,” is one such shocking revelation of the conduct of senior officers with women officers. Similarly, there is one by the US Marines about the physical inabilities of women to cope with a combat load.

On routine issues of molestation and investigations which are questionable, it is known but spoken sotto-voce, that some women assigned on long deployments of US Aircraft carriers opt to get pregnant to avail of the rule to be landed ashore and returned to home base. Since every person has a combat post to man during the action, the combat potential of the ship is degraded due to the long absence of an individual- a fact not in the public domain. Every unit or ship/aircraft complement would need to factor in higher reserves of personnel.

The above was not penned with the intention of depriving women of their genuine desire to serve in the Armed forces. The limitation of performance in specific combat situations cannot be decided in courts, media houses, or claims by activists. A career in the Military is not just another profession but a unique one made compulsory in manpower starved nations or voluntary as in our case. In India, there is no dearth of young men wanting to serve, if selected.

Why this obsession when the parliament, courts, and many others have not been able to provide women equal opportunities? Do we have to pick on the Military which is the most demanding on physical attributes?

Since demographic trends in India are positive and there is no dearth of young men fit for combat duties, it may be wise to work to our strengths rather than accept lower standards of combat fitness. Stipulating conditions of service for entry into NDA needs an urgent review. Courts, given their wisdom, are likely to review decisions if the arguments are cogent and coherent.  

 

 

 

TRAINING IN THE SOVIET UNION

 (An edited version of this article was first carried in the Indian Naval Despatch --Summer 2021)

FLASHBACK TO 1969

WHAT OUR SYNCRETIC TRAINING TRADITIONS CAN LEARN FROM EXPOSURE TO THE SOVIET UNION.

1.   PERHAPS THE MOST DIFFICULT decade for our Armed forces was the 60’s. 1962 Sino-Indian war exposed our chinks on the land border, without testing the Airforce and the Navy. 1965 Indo-Pak war was a stalemate; until 1971 placed us right on top. Not often is one blessed to see a new Nation born in a short war of under two weeks. The army had to handle 93000 prisoners of war and oversee their repatriation to Pakistan. Having been posted in Islamabad in 1985, I can personally vouch for the goodwill that our Army earned while looking after the wellbeing of Pakistani prisoners in make-shift camps. The Geneva convention was followed in letter and spirit.

 

2.   But this is not about the war. This story is about how the USSR trained us to be effective in combat. In fact, they could not have believed that we would use their platforms as well and at times, better than they could. Quite by default, they had created just the environment to make our crew bond as never before. This captures the gist of what happened on a remote island off the secret city of Vladivostok in 1969.

 

3.   So secret was our training mission that little was known about the very Missile boats that we were to acquire. Need-to-know communication and the absence of reference material on both the city and the platform merely helped to accentuate the mystery.

4.   In our early 20’s, unlike the senior officers with families, we didn’t really care much about our destination. Not many of this generation may know that in the the1950s and 60s an average Indian had to struggle for any comfort that is taken for granted today. Naxalism and Maoism had begun to make an impact on our way of life, although peripheral at that time. Getting a phone or a vehicle meant waiting for years.

5.   We lived in non-airconditioned ships infested with giant bandicoots. Cabins below upper decks were uninhabitable to sleep at night. Most of us would carry our beds to the open decks just to sleep. Poverty and total lack of infrastructure meant that an average Indian could sleep on any hard surface despite air and noise pollution.  We were content with our lives since we were better off than many of our countrymen. Going to the Soviet Union we thought, was a leap from the third world to the First World.

6. And so, in August 1969 when we were dumped on an island 8kms from the nearest land which was accessible only by tightly controlled boat services, in a secret city called Vladivostok, it did not worry us. Our navy had been training there for the Foxtrot class submarines and the Petya class frigates. When we landed with over a hundred officers and men, the Island hosted the largest Indian naval contingent in the USSR.

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7. The Soviet Union and its Warsaw-pact allies were in direct conflict with the USA and its NATO and other allies, in a bipolar contest. India was seen as an ally of the West despite our “non-aligned” profile. Paradoxically, until then, we were trained, manned, and taught to fight by the West. Our training, doctrines, traditions, logistics, and thinking were aligned to the West. Due to the Iron curtain and the non-availability of the opportunity to understand Marxism and Leninism, we were ill-equipped to even understand Soviet philosophy. This included the social and economic underpinning that formed the very basis of their ideology and existence. Most of our Officer Corps was not exposed to university education, where conflicts of Eastern and Western ideologies were a way of life. Given the abhorrence of the West to Socialism and Communism, “liberals” often clashed with the rest.

8. Here was an apolitical Military with little knowledge of what the word Socialism meant (the word “socialist” had not been inserted into our constitution at that time) was suddenly thrown into the lap of Marxism/Leninism. None in India or none in the USSR was able to foresee a conflict of interest encompassing all activities of Military life. Let us examine a few examples and what transpired.

9. The Soviet Union was a powerful country that had adopted a Command Economy of highly centralized planning. To meet its ideological and singular focus on beating the West, it invested heavily in education, science and technology, child welfare, and the Military. Given the natural resources spread over almost a continent and tight control over human resources and central planning, it made rapid strides in missile and space technologies in particular. But just then USSR was also in conflict with China on its eastern border. It was ironic that two powerful Communist powers could not see eye to eye.  The Sino-soviet clash gave the opportunistic USA, to establish contacts with the Chinese with the assistance of their ally, Pakistan (the Kissinger -Zhou in lai meeting occurred in Aug 1970) By then the USSR had extended political, economic, and military support to Egypt, Iraq, Syria, India, and Cuba among the non-Warsaw pact countries.

10. The point relevant to my story is that until the mid-1960s the Soviets did not have to deal with the Military of a free, democratic, and highly diverse country like ours. Dealing with us was an episode by itself. For us, this was completely uncharted territory.

11. Here were some unforeseen problems. The Indians stumped them with their dietary preferences. We had vegetarians, non-vegetarians, chickenatarians (no red meat) fishetarians (fish= vegetable) eggetarian and so on. Neither were they equipped to prepare a multi-cuisine meal nor were they able to procure vegetables of choice in a neglected part of the Soviet Union. A single middle-aged lady could serve food to a large contingent of Indians and keep the dining area clean. An unimaginable proposition in an overpopulated India. In an underpopulated country that took pride in bestowing the highest award to a Mother who could deliver 12 children to meet the demographic profile of the Govt, the human resource was a strategic shortcoming.

12. The USSR had conscripts at the lower rung on compulsory military training for 3 years as opposed to our voluntary force for 20 years.  They relied on JCO s and Officers to fight the ship. The whole- ship knowledge rested with them. The conscripts were used for mundane tasks with training adequate to man a single system during their limited service. They did not have a logistic cadre for cooking, cleaning, stores, and financial management, etc.

13. Our manning pattern had to adapt to their system. Excessive reliance on the officer corps meant that they adopted a variant of a user-maintainer concept which relied on the technical competence of the officer to repair and/or maintain sensors and weapons as also propulsion and power generation systems.  We had a separate electrical and engineering branch to handle technical matters. The manning pattern of ships had to undergo subtle and not-so-subtle changes. Some compromise solutions were made to save costs by not sending personnel from the non-combatant duties until return to India. But the philosophy of the user-maintainer concept could not be resolved by our navy for decades to follow. The recently embraced Technicalisation of the Officer corps was based on perceptions- not necessarily facts, and hence would need to be re-evaluated sooner than later.

14. The Soviets soon realized that the Indian sailor had to be periodically introduced to the greatness of communism as an ideology. All Soviet military establishments were overseen by a political commissar whose primary task was to uphold and propagate the virtues of their ideology.  Subtle indoctrination through a Soviet model was supplanted with the training curriculum for sailors. Lectures on the socialistic, egalitarian pattern of society were introduced succinctly. That most of it failed to succeed was because our officers and men lived in close- proximity shared the same vagaries of weather and was equally inadequately clothed to face 32 degrees below zero -while also experiencing the surreal sight of the sea freezing. That the only language spoken was Russian, turned out to be a blessing, in that subtle suggestions and innuendos to fight for egalitarianism fell on deaf years. Strong religious beliefs and multi-cultural diversities did not yield to the most sophisticated attempts to convert the average Indian.

15. Our sailors also witnessed very harsh and inhuman punishments awarded to the defaulting Russian sailors who were often chained for the duration of punishment. The lesson “Free people are not equal and equal people are not free” was brought home to our men during our stay.

16. There was a social cost that our senior officers had to bear. Most of them had to share rooms with two or three others depending on the size of the room. Bear in mind that a Commander was a senior officer of a small navy like ours. There were common bathing and toilet facilities for all. The sight of very senior officers in the queue for morning ablutions alongside the junior-most was not a pleasant one. The gesture “Après Vous” was impractical given the physiological pressures and the need to be on time for training. The next embarrassment was washing clothes. The Soviets did not provide a washing machine for nearly half our one-year tenure on the island. The Juniors avoided washing their clothes in the afternoon thus preventing undue embarrassment to the senior ones.

17. Toothpaste and toiletry were a rarity in town. They were just not available and when a consignment arrived people queued up to buy mere toiletries. Consequently, most Soviets suffered from issues related to oral hygiene. Ergo, the naval detachment managed to convince the Naval headquarters to send canteen goods to Vladivostok through the Indian naval canteen services. Colgate toothpaste was a luxury that an average “Vostokian” could not afford. Banned Jeans and Japanese watches along with chewing gum were many sought-after items on the streets of many deprived cities, not just confined to the East of the Soviet Union. Desperate youth deprived of the freedom to access the quality of life readily available to his Western counterpart was a common sight. They were desperate enough to beg our personnel to trade what we wore. Here is the underlying irony. While showpieces of modernity in the form of cities like Moscow were open to visitors, the closed parts were tightly shut, much like China today.

18. Lack of avenues for entertainment was the root cause of hard-working Russian men taking to vodka drinking on an unimaginable scale. Over weekends It was a common sight to see drunken citizens along the road-sides of almost all cities. Alcoholism was a national health issue.  Not much was done to address this addiction as it was seen to be a pressure release mechanism for the lack of social amenities so freely available in Western Europe.

19. Briefly put, the communist Soviet Union was far from being an egalitarian society. The quality of life in Moscow or Leningrad was a chimera in comparison to the interior and most neglected parts of the Union. Little did we know that the Soviet empire with all its glory would collapse like a pack of cards in two decades.

20. On the training front we couldn’t have asked for any better facilities and expertise from them. They had a process-driven programme that was meticulous, and it facilitated the identification of weak links in the chain. Given their human resource limitations they had no option but to evolve fool-proof processes.  

21. The ecosystem prevailing on the island left us with little options but to improvise activities to focus on our tasks. We soon discovered means to form groups to interpret and convert Russian documentation into English. We discussed technical details of the boat and the missile in particular. There were discussions on how to deviate from the recommended operational and tactical deployment of the Missile boats. The Indian jugad philosophy started a whole new approach.

22. This could not have happened had we remained in India or in a city in Russia which offered off-duty social opportunities. If the crew bonded, it was the extreme climate, restricted living space, conflicts with the hosts on ideological and administrative issues, graduating from rudimentary knowledge of the Russian language to technical language to assimilate the nuanced operational philosophy and a host of such activities. These were perforce collaborative and complementary efforts within our teams for which burning of mid-night oil was a necessity. Inventions followed.

23. In the process we discovered quite to our surprise that technical subjects which appeared to be beyond the grasp of a non-technical seaman could also be mastered with a bit of guidance and assistance. A revelation which was not proliferated, for the training of Indian crews, as we watered down the Russian training methodology to meet career requirements and inter-branch rivalries within the navy. The whole concept of keeping the entire crew together during training was allowed to dissipate, ostensibly to meet exigencies of service. This in turn has led to sub-optimal ship knowledge and assigning disproportionate importance to technical education at the cost of management of violence through the art of warfighting.

24. As a result of extreme pressure on limited manpower resources, NHQ had to perforce juggle with crisis management as opposed to viewing a systematic long-term perspective plan. Not surprisingly when I finally reached the seat of the Naval training command, in 2004, the dilution of training philosophy hit me like a ton of bricks. That we had structured the whole training edifice on the Western philosophy of training young officers for specific purposes at the early and middle levels of their careers was not sufficiently reconciled with the Soviet approach. It was inevitable that a hybrid approach would be necessary to audit and verify various methodologies to suit our very special mix of platforms and weapons. This is an endless process, the study of which ought to be invested in an independent Commission on a periodic basis.

25. Quite simply put the Soviet training module was an input so fortuitously timed to enable us to streamline and develop the one that suits us. If we have top-line ships today and they are being manned by a competent crew, the exposure to UK and USSR played a vital role in perpetuating a mixed model. The question is, have we found the most suitable system to restructure not only the ab-initio training academies but also the professional courses? Education and training are two complementary aspects leading to optimum use of personnel. They are not mutually exclusive.

26. We must deeply introspect on the assessment methodology practiced in our educational institutions that promote rote system vis a vis the assessment that promotes creativity, imagination, and innovation needed to win wars.

27. Our basic profession is Management of Violence-and that must not be lost sight of.

 

 

 

SENIORITY VERSUS MERIT IN THE MILITARY -THE TACIT QUANDARY

APPOINTMENT TO TOP POSTS OF THE INDIAN MILITARY

 From time to time the media provokes a discussion on the subject of this article. When the “Principle of seniority versus merit” takes centre stage, it is inevitably linked to the selection of the Chiefs of the three services. Do democracies select the best suited for the job and not merely based on seniority? The short answer is yes. Has the Indian Govt violated the “Principle” of seniority in the past? Yes, on a number of occasions. Not only has the senior-most been superseded but on occasions, an extension of service has been granted to ensure that certain individuals made it to the chair. So, why this hellacious hullabaloo when a TOI report suggests that merit may play a greater role in the selection of the topmost appointments in the Military.

Quite clearly this subject of politicisation is full of myths and contradictions. It would be instructive to examine some of the related factors.

The first pertains to Seniority. Given the unique structure which is pyramidical in the military as opposed to the largely cylindrical format of the civil services, merit plays a significant role throughout the career of an officer. Every step of the ladder considers merit as the basis for selection boards. Since confidential reports are periodically rendered based on a wide spectrum of duties performed in operational and other critical assignments of an officer, his profile as a professionally competent leader is established over time. Notably, none of his appointments are based on the individual’s choice. He goes where he is told to go.  Hence, it is well known that in every batch under consideration, the merit list and selection board results change the seniority list originally compiled on entry and performance in training courses. Needless to say, after the attrition caused by promotion board results, there is no resemblance at all with the past seniority list. Is the merit list flawless to ensure that only the most deserving make it to higher ranks? There are exceptions to the rule. As in every walk of life, some errant individuals slip through.

If that is the norm throughout one’s career, why should seniority become the most vital factor for selection to the top? Neither in the Military nor in the private sector has seniority been a fundamental consideration and certainly cannot be called a principle. Neither the UK nor the USA—to name just two-- follow the factor of seniority for top level selection nor have Russia or China. In India, it becomes the safest and non-controversial method to follow when convenient. The Cabinet Committee has to be strong enough to take a decision as is the practice in every democratic or autocratic Government in the world. After all many Governments in India have done it in the past. Have we seen signs of captivation of military leaders to the Govt.? Yes, in a few cases but it has had no effect on the fighting force as they have no time or the opportunity to follow activities well beyond their reach.  They care that their immediate senior leadership is competent and fair. 

We have also had Chiefs who displayed questionable leadership qualities due to their personal ambitions, even when they happened to be senior most when selected. The rank and file, however, have continued to perform their duties. That is true of most democracies.

Yet another factor that remains sotto voce is, the tacit system of informally preparing an inhouse line of succession due to the power of the “red- ink” vested in the Chief. Traditionally or customarily, the chief uses the red ink to endorse his remarks on the ACR related to future leadership material. That remains the final word. Although, the Chief has no say in who his successor should be, the “Principle” of seniority and the ability of successive Chiefs to alter the line of succession as they deem fit , have had implications for the future. Furthermore,  from the list of seniority that exists in every service, it is not uncommon for those with the predilection to spot future top “leaders” so as not to run afoul of them. On the flip side those that see themselves as clearly heading the race, based only on seniority, tend to be risk- averse and avoid hard decisions-both of which are anathema to fighting forces. Partly, this lacuna may be overcome when board results are vetted by the newly created Department of Military Affairs under the CDS.

In every democracy, it is the role of the Govt to assess and select the most competent among contenders to lead the service. The modus-operandi to create a system to assess such potential would evolve over time as it has in older democracies too. There will  be the risk of making the occasional sub-optimal choices whatever be the system followed; but seniority can be a coincidence, but not the rule.

 

 

REFLECTIONS ON A MILITARY CAREER (COURTESY Medals and Ribbons vol 1 July-Sep 2021)

REFLECTIONS ON A MILITARY CAREER

Medals and Ribbons is perhaps an interesting magazine for both parents and students to sit together and decide whether a career in the Indian military is worth considering, given the galaxy of opportunities available today. Arguably such opportunities were unthinkable in our days. Yet there are so many of you who are attracted to the uniform, the respect it invites from our citizens and the chance to serve the nation. Is the Military the only option to serve the nation? Of course not. But it is the only vocation that asks you to sign a blank cheque to make the supreme sacrifice if and when the Country calls upon you to do so. When Pavandeep Rajan sang,” Teri mitti me miljawan….” at the Indian Idol 2020 show there was not a single dry eye in the audience both in the studio and perhaps in the virtual medium too. That is the emotion that the military profession evokes in people. 

Given the nature of military service, it is only logical that induction, training and many other aspects are unique to the Armed Forces. Let us consider just one entry, to the NDA, popularly called the Cradle of Leadership. Even if you qualify the UPSC entrance examination, you are required to get through a rigorous test at the Services Selection Board (SSB). The specially trained officers of the SSB, put you through a psychology test, followed by a group obstacle test, finally culminating in an interview with the Commandant and his staff. Not many of you would know that every six months, over 5 lakh students write the entrance examination, of which the UPSC shortlists less than 10000. The selection centres spread across India then send about 300- 400 to NDA every six months provided the candidates are medically fit.

To exemplify this process, let me tell you a true story about a young boy who opted for the military way of life from the VIIIth standard. His story may tell you that one does not have to follow the rigidly perceived entry guidelines to the military and that so long as your heart is set on a career in uniform you may exceed your own expectations.

The family under discussion moved from the foothills of Kodaikanal to Coimbatore in 1959. Soon after settling down in a school, the young boy was inducted into the NCC airwing. The PT Master Mr. Siddappaji - given an Airforce rank but in NCC uniform, soon became a mentor. Airforce subjects, parade training and aero modeling were activities twice a week under the able guidance of a serving Squadron Leader and a Flight Sergeant. Soon the young man rose to the rank of cadet Flight sergeant and was a part of the State contingent for the Republic day parade in 1962. The unit was delighted when he was chosen as the best All- India cadet and awarded a trophy by the then PM Pandit Nehru. The news trickled down in a few days both to the family and the school. That photo of receiving the trophy in 1962, is still displayed at the school in Coimbatore.

 

The sudden attention, along with rising expectations from older and younger people around him was a challenge beyond the maturity of the young man. He had to learn to manage the expectations of peers and superiors. I shall list the lessons he learnt at every stage of his career, starting with this episode of his life.

Lesson one-keep your feet firmly on the ground and pursue your passion.

Along with accolades came ready recognition. Loyola College at Chennai was happy to admit him for the pre-university curriculum. He was a natural choice for the NCC Senior division air wing. Additional challenges of balancing activities with academics had to be tackled whilst being away from home. He did win more medals at the state level. Consequently, he was readily accepted by St Joseph at Bengaluru for the under-graduation science degree course in 1964. By 1966, with more awards and a visit to Singapore, then part of Malaysia, for a camp, and a solo badge for piloting a Tiger Moth, he was all set to join the Armed Forces. Fate intervened at two levels. First, he missed the bus for the entrance to NDA as pursuing a degree course and all his extra-curricular activities including cricket left him with little time. There was no one to guide him on a future course of action. 

Second, it was not to be the IAF. Suffice it to say, the Indian Navy (IN) launched a short service scheme for graduates and by end 1966, the young man was in the Navy. Everything that he learnt had to be unlearnt. Uniform, the salute, parade and drill, the vocabulary -all of it.

In 1969, he was selected to go to the Soviet Union to train for Missile boats. This young officer returns in 1970 and takes part in the 1971 war - on the first attack on Karachi on 04 Dec 1971—now celebrated as Navy Day! Soon, the euphoria of war subsided and the Navy offers him a Permanent Commission. Many of his coursemates declined the offer and went their way.

Now came the real challenge. The Navy had rightly assumed that a massive modernization programme,  underway since the Chinese invasion, could not be managed without corresponding increase of manpower. The lead time to induct personnel and make them ready for sea service needed detailed preparations and it would not meet deadlines of the acquisition programmes of the Navy. Hence the graduate entry- short service scheme of 7 years-was found to be a solution. To sweeten the deal, officers so inducted were offered the rank of Ag Sub Lt from the date of entry. It may be noted it was not until 1974 that cadets of NDA passed out as graduates.

 Implicit in the decision of inducting Short service Commission Officers were three assumptions. That, graduates being older than the cadets of the regular entry, would be mature; they would be technically better placed to absorb new technology as only those from a science background were commissioned; and, that they may not need all the specialist courses that the regular entry counterparts were subjected to. The backbone of the service was the regular entry officers. In theory, it looked good.

The young man with a total training period of 6 months found himself pitted against the regular entry counterpart having done three full years at NDA, 6 months on the Cadet’s training ship, six more as a Midshipman, and a year plus for Sub Lieutenants’ courses (called “Subs courses”), It appeared to be an unfair battle. The experiment was doomed to fail. But did it?

The quality and quantum of training being so diverse, performance levels had no definite pattern to gauge in the short term. In the medium term, the performance appraisal by the Commanding Officers began to narrow the perceived gap in the output of the two entries. Given that no one really under-performs intentionally, what then was driving the under-trained to bridge the gap? The burning desire not to be publicly rebuked for inadequacy and to be treated with dignity may well have been the cause. The positive outcome for the service was that it created a healthy environment of competition and the winner had to be judged by performance-based indicators, solely driven by merit and leadership traits. Consequently, the young man found himself making progress in selection for courses and appointments overseas.

Lesson Two- Do not judge a book by its cover. Judge impartially and reward merit.

By the time the young man transited from time-based promotion to selection-based Promotion Board results, he could not but acknowledge the fact that all his seniors who mentored and groomed him were neither parochial nor biased and had the service interest paramount while grooming future leaders.

Even as he grew in rank and stature, along with those he admired, he did encounter officers who were incompetent, unable to display leadership qualities and those who were lacking integrity. Some bad eggs do slip through despite checks and balances. They exist in every walk of life. But in the military, they are unlikely to lead their men to victory.

 Why he asked himself, is it that the military expects high standards of professionalism, unbiased assessments, high quality of leadership traits and impartial conduct with ethical and moral underpinning? The answers were stark and staring in his face. Is it the fear of swift retribution, and disciplinary action that kept them relatively free of need and greed? Is it possible to practice ethical conduct and moral virtues when the environment outside the military was sullied by quite different values? He learnt that just as he is expected to make the supreme sacrifice when needed, he has to also ensure the safety and welfare of the men he leads. The only values that the men admire are the core values of the military. Why would they want to follow you to the end of the earth, and certain death if they did not see you as professionally competent, trustworthy, patriotic, and a role model? Such a demand for leadership qualities and integrity is not a part of the DNA of any other profession but the military. Victory in war cannot be assured without fighting for a cause or the “ashes of your fathers and the temples of your Gods” as put so eloquently in the ballad Horatius. The stanza in Ronald Hopwood’s famous poem, The Laws of the Navy, “On the strength of one link in the cable, Dependeth the might of the chain, Who knows when thou mayest be tested?  So live that thou barest the strain,” gave him the answers that became his beacons for the rest of his career.

By the time the young man reached fairly senior ranks with all its trials and tribulations he had seen both good and evil.  The Serenity Prayer came to his rescue when in serious doubt and the same navy poem, The Laws of the Navy gave him the course to steer in rough and calm seas. Just one line each picked at random should raise your curiosity to find them on the internet. “GOD, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change…….”  And “Count not on certain promotion, but rather to gain it aspire…….”

 But a caveat would be appropriate. You have tons of information at your fingertips but that alone does not give you wisdom. You need to live your life and go grey before you have wisdom.

 So, the young man who is now old with grandchildren in their teens is still to find the right answers to deal with the mysteries of life. But one clear answer to the question ‘what would you do if you had a choice in the next life’- without doubt or hesitation, with a childlike enthusiasm, he is bound to say, “Join the Military”.

 

Consulting (Naval) Editor’s Note: Having reached the end of this fine recounting of lessons learnt, a reader may be wondering who is the author talking about. The author is talking about his own life and career and did not particularly think it was necessary to write in the first person. However, to give the article some life, I think it may be appropriate to mention that the author is Vice Admiral Suresh Bangara, who retired as CINC of the Navy’s Southern Naval Command. He has also been the Commandant of the National Defence Academy. “Bangs” has always been an energetic, feisty officer who encouraged juniors to speak their minds to him and to others. That he was often heard doing the same to HIS superiors made this easier for him to expect from his juniors. I still enjoy an argument with him on phone even as I benefit from his counsel more often than he knows. We were fortunate, as I mention in my own article elsewhere, to benefit from more than a few seniors who lived by the dictum, “Example is the Best Navy Order.”May I say, that Bangs was always bang-on for that.    

IN MEMORIAM-SAMIR BANGARA (1974-2020)

It is now a year since you left us. A very loving family left behind perhaps rudderless, till they find their safety course to steer. I am just behind you as you can see. Awaiting my call in whatever manner that is ordained. When we join the Armed forces, we sign an open cheque to lay down our lives when the need arises. I went through a war 50 years ago. I was unscathed and lucky to be around this wonderful family of children and grandchildren. We have had our challenges; so essential in life for us to learn to be grateful for little mercies. We jointly learnt to look at a glass that was always half full. Never half empty. 

That you exceeded my expectations in putting people before profit and went on to tirelessly exhort and support those in need, has been well documented by the sheer grief-stricken outpouring of sentiments from a vast cross-section of people. But all this will be soon forgotten as that is the reality of life. One is honoured and felicitated because of the chair one occupies and rarely because of who one is. In your case, I am willing to lay a wager that you will be remembered for years to come for what you were and not what you achieved in professional and material terms. That is hardly a consolation for the family and people you left behind as abruptly as you did. But then, as was our inclination, a half-full glass, in this case, assumed that you were spared the mortification of being reduced to a vegetable after a crash, at the speeds that a 1000 CC motorbike propels you. Remember this was not the first crash. On 29 September 2019, you had a horrendous crash on the Budh circuit at NOIDA. It was well recorded by cameras on the track. It would have looked good in a theatre! You survived it with minor injuries and laughed it away.  

To an observer, it would appear stupid to continue a sport that is not the safest. I merely pointed out to you that with each passing year your reflexes inevitably slow down.  I could see your passion for the sport. No one understands it better than us in the Military. We too are exposed to danger even when carrying out routine training exercises. Countless Pilots have had accidents, some lost their lives during routine flying but no one stopped flying, for, it goes beyond the call of duty or just a  profession. 

In this clip you alluded to your passion. I had no answer when you challenged me. So, we did the next best thing, we punched each other in the stomach till someone called a truce and we rolled in laughter! Oh! how I miss those sessions. Your Mother who left us just two years before you and perhaps is now standing next to you never approved of our dispute resolution mechanisms! To alleviate the pain of her loss, you drove me 500 km to a Coffee estate where I was born. When I suggested that we could fly instead, to save your precious time, you promptly called it our bonding time. So it was, only I didn’t know it was our last journey together. But I am grateful for those few precious days. 

To underline what a service brat learns from his parents, I am attaching a 2-minute clip on what you said on my 70th birthday, five years ago. 

A practice we followed in service is not to give full marks to anyone. Of course, the boundaries have to be pushed until each reaches his limits. Excellence has no final boundaries and often it is a moving line. You knew that about me and so I could not get myself to say that your speech was par excellence. I left your best ever for my funeral.  Fate reversed the sequence of departure. So now I have to execute Plan B.... but I am just behind you as you well know. Au Revoir my son.

 

 

A PROFILE IN NOT JUST COURAGE-MY MEMORIES OF SURESH KUNDANMAL

                                 As a young Sub Lt in 1968, I was appointed to INS Beas, then a frontline warship of the Western Fleet at Bombay. The Navigating Officer traditionally ensures that trainees are put through their paces and kept on their feet 24/7. Lt Suresh Kundanmal the Navigator impressed me by his dedication, sense of humour, immaculate turnout, physical fitness, and above all the empathy he so abundantly possessed. Soon we were like buddies and the learning process under his guidance was a model I carried with me till I retired in 2006.

 Let me recall some anecdotes. Duty hours were as they ought to be. Formal and serious. Off duty, Suresh became one of us. In the days when owning a scooter, much less a car, was out of our reach, he would toss his Motor Bike keys to me when he was on duty and I was off, and suggest that I paint the town red. He was intrinsically generous and during the many months that followed, never once asked me where I ventured on his precious bike. That was the time he was courting his soon to be a wife and the bike had to be in top condition before he rode off, almost like Pete Maverick in Top Gun!

On a bright Sunday morning he decided to have a motorbike race on the Marine Drive with a shipmate who owned a more powerful bike. And so, equipped with large Start and Finish flags, off we went to the Marine Drive and started a crazy circuit. Little did we know that the roads were closed for a VIP visit at almost the same time as our race. Did that deter Suresh? No way. I was ordered to wave the Start Flag and off they went. The traffic Cops of those days did not have a vehicle that could intercept a bike. Onlookers on the seafront were treated to a rare sight of speeding bikes, howling Cops, whistles, and chaos during the circuit which brought the riders back again till the completion of the last circuit. We all rode on as if we had not heard the Cops. Having overtaken the VIP entourage, we rode back to the safety of the highly restricted area of the Lion Gate, where no one was allowed entry without passes. For the first time, I saw his bike engine cease due to unintended high speeds.

That Suresh was a musician too and could handle a fair number of instruments were known to some of us. But I have never seen such a talent used to rescue a Captain. Our Capt. was rather allergic to the Admiral springing a surprise visit to the ship.  So, it happened with Suresh at the gangway as the Officer of the Day (OOD) and me the other Suresh as his deputy. The Capt. was informed at the last minute that the Admiral’s car had swung our way. The charging Capt who wanted all the right ceremonials of sounding the Alert (to announce the presence of an Admiral) tripped on his run and ran smack into the bugler. The bugler had dropped the bugle on the deck just when the nervous Capt. yelled, “Sound the alert”. Then came the recovery by my hero. Cool as a cucumber, Suresh stepped ahead, picked up the bugle, and sounded the best Alert I have ever heard. A Lt sounding an alert-never seen ever.

Fast forward, days before INS Khukri was sunk on 08 Dec 1971, I was on my way back in a Missile boat after sinking ships off Karachi. I was saddened when a few days later I heard of his sacrifice.

Suresh Kundanmal was and is my hero and I would not have narrated this story if fate, happenstance or serendipity had not intervened, as a mail from his brother, today 02 Feb 2021.

Au Revoir Suresh-we can have a good laugh when we meet again.