MUSING FROM COLOMBO

               
I have just returned from a visit to Colombo-my first since the end of conflict.The first part of my visit was devoted to Confidence Building Measures in South Asian Waters. A group of academics,analysts and very senior Naval officers grappled with issues that cause accidents and animosity. When such incidents are prevented as in this case, they turn into great opportunities for cooperation.

The second part was to deliver a talk at the well established Defence Services Command and Staff College where I was received with warmth and courtesy. But that is another story. Let me narrate the story relevant to most. How do we honour sacrifices of Soldiers and in particular those who make the supreme sacrifice. We have been debating and "Actively Considering" the need to build a war memorial for our own soldiers,Sailors and Airmen for very nearly 40 years. Jaw-jawing without results. Any number of excuses without concrete measures-all too familiar. "We are like that only" some would say.

See what the Srilankans have done. They have erected a simple but elegant memorial in honour of our gallant military men who laid down their lives during the Indian Peace Keeping Operations(IPKF) .Every single name is engraved for those who wish to remember and touch them. I am told that senior Indian officials do lay a wreath there. Whether the tourists from India are aware of the memorial is not clear to me.

The war memorial is very close to their own memorial. It is not that some empty space was made available for us. It is the prime location in the vicinity of the imposing Parliament structure.I found the visit to be an emotional experience.The Indian Military was ordered to move to Srilanka by the Government of India without adequate preparations. Many precious lives were lost  and who remembers them now. It is not even a foot note in our history. Many valuable lessons on Higher Defence Management were never learnt. Each service of our military operated independently with bare minimum cooperation.

To top it all, our Prime Minister who was to inaugurate the Memorial during his visit to Colombo failed to do so. The specially prepared plaque remained covered, as if to cover our shame. No prizes for guessing. Coalition Politics and pressure from Tamilnadu..Having laid down his life does the poor soldier deserve this neglect? Do we have a National perspective of National interests or are we regionally driven solely by Regional agenda? When will we stop being apologetic and stop using coalition politics as an excuse for lack of spine?

And now to some observations.Peace has brought its dividends. Flurry of infrastructure development, tourism,easy and uninhibited movements during day and night. More and more relaxed and cheerful faces on the streets.Paradoxically, boat full of illegal emigrants running away from Srilanka were intercepted by the Srilanka Navy.What were they running away from? Trained man power vanishes faster than they can be trained. Population is set to drop rather precipitously.. According to an expert the replacement figures have dropped to 0.75(2.1 is the rate required to sustain existing levels) Labour is hard to find. There are speculations that Indian Labour would need to be brought in to sustain construction activities.

Lastly my bank called me to check whether I had used my credit card in Srilanka. On hearing an affirmative response from me, they conveyed their recommendation to immediately replace my card. They claim that disproportionately large number of cases of data compromise of cards for malafide use, emanate from Colombo.This is a multinational bank and their facts and figures of locations abroad are reported to be authentic. Here is one way of using technology to get rich' quickly'.

MANAGING NUCLEAR ASSETS

http://www.businessstandard.com/india/news/s-c-s-bangara-managing-nuclear-assets/451099/


The above article on Managing Nuclear assets was published ironically on 02 oct 2011 by Business Standard. Posted on blog site for the benefit of those who wish to read.

POLITICISATION OF THE MILITARY

Mitt Romney recently accused Barak Obama of politicisation of capturing and eliminating Osama. Such operations in the United States are executed by a small team of multi-disciplinary agencies under the direct Command of the Supreme Commander, the President. Also while all the facts of the operation are placed before the President, the final decision to execute the operation is that of the President alone. Those of us, who are familiar with the White House-Pentagon-CIA network which compiles the action plan, are quite aware of the briefing that precedes such operations and at times the gaming and modelling of real time environment. Contradictions have to be resolved by the President before he enunciates his decision in unambiguous terms, both for purposes of record, as also to facilitate clear directives to the executing agency. Given that operations concerning US national interests are frequent, owing to their global perspectives, the team that operates with the President would have sufficient time and experience to provide all the necessary inputs and clarification. Their deductions are generally supported by highly sophisticated technology based decision support systems. Mock drills and simulations of possible scenarios are an integral part of preparing the President and his team of experts, especially in the nuclear Command and Control structure.

If the President thereafter chooses to exploit the success of such operations during his political campaign, it would perhaps be considered appropriate.

In direct comparison, the Indian scene is radically different. The Prime Minister who heads the Cabinet Committee on security has to function as a part of the committee. Depending on the style of leadership of the individual he may or may not assume the role of Primus interpares.

The Indian Military is not to date structured to provide a single point advisory role to the CCS, on operational matters, as each service head is expected to control his force and deploy them as required by the directive of the Govt.There are no integrated theatre commands(save the Andaman and Nicobar tri service command and the Strategic Forces Command) and  hence tri service operations are often led by the service which has a greater role in the execution and in some cases may even necessitate different Operational commanders for different phases of operation. That we have managed to deliver satisfactory results is not because the institutional mechanism was in place but because we have so far not been tested by a relatively strong enemy.

Quite naturally, many political leaders who constitute the highest decision making body on national security, may retire without being exposed to an operational scenario. This is compounded by the fact that lessons learnt during such operations are classified- never to be released for the benefit of the next generation.

The Ministry of defence during war, plays a supporting role, for, they are neither equipped nor trained to understand operations...Their role in war is a constructive one. They are required to execute  clear cut procedures contained in the War book in support of logistics and inter Ministerial coordination The Military Commanders are allowed to control the flow of operations without any interference so long as the Political objectives of the operations are met. Thus despite the lack of constant interaction between the senior Military officers and the Political leadership, the operations are conducted as professionally as possible, by competent military commanders who spend all their life in preparing for operational contingencies.

What then are the apprehensions of Politicisation of the Military in our context? Long periods of relative peace on our borders but unusually long deployment in less than war situations, primarily to fight insurgency, has resulted in an undesirable environment for any Military: in particular a Military which operates in a democratic polity. The primary role of preparing for full scale war has had to be tweaked to cater for a never ending deployment for less than war situations. Much has been said and written about the ill effects of using a large forc.e to police our own territory while issues of adequate governance and socio-economic development in the neglected areas have been ignored due to the temporary confidence created by the Military “successes”. There have been constant debates within the Military to contain the damage caused to the psyche of a warrior who is exposed to aggressive containment of internal strife. What is not discussed publicly is lost opportunity to groom young officers in simple officership, their role in a democracy, the responsibilities of the state, the expectations of the people of India, the need to remain secular in increasingly polarised religious, ethnic, linguistic bodies. Above all on how to remain apolitical.  This is the grooming process not through courses but by word of mouth of Commanding officers and Commanders in the field. The time allotted to grooming has been completely diverted to operations, almost from the day one begins his journey.  .Is it a surprise that relatively senior officers have begun to question the fundamentals on which the Military edifice is built? Have we not unwittingly exposed men in Military uniform to corrupt practises and deep rooted political intricacies that promote extra constitutional processes?

We need to go back to the drawing board to restructure our training to cater to the needs of a   young democracy with neither an informed political leadership nor a bureaucracy which is capable of enabling the interaction between the two major players.

While the imperatives to restructure training should evolve from within the Military, the institutional weaknesses caused by lack of integration within the Armed Forces and between the military and the MOD can be easily addressed by merely implementing the recommendations of many eminent committees. These reports have so far been selectively implemented or consumed to dust.. Professionalising the decision making process in matters security, is the most vital task confronting the Government of India.

  This article was published by Bharat defence kavach. See http://www.bharatdefencekavach.com/News/12945_POLITICISATION-OF-THE-MILITARY.html

Election Commission-trying their best?

CRIMINALIZATION OF POLITICS

PPI has been in touch with the Election Commission on a number of measures suggested by EC to the Government of India on electoral reforms. It is a well known fact that De-criminalization of politics is a priority area in cleansing the political canvas of India. While this point has been acknowledged by almost all authorities, as one which will have salutary effect on matters related to eliminating corruption and promoting good governance, there appears to be no consensus among major political parties to comprehensively address the legislations which are required to eliminate outdated laws and empower the executive.

This news letter briefly outlines the current position on the subject. Given that a number of amendments proposed by EC have failed to be acted upon and that courts have shown an inclination to support the EC during the conduct of elections, adopting the PIL route appears to be the only option for the citizens of India. Hence a group of NGOs approached the Supreme Court (536/2011). Under article 32 of the Constitution of India they sought to take the election reforms to the next higher level in pursuance of eradication of Criminalisation of Politics.

 The continued use of money and muscle power, the ubiquitous presence of criminals in Lok Sabha, the absence of verification of source of fund used by candidates, the absence of audit of funds held by political parties and related issues have been documented in the PIL. The provisions contained in the representation of people’s act 1951 have been questioned in the context of its relevance.

The most worrying aspect of the whole sordid episode is that the Supreme Court had, in a judgement in 1997 while hearing a case Dinesh Trivedi, MP,ors versus Union Of India,  noted with alarm, the devastating impact of having criminals run amok in politics. It had asked the President of India to set up a high level committee in consultation with the PM and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha in order to eliminate nexus between criminals, politicians and bureaucrats as inferred in the Vohra Committee report too. What do you think happened thereafter? A nodal agency was nominated which we gather has met 36 times and has come out with no tangible action plan. The nexus continues to haunt us and there is no immediate relief to the citizen of India.

PPI wants you to join us, to keep this topic in the public domain, so that there is sufficient pressure on the political parties in Parliament, the President of India and the Supreme Court. You can do it by electronic means, word of mouth, joining the group of NGOs and finding every opportunity to draw the attention of the President to the pending request of the Supreme Court. Good governance and elimination of corruption are heavily dependent on De-criminalization of Politics.

Let us take a professional route to fight  Criminalization of Politics.     

Jai Hind.

Talibanomics

TALIBANOMICS- A SATIRICAL EXPOSE

The subject of economics, perse and Economists have captured my imagination for decades. I am neither familiar with the former nor the latter and hence have been trying to make sense of Macro/Microeconomics so that I am ready to face the awkward questions posed by my Grand children. A recent article that Pakistan is seriously considering lifting the ban on transportation of US and NATO goods to Afghanistan, after the ban imposed to retaliate for the Drone operations against “civilian” targets; took me back to my days in Pakistan.

President Zia was busy with the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the rather generous Military and economic aid received from the USA.He had in fact rejected the first package which he titled as “Peanuts”. That peanut can be converted to cashew or almond through manipulation of events was the first lesson that I learnt in economics. It was not written in books but practised by the creators of Taliban. That Billions of dollars flooded Pakistan during the next decade was proof enough. Apart from the official aid which is quantifiable, a number of ancillary industries stood to gain within Pakistan. In the mid and late 80’s,one had to merely visit Peshawar and beyond to buy any weapon of choice in the “chor Bazaar”. It included the state of art shoulder fired surface to air missiles. What about stores, communication equipment, clothing, blankets ,small arms etc, which could be bought at subsidised prices if paid for in Dollars?

Although American or NATO troops were not present then and were not even welcome in Pakistan,  shipping in Karachi registered a very healthy growth. Carrying goods to be offloaded at Karachi, thence to the border areas with Afghanistan was a profitable business, with the veterans of Pakistan running transportation as a core business. US naval ships began to visit Karachi for R&R despite liquor not being available in the open market. Suitable measures were invented to accommodate US naval personnel to drink to their hearts content in five star hotels of Karachi. Carpets and onyx sold like hot cakes. Our estimation of dollars earned during such visits to Karachi ran into millions (A million dollars was a humongous amount in the 80’s). This of course included bunkering, catering, fresh vegetables and fruits etc. A collapsing economy was rejuvenated. No questions were asked on how the money was spent and how staggered repayments were to be executed. During many off --the record discussions with knowledgeable Pakistanis, the same punch line was heard. “Americans can be conned in many ways. Who is going to repay any money? Don’t you understand simple economics? You Indians claim to be banias-but learn from us” This a second lesson in economics which proved to be right two decades later when the economy was about to collapse and was promptly rescued.

In the early 80’s Indian roads were filled with Ambassador and Fiat cars. Telephones were rare, infrastructure was archaic (it still is) and license Raj was at its pinnacle. In Pakistan however, modern cars were plying, roads were in good condition at least in the larger cities, piped gas serviced most homes. The middle class and above were enjoying the privileges of a dollar funded economy. President Zia was accessible to many who wished to meet him, especially Indian luminaries who were received at the door of the Presidents house and seen off too. They would cackle away for the rest of their lives on how humane a man he was. But then few knew about his plans to “Bleed India through a thousand cuts” That is another story. Lesson 3, "Investments must be made in visible sectors which in turn invite not only more investments but good will too. Suitable gifts to visitors presented in a discrete and  humble manner pay rich dividends." Ask the many US congressmen and high-profile visitors from round the world when  Zia ruled Pakistan

And now let us fast forward to Zardari and his Pakistan. Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan is a better business deal. The beneficiaries of this business are many organizations, no matter how disparate they may be. This segment extends from Veterans of Pak Army who control 30% of the tanker business to many who run the 8000 to 10000 truck consignments. The withdrawal of US troops would increase heavy lift loads. The next lesson in economics kicks in now. “Do not let a productive business wither away”. In other words how to keep the Americans and NATO engaged in the general area? The stakes are too high. The entire tribal belt lives on protection money paid to them for the safe passage of the convoy. What is more they are kept busy and quiet.

The immediate worry for Zardari is the 1.3 Billion$ with held from the Coalition support fund. The route has to be opened forth with. So what if the Americans do not apologise? The parliament merely expressed their sentiments. Here is the next lesson in Talibanomics ,-“do not let sentiments and emotions come in the way of funding support of reasonable proportion. Delays  in decision making and noise levels in public should be directly proportional to the size of foreign aid”

A lesson or two to our mandarins in the finance ministry. Why disturb the status quo in the telecom sector with such high stakes? Ask the Pakis for some advice on killing a goose that lays golden eggs- before confabulating with the Norwegians and the Russians.

We could add TALIBANOMICS to SWAMINOMICS-perhaps?

ANECDOTES ON ENVIRONMENT

ANECDOTES ON ENVIRONMENT-A SHORT JOURNEY INTO THE PAST         

Post retirement activities can be very challenging and occasionally very stimulating and satisfying too. Faced as I am, with wide ranging activities , I declined an invitation to be on a distinguished panel of experts on Environment- an occasion designed to involve corporates, educationists, academics and students- in the cause of protecting the environment.

A young but determined founder of a NGO for Tree Planting, who was the organizer of the event, refused to accept my plea of ignorance. He repeatedly drew my attention to the sterling work undertaken by the Armed forces of India, towards protecting and improving our environment. Confronted by a fiercely committed young man, I was obliged to put my thinking cap on, so that in the presence of highly qualified experts, I could voice a layman’s perspective of the last 60 years, before articulating the determination displayed by the Armed Forces to fight all types of pollution in regard to environment.

Thanks to this unique call, I was able to journey into my past to introspect based on my observations; also with hind sight. This blog only covers the journey backwards in time. Perhaps many of you of my vintage can relate to my experience. If so, we stand exposed, as those who let down the next generation, on crucial issues pertaining to protection of our environment.

Economists will tell us the relationship between per capita income and the will to address environment related issues. It is said that crossing the barrier of US Dollar 5000(in PPP terms) is significant in appreciating the need to address pollution related problems and taking proactive measures to reduce damage to the environment. My early child hood memories are all about villages’ enroute to coffee estates of the south. Poor and illiterate as they were, their commitment to Mother Nature was so rich and their folk lore and anecdotes so telling on the need to protect the environment from all forms of pillage and plundering, that it had indeed left a deep impression on my sub-conscious mind. Nothing to do with income or affluence? We were taught at every stage to understand flora and fauna, coexist with nature, use herbal medicines for all forms of diseases, and appreciate the interdependence of humans with flora and fauna. Most of all we were urged to pass on by word of mouth so that knowledge acquired over centuries is not forgotten or obliterated in the name of modern science.

If Yajnavalkya Smriti the Indian Text on State craft and Jurisprudence, written in 5^th century AD had a chapter on the ill effects of felling trees and Kautalya’s Arthashashtra had advice on Forest Administration, why and how did we lose track of our responsibilities towards protecting environment.?

Continuing with the past, if I were to list the positives of our way of life in 1950’s, some features stand out. Discipline and strict adherence to rule of law were cornerstones of life. Even a simple Government run school in a taluka,was clean, well maintained and well managed. The teachers were dedicated to the profession and hence were much respected in the community. Punishments to erring students were instant and the support of the parents to enforce such punishments was unshakeable. Great emphasis was laid on environment consciousness and customs and traditions. Energy efficiency even when electricity was inaccessible was ingrained in us. Gobar, camphor, thatched roofs etc were eco friendly pesticides, insecticides and renewable and affordable ingredients of consumption. Rivers and lakes were kept spotlessly clean-no plastics, no effluents, least of all human and animal faeces. Quality of water down -stream was the responsibility of those dwelling up stream. Water holes and ponds were kept clean by village and town administrators who were always at the service of the people. Trees were never harmed.

And then came the rat-race of my generation. Urbanisation, unruly, unplanned spread of towns and cities and a strong urge to look outwards(towards the west) rather than learn from our past. Overpowering consumerism and wanton destruction of the environment soon followed. Rest is history.

The silver lining is the reappearance of a little emphasis on the subject, in schools. My 13 year old granddaughter can lecture me on how to protect our environment and show our concern for the generations to follow. There is hope. After the terrible destruction caused during WW1&2, in particular, destruction of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, have we not recovered and to a great extent alleviated horrors of such destruction? Let us put our shoulders to the wheel, no matter how weak!

Abhishek, this is dedicated to you and your gallant friends.

(753 words)

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

UNIVERSAL TRADITIONS OF THE MILITARY

NEED FOR INTROSPECTION

The recent sequence of events with respect to the Army and the Government of India (GOI) that enabled the media to make hay,, perhaps points to the immaturity of a young nation state. What we have learnt in six decades of democratic governance cannot offset the experience gained by mature, older democracies. With the well documented example and experience of other successful democracies available we could perhaps have compressed the learning curve. But we have not fought a great war lasting many years and, what is more, one which perforce involved the entire population, if not in the actual conduct of war, then in mitigating the consequences of such conflict. In the absence of mature and informed leadership, both political/ bureaucractic as well as military, which has barely had time to groom officers as a result of long and continuous involvement in fighting insurgents, we could not have avoided the present situation.

Since the skills imparted to officers basically relate to the “management of violence”, some common qualities bind them. They undergo a rigorous process of selection and training which prepares them for a special career. They are taught to suppress their own needs and aspirations for the greater cause of their units, academy, service, and nation-as the case may be. Second, they are systematically trained, through courses designed to provide “just in time” inputs to shoulder the next higher assignment. Intellectual and technological inputs are an integral part of all mid-career courses. Third, no individual, irrespective of his brilliance, can replace the military officer by lateral induction, whereas the military officer can within a short span of time step into any other vocation. Hence, a commercial pilot cannot replace an Air Force fighter or transport pilot, while the reverse is possible.

Management of violence is an integral part of the grooming process of Military officers all over the world. Higher assignments in which strategic and policy requirements entail control over large forces, can only be handled by those with sufficient exposure and stature gained through long service. This is axiomatic and hence universally accepted.

The license to practise his military profession is granted by a Commissioning Parchment signed by no less than the President of the country. Just as a Doctor cannot practise without his license, a Military Officer is not recognised without his Commissioning Parchment.

Since the profession is unique and management of violence needs to be well regulated, the state monopolises the Military. The military, in turn, is expected to perform only such functions as have a socially approved purpose. It is in this context that I quote Samuel Huntington, “The employment of his expertise promiscuously for his own advantage would wreck the fabric of society”.

So, the military uses a combination of rules, regulations, instructions, etc, to create a cohesive, disciplined and dependable force. Traditions in particular constitute a cementing force. Military ethos, discipline and swift punishment to erring personnel are the hallmark of any well managed force.

While society expects the highest standards of probity and loyalty to the nation from a soldier, it has in return to ensure that the soldier is reasonably well paid, not only whilst in service but cared for after his retirement. The recent unresolved issues pertaining to one rank-one pay and soldiers returning their medals on the streets of the capital are symptoms of a deep- rooted sense of neglect and injustice. Manifestations of this hurt are bound to surface until the root cause is addressed.

When an officer joins the forces he willy-nilly surrenders some of his fundamental rights. Freedom of speech, freedom of association with foreign nationals and the freedom directly to access the media are but a few examples. If, however, redressal mechanisms prove inadequate and justice is deemed to be denied, the best course of action suggested to the Military is to shed the uniform and resort to legal remedies. This is a tradition and a strong one at that. Gen MacArthur, arguably the most popular U.S General at that point in time in 1951 did not seek justice from courts of law when he was sacked. He merely faded away. So did Gen Michael Dugan, who was sacked in 1990, during the Gulf War for making irresponsible statement to the media. Gen Mc Chrystal’s sacking is the most recent case of assertion in the U.S. of Civilian authority over the Military. They did not seek justice from courts of law.

We have had our share of defiance even in our short history. Equally we had a Manekshaw who handled a very difficult politico-military confrontation with great élan. While Manekshaw fought for the cause of the armed forces and not for himself or his promotion, the others who chose to break established and valuable traditions of the Military, perhaps, did not fight for a socially approved cause.. We can only hope that it does not confuse young officers and tempt them to take to legal recourse, in the belief that such actions are lawful and a fundamental right. Fortunately our courts are well aware of the executive’s functions and the powers exercised by superiors in the military hierarchy.

The responsibilities of the soldier to the State and those of the State to the soldier need to be inculcated in Officers while under training and parliamentarians and commentators should be more generally groomed to protect the soldier’s interests. Civilian control of the military has historically been exercised by Parliament. This is done through Ministers, constituting as they do, the political executive, and by bodies such as the Cabinet Committee on Security.  Repeatedly complaining that the bureaucracy has usurped these powers as politicians are reluctant to deal directly with the military, reflects poorly both on such politicians and Military personnel. This issue must be resolved at the earliest through well considered processes already suggested by numerous committees such as the Kargil Review Committee.

Even as we refine and evolve our structures, it is essential to ensure that the Armed forces remain apolitical, secular and unique as they are meant to be.