We are a nation of patriots. We vote our Indian soldier as our person of the year. We get all expressive and teary eyed watching the fauji movies and their stories of bravery and valor. But that’s about it. Something that has been irking me for a while is that while Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is ranked among the “50 Most Powerful People of the World” selected by Newsweek, a leading American weekly magazine our Chief of the Army Staff Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor is nowhere. The list, carried in the magazine’s January issue, is led by President-elect Barack Obama while Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan also make the list but Gen Kapoor doesn’t figure at all. Gen Kayani is placed at 20 on the list.
I checked up the older versions of the list and was amazed that none of our high ranking Defence Officers have ever been on any such list worldwide. I don’t know what a difference it would have made but then are we a breed of miserable hypocrites? An unwelcome irony of this is that because of our jingoistic false ‘patriotism,’ and things have become far too dangerous and despised for all our soldiers. As a true fauji wife one of my first lesson was to complain less, to smile more and to cherish what I have today! For the past so many years I have been doing exactly this. But now I want more, a lot more for all my soldiers………
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Actually I would prefer that the supreme commander of our armed forces - the president or even the prime minister show up on this list instead of Sonia Gandhi (nothing against her).
However given the structure of our state - I think it is best that the leaders of the state are powerful, and the armed forces are the ‘power’ behind these leaders. I think it is a discredit to the structure of Pakistan that Kayani is recognized as the power and not the leaders of that country.
The healthy balance of Executive, Judiciary, Legislature and the Armed Forces that is required in a democracy has never been Pakistan’s privilege. If anything, democracy has been a sham right from the days of post partition in Pakistan and has remained so right upto the present Zardari Govt. It is a slur upon modern day Pakistan that it continues to be ruled by the military - overtly or covertly. We should be proud of the fact that we have a democracy that the politician and bureaucrat have sytematically attempted to destroy but has a saviour in the Armed Forces to undo the damage at each stage. The people’s testimony is paramount and while the people of Pakistan hate their Army, our people are in ever increasing awe and respect for ours.
God Bless the Indian Armed Forces.
This is an interesting article mainly because it brings out dichotomy between our aspirations and the reality. Aspirations(Fame,Money,Power-as per indls priority), though desired by all in whatever measure are like MIRAGE — we imagine them but fail to achieve these as per our aspirations.
Whether Army pers are powerful needs no answer as we rarely can get what we desire/ deserve or get what our soldiers NEED. I dont know abt respect by society but that also comes in small pieces because when our soldiers family/ he needs anything society wants its pound of FLESH(bribe). I am reminded of a pgme which Barkha Dutt(ndtv) used to do– REALITY BITES.In one of the pgmes on Late Capt Thaper a civ asks for bribe to give electric connection for the petrol pump given in his memory. When BRIBE was not given, the electricity connection was not given and on top of it the civilian had the audacity to ask late Capt Thapers father –what proof has that he was NOK. Poor father Narrated this incidence in public mtg to Mr Bajpayee, THE PM– the civ emp was suspended for some months and later reinstated. I was ashamed…
The screening of episode brought strong reactions. Even a film was made on the incidence … needless to say nobody knows abt this FILM.
We may not want to be in the list of most powerful people in the world or even in India. Hopefully the nation will meet basic needs of our soldiers???
These comments may sound irrelevant but then REALITY BITES…
Best wishes to all optimists and hope they continue their effort towards improving our soldier NEEDS. THANKS for your patience and reading.
I have my doubt if the list contains any names of serving American General. As a democracy i feel its our politicians who shape the country and we have progressed a lot since independence and we are a force to reckon internationally. But our country and politicians should not forget the sacrifices and contributions of the soldiers. The armed forces should get their due and they should be respected because they are the ones who are giving their young days so that the citizens of India can enjoy and sleep peacefully.
Our CHIEF’S are chosen by Politicians and can be sent home at the Whims and fancy of the Ruling party .Remember BHAGWAT EPISODE.so WITHOUT doubt our chiefs ARE just a glorified part of the Babucracy with little or no powers to shape the destiny of the Nation so can they be truly POWERFUL
My comment is addressed to J Mathew….
Well, why do you and many of us should keep saying that armed forces should be respected? My question to you is - are they are not respected? Love and respect are never demanded, they are commanded…. And our armed forces command both love n’ respect of people of this country. So, please, stop demanding what is already there.
This respect is inherent in this job itself. If anyone thinks that young people aspire to join armed forces only for their love for the country, then one has to correct oneself. The foremost reasons are the status, respect, charm of the uniform and different n’ adventurous lifestyle associated with this profession. I have myself been to SSB two times, and both times the reasons were more or less the same among all candidates of the entire batch. And every time 6 to 7 candidates were selected, and those are still serving in the forces as officers. It is different thing that when you immerse yourself in your duty, you develop a different kind of attachment and fascination for it. But…. this is true for every other profession also. The citizens of a country don’t just need security for their life, they also need to be ensured that while they live…they remain healthy, they remain stuffed up, they remain financially secure, they are emotionally guarded and they are respected. It is social, financial, emotional and health securities also they need to enjoy and live peacefully. It is a farmer who sheds his sweat in the fields so that citizens of his country don’t die of hunger; it is a doctor who saves lives by dedicating himself day and night to his job; it is an engineer at DRDO who develops new technologies so that enemy should think twice before marching on us; it is a scientist who develops instruments which help our soldiers at border; it is writer who keeps motivating his fellow countrymen with his writings, and thus helping form a mass opinions and mass movements; it is a common man who keeps serving the society with his or her good work without being noticed by anyone and not even telling people what he or she is doing. The only difference is that all those are serving their country unarmed. They are the unarmed forces of a country…they all are loyal patriotic citizens of a country.
So, this is all division of labour, as they say. And I say this is division of duties. No one can perform all the duties himself. Some are good at one, and some at other ones. And, sir, with due respect I would like to say that everybody has young days in his life…and most of the duties start in the young age only. And in our country, a farmer is the first person that needs to get his due. He, who keeps all of us alive, has to hang himself because he is not able to feed his family and is not in a position to pay back the loan that he has taken to feed his countrymen. Are we thinking for them???? No!!!! But here we are, who start fighting with a rickshawalah for 5 rupees, and don’t mind arguing for a rupee or two with a sabziwalah; but we don’t hesitate to pay 50 odd rupees for a plate of fried potatoes in a multiplex… for which we would not shell out more than a rupee for a poor farmer. Can we say proudly that we have done something in the last one year to make someone happy or make an unprivileged child live up to his dream? Are we really doing our duties towards our country in whatever capacity we can???? Do our soldiers save us for this type of unceremonious life? Are we not disgracing the sacrifices of all the armed and unarmed, and sung and unsung heroes of our country????
just read your post and added your blog today..:)
you know you have written it irks you but we are ina better off position..because fro any democratic country's army chief to be in that list is absolutely not recommended.
the very fact that Kayani is part of that list shows how pathetic a state Pakistan is in....where democracy is just a sham and army is running the country...
we dont ever want that to happen in India....the political establishment should run the country and the forces are there to protect the country and thats the way it should be..
to even think that our chiefs should be included is an invitation to anarchy...
but yes,being from a forces background I agree that India does not respect her soldiers nor does it give them their due...
and it should be given..
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