Swordarm

Why can’t we make our schools better?

Posted on January 4, 2011 by sword

Going through a survey of the best schools in Delhi printed in a leading national daily, I am sad, disappointed – but not really surprised. The said mix of emotions arises from the absence of my own alma mater, the Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, from even the ‘special mentions’ amongst the schools adjudged as the top sixty or so in the city by the newspaper. The sadness and disappointment is twofold, since it is my own old school, and is run by the organization I served in for twenty years. But the lack of surprise is because I am already aware of the current standards and reputation of the school thanks to the enquiries I made when I got posted into Delhi and wanted to get my children admitted to it. Consequent to my findings, I allowed my concern for the future of my children override my loyalty for my old school, and I opted out of admitting them there. And got my son admitted to Sanskriti School.

It is less than twenty years old, and is acknowledged as one of the best schools in the country. The same survey places it as second in the city, and amongst the first five in the country. So what is it that makes it race ahead of the much older school of ours located in its close vicinity? Agreed, it is run by the Civil Services Society and therefore has the accompanying benefit of resources and wherewithal. But then, the forces have no dearth of resources and wherewithal either. Why is it so difficult for us to make our schools into centres of excellence, ensuring that there is no need for our own people to go elsewhere seeking a brighter future for our children? If

the Civil Services Society can do it, why can’t AWES, or for that matter AWWA? What better welfare can there be than providing opportunities for excellent education for our children?

One aspect that comes to mind is that our schools are more inclusive and heterogeneous, with the children coming from across the spectrum of backgrounds within the forces. But is that such a big stumbling block? I don’t think so, because I know for certain that the brightest students in these schools are from no particular end of that spectrum. The infrastructure of our schools is also more than adequate. Probably what we need to do is to make conditions such that we attract the best of talent to work in these schools. In my perception, Sanskriti’s management is doing things differ

ently than AWES.

It has had some of the leading educationalists in the country as the Principals. And, having hired eminent people to lead the school, they have provided adequate resources without interfering in the running of the school as such. This used to be the case in Army Public School too, back when I studied there. Mr Hari Dang, a leading educationalist of the country of the time, was the Principal. And although no such surveys were carried out at that time, I am certain that had that been the case, the school would definitely have not been absent from the notables. Another case in point is the Air Force School Subroto Park, which has seen a drastic change for the better since the present principal took over two years back.

Another way of balancing between the necessity of providing inclusive education and creating a centre of excellence is earmarking one out of the three Army Public Schools as such. Admissions to this particular school should be strictly on the basis of merit, irrespective of the rank of the parent. Let this be the first among equals. Yes, it will create a bit of a divide amongst the schools themselves, but in the long run, I think this will serve to bring up the overall standard of all of them.

It is about time we realized that by merely constructing buildings and commencing classes the organization is not rid of the responsibility of providing quality education to its member’s wards. The quality of these institutions needs careful nurturing to enable them holding their own in today’s competitive environment. And failing to do so, despite enjoying the organizational backing and resources of the magnitude that they do, requires some deep introspection amongst those tasked with running these institutions.

Posted in Blogitorial, Education, Military, Welfare | Tagged APS, Army Public School, Education, Welfare | 1 Comment

Deaf, Blind…. and Dumb?

Posted on November 1, 2010 by sword

Age catches up with all of us. And it is ruthless. It wreaks havoc on our systems and faculties, tormenting us with numerous afflictions. One used to believe that Father Time is by and large fair and unbiased, in that he is uniformly harsh with all. But events of recent past have left us wondering whether he picks out a few people for being especially nasty to. Some people whom he repeatedly tortures. First it was the case of sudden deafness due to exposure to loud noises. Obviously it had something to do with age catching up. Someone who would have spent at least 10-15 years of his early service in the close vicinity of guns firing during practice camps can’t go deaf all of a sudden after hearing a few booms from the grandstand while witnessing a demonstration – unless it has something to do with geriatrics.

As if loss of hearing wasn’t enough, vision was clouded too. What else could be the reason for attempting to summarily dispose-off a case of alleged impropriety by the senior-most of subordinates, when the court of inquiry recommended further investigations. And then having to face the ignominy of eating humble pie and rescinding this decision on being given a rap on the knuckles. Of course, a lesser man might have handed in his resignation at this stage. After all, going back on this decision meant one of three things. Either the earlier decision was wrong – which indicated incompetence, for taking such a critical decision without due diligence. Or that the original decision right – in which case changing it amounted to acting against a subordinate, whom one considered innocent, under pressure from higher authority. This would indicate lack of moral courage. Third alternative – the decision was taken due to ulterior motives – which would indicate lack of morals. But no resignation was forthcoming. Apparently the thickening of the epidermis was another unfair hand dealt by time.

And now one gets to read of fresh ways in which age and time has been particularly unkind to some. It apparently led to senility and impairment of judgement in addition to the audio-visual setbacks. Even if you are paying only about ten per cent of the true market value – assuming that you are paying, and even that token amount has not got waived off due to services rendered or favours granted – eighty odd lakh rupees are no mean amount for a serviceman. It represented about 20 years’ salary of the average service officer in the pre sixth pay commission era. Would anyone with all six cylinders of their mental engine firing properly invest this kind of money in an enterprise without going into great amounts of details about the project itself? Who are the promoters, what are their antecedents, have they got the requisite clearances and so on. Obviously, these details were glossed over – some of the cylinders must be misfiring. No wonder such an investment was made without the foggiest idea about the fact that the project was purportedly intended for the kin of those who had shed blood in the battlefield.

But what if Father Time is not to blame? Could it be that the deafness existed all along, but would have prevented ascent up the greasy pole and was disregarded? Till the liability could be converted into an asset by adding thirty per cent of disability pension? Could it be that vision and judgement were sound, but everything else failed? The values and the ethics, the codes by which we were supposed to live. The espirit-de-corps and camaraderie.

I wonder.

Posted in Blogitorial, Military, Ponderings, Values | Tagged armed forces, army, corruption, martyrs, morals, scandal, Values | 10 Comments

A Matter of Honour

Posted on September 28, 2010 by sword

Dont worry all is cool, Homer is on the job.

All Iz Well

It’s been the refuge of demagogues down ages. Confound, confuse, silence critics by changing the frame of reference of the issue. We are at the receiving end of this right now. “Keep quiet!”, we are told. “Don’t raise a stink, don’t get taken in by the sensation hungry media’s hyperbole. Things are not quite all that bad, it’s just that our standards are a tad lower.” And of course, the ultimate exhortation – the nation’s honour is at stake here, don’t join the chorus of western chauvinists – their only motivation is to prove that India’s success story is just a transitory illusion.

Filth and grime may be ubiquitous in India, but that does not mean that we are not capable of creating an environment without them. I am sure none of these are found anywhere near 7 Racecourse road or 10 Janpath – or in our five star hotels for that matter. So what’s so difficult about ensuring basic standards of cleanliness in the games village? It’s just extreme lack of accountability, arrogance and incompetence.

Why look for the hidden hand? Why ascribe mo tives? Weren’t the same motives present during Beijing Olympics? Well, there were controversies raised there too – like the one about the little girl singing the welcome song. But the point is that those were minor pin pricks because the fundamentals were in place. Everything went off well, and the Chinese could shrug it off. But a bloody foot bridge falling ten days before the game? And the Chief Minister of the state saying it was not meant for sportspersons but for people? What kind of weird logic is that? Basic cleanliness and amenities lacking till a week before the games are to start? Do we need any conspirators at all – the sword is in the monkey’s hand, god save the king.

Delhi still looks more like a cross between a war zone and a construction site than a world class city hosting an international event. All the muck and unfinished sites are being hidden behind huge hoardings. Apparently Delhiites will pay the price for this for the next 30 years in the form of higher taxes, as per one report in today’s paper. Are we going to pay for our own dishonour?

Is the shoddy work at huge cost overruns undertaken by a few a matter of national honour? I, for one, do not buy that. After all, if a fallen bridge is a matter of national shame, then conversely the construction of a replacement by Army Engineers within four days is a matter of national pride. I do NOT agree to allow my honour to be shamed by the wrongdoings of some Corrupt, Incompetent people (deadly combination). The situation we are in today is a result of criminal acts and bungling by specific individuals. It in itself is therefore not a matter of ‘national shame’. But it will be a national shame if those at the helm of this mockery of our nationhood and their cronies are allowed to get away with it.

Cut to end of games. Everyone will pat themselves on the back for a job well done. We have overcome against the evil designs of first world chauvinists.

“Yes, there were minor glitches, but then in an event of this scale and magnitude these can only be expected. The important thing was that they got taken care of in time, and the games went off very well. We are now ready for Olympics” I can almost hear the PM’s speech. One Supreme Court judge and a couple of bureaucrats, all nearing retirement or freshly retired, will get their entitled windfall in the form of membership of the CWG Enquiry Committee (or Commission), which will ensure that for the next 10 – 15 years they continue to maintain their standard of living at taxpayer’s expense. Remember Bhopal gas tragedy or the 1984 riots?

If we are really mindful of the country’s honour, here’s what must replace the predictable scenario after the games. A fast track enquiry commission, comprising entirely of eminent private citizens, should go into the entire gamut of activities that led to this disastrous situation. Let the hearings be held daily, and under full public gaze. Let no one be spared. Let the findings be placed before a full bench of the Supreme Court, which deals with this on a daily basis till it is disposed off. Let the perpetrators of this attempted rape of the country’s honour face the full majesty of law.

Or else, let’s just look the other way and continue to do things the way we do.

What goes my father?

Posted in Blogitorial, Common man, Media, Military, National Issues | Leave a comment

Let the tigers roar

Posted on September 20, 2010 by sword

: Image by law_keven via Flickr

Late Gen BC Joshi was undoubtedly one of the most visionary chief Indian Army has had. The Rashtriya Rifles, residential Army Public Schools and Professional Institutes for the wards of servicemen are some of the outcomes of his vision. Amongst the policy guidelines promulgated by him on assuming office as the chief was the one on the status of Commanding Officers. Here was one general who realized the pivotal role played by the COs within the organisational framework of the Army. He therefore mandated that they be enabled, empowered and accorded the status due to them as Commanding Officers. A small but very visible indicator of this was that the signs that used to read “Flag Cars Only” were amended across the army to say “Flag Cars and COs Vehicles Only”. Seemingly insignificant, but extremely meaningful in a hierarchical organisation like the Army. Today, fifteen years down the line, the signboards are still there – but the spirit of the order, sadly, doesn’t seem to be.

Not that this decline is something that will be readily acknowledged by very many people. For all intents and purposes, the buck still stops at the Commanding Officer. But often this is merely the buck of accountability and rarely the buck of authority. Reasons, rationales and excuses can be found. It could be the greatly improved communications – today it is actually possible for the highest of headquarters to breathe down the neck of a platoon commander carrying out an operation – or the microscope of media scrutiny under which every operation (or suicide by a soldier, for that matter) is placed today. Whatever may be the reason for this extreme risk aversion, the result cannot be very healthy.

Unfortunately, the temptation to continue to command units even from positions of higher command is strong. After all, that’s where the comfort zone lies, and that’s also where all the action is. But giving in to this temptation and micro managing unit affairs by higher commanders leads to a large number of ills that an organisation like the Army can do without. The interesting thing is that this is not something that is peculiar to our situation. Consider this extract from a talk given by Lt Col Paul Yingling to the US Command and General Staff College:-

“When I was a battalion XO in Iraq in 2003, I served with a company commander whose vehicle was struck by an early version of an IED. The fragmentation shattered his windshield and severed his antennas, the smoke and dust obscured his vision and the blast temporarily deafened him. In the first critical seconds after the blast, the commander saw the ubiquitous white pickup leaving the blast area, but didn’t pursue it. His battalion commander was furious, and later harangued the captain for his failure to act. The company commander was crushed; he felt the battalion commander was questioning his courage, and in fact he was.

The battalion commander later complained to me about his company commander’s inaction. He was right on the tactics – in those rare moments when we make contact with insurgents, if indeed this truck contained insurgents – we must capture or kill them. I was less certain about his methods of leader development, so I asked about the company commander’s preparations for deployment. For example, prior to deployment, who had the authority to cancel PT in the event of an electrical storm? He answered, ‘the brigade commander had that authority.’ I then asked him, who had the authority to change the PT uniform, if for example it was warmer than expected? That decision was at the battalion level. This company commander, who only a few months ago lacked the authority to tell his troops to come in out of the rain or take off their hats, was now expected to pursue the enemy unto death.”

Forget about young officers – imagine the damage caused by curbing the initiative of commanding officers. Therefore, in supreme organisational interest, the tigers must be allowed to roar.

Posted in Audacity, Blogitorial, Military, Ponderings | 5 Comments

Managing Bosses Then and Now

Posted on August 21, 2010 by sword

: Image via Wikipedia

After Yudhisthira lost his kingdom to his cousins the Kauravas in a game of dice, the Pandavas were required to spend twelve years in exile, followed by one year in hiding incognito. The stipulation was that in case their identities were revealed during this one year, they would have to go into exile all over again. The Pandavas decided to spend this year in the service of King Virata of Matasya, in different disguises. Yudhisthira would become a courtier giving sage advice to the king as a sanyasi; Bhim would indulge in his passion for food by taking the job of a cook; Arjun would live out a year as a eunuch serving the ladies of the court, thereby also simultaneously undergoing the curse of a year of lost manhood given to him by Urvasi when he rejected her amorous overtures; Nakul and Sahdev would work in the king’s stables, tending to his horses and cows. Draupadi, their wife, would become an attendant in the queen’s court.

When the Pandavas thus decided their vocations for the one year of ‘agyaatvas’, their family priest Dhaumya blessed them and gave them some very sound advice. The sheer wisdom and pragmatism of this advice is such that it doesn’t sound out of place if taken in the context of the modern avatar of the king – the boss. Here is the advice reproduced from C Raja Gopala Chari’s Mahabharat.

“Those who are engaged in service under a king should always be vigilant. They must serve without talking too much. They may give their counsel only when asked, and never obtrude it. They should praise the king on befitting occasions. All things, no matter how small, may be done only after informing the king, who is a veritable fire in human form. Do not go too near him, nor yet appear to avoid him. Even though a person may be trusted by the king and have great authority, still he should always behave as if he would be dismissed immediately. It would be foolishness to place too much confidence in a king. One may not sit in the conveyance, seat or chariot of the king, presuming on his affection. A servant of the king should be ever active and self-restrained. He should not be excessively elated, nor unduly depressed, by being honoured or dishonoured by the king.

He may not reveal the secrets confided to him, nor may he receive anything in the form of gift from the citizens. He should not be jealous of other servants. The king may place fools in positions of authority, leaving aside the wise. Such waywardness should be ignored. One cannot be too careful with the ladies of the court. There should not be the faintest suggestion of indelicacy in one’s conduct towards them.”

How true each and every bit of this advice is even today. Being vigilant or alert, and going about one’s work without unnecessary chatter, however difficult to do, is definitely good policy to follow at the office. Like they say in the Navy, “loose lips sink ships”, and so it is in every sphere of work. Talking more than required, or aimless gossip, has been known to sink the ships of many a promising careers. And when it comes to rendering unsolicited advice, being at the receiving end of it is as abhorrent to the modern day monarch of the workplace as it was to any ancient ruler – so render it at your own peril. Of course, flattery will get you anywhere today too, but remember the operative part of this advice – “on befitting occasions”. Most contemporary power figures would be astute enough to discern deserved flattery from underserved. The latter can actually backfire, as it can be construed as insincerity and trying to take the boss for a ride.

We often talk about keeping the boss ‘in the loop’. This is what Dhaumya’s next piece of advice for the Pandavas implies. Again, in today’s environment of information overdose, it is for the discerning subordinate to avoid overloading the boss with the mundane, while ensuring that nothing vital remains unreported. Being aware of what lies within the ambit of decision making authority delegated by the boss to you is essential. Reference to the ‘veritable fire’ is to the king’s brightness in being able to quickly gauge things, or the ability to burn when annoyed – or more likely, both. Similar fires would rage within the modern day boss too. Therefore, either trying to be too close by ingratiating one’s self with the boss, or being completely distant and detached, both could lead to trouble. The trick lies in remaining in his or her good books while continuing to maintain a respectable distance. A little like enjoying the warmth of a bonfire from a safe distance.

Indiscretion or lack of complete probity in public dealing definitely continues to be a route to disaster – sometimes the shortest, sometimes a little long winded, but the destination is definitely disaster. And whether it was court politics in the ancient times or office politics in modern, it’s texture has not changed much over the years. Fools continue to do surprisingly well and find favour with those in authority – or maybe it is just that others in favour with those in authority continue to look like fools to us. Whatever be the case, the advice to ignore such waywardness must be paid heed to. As must the urging for delicacy in conduct towards ladies.

Many years have passed, systems have changed, as have organisations and forms of authority. Technology has completely transformed the world since these words of advice were rendered by the learned priest. But human nature has remained the same, and thus every line of these ring true in today’s context too.

Posted in Blogitorial, Management, Ponderings | Tagged advice, Kaurava, King, Mahabharata, Management, Pandava, wisdom | 1 Comment

Mentoring: Lessons from Mahabharata

Posted on July 5, 2010 by sword

: Image via Wikipedia

When the battle which later came to be known as Mahabharata was imminent, the opposing sides began garnering support of like minded kings and form alliances with them. Sri Krishna, the ruler of Dwarka, was considered a good potential ally because of the might of the Yadav army he commanded and because of his personal value as a master strategist and diplomat. By a coincidence, Arjun and Duryodhan both reached Sri Krishna’s palace at the same time, to seek alliance with him, and it happened to be at a time when Krishna was sleeping. Arjun, sitting at Krishna’s feet, caught his eye first when he woke up. He was thus given the first of the two choices placed by Krishna before the cousins. He offered the entire Yadav army to one of the camps, and his own services to the other. Much to Duryodhan’s delight Arjun unhesitatingly chose Krishna over the formidable Yadav army, even though by his own injunction, Krishna would not bear weapons in batttle. Subsequent events, of course, bore out the sagacity of Arjun’s choice. Krishna performed the role of Arjun’s charioteer throughout the battle, but he was much more than that. He was Arjun’s mentor, gently guiding and advising him at every step. This relationship stands as exemplary even today when we talk of mentoring.

The significance of this relationship is evident by the fact that one of the popular names by which Krishna is known even today is ‘Parthasarthy’, which means ‘Arjun’s Charioteer’. The term “Charioteer” in connection to Krishna is interpreted as “One who guides” or “One who shows the way”. This particular role has thus been immortalized over the numerous others played by him during his eventful life. The other significant outcome of this mentoring was the Bhagwat Gita, a discourse given by Krishna to Arjun which is acknowledged as a cornerstone of Hindu philosophy, and has served to guide millions of people in their moments of dilemma.

There are quite a few lessons to be derived, even ages after this relationship was written about.

First is about the importance of a good mentor, realized by Arjun when he chose an unarmed Krishna over the mighty Yadav army. He was aware that even the best of resources, such as the army in question, are valueless without strategic vision and tactical acumen such as that possessed by Krishna.

Playing his role as mentor in Imparting advice and knowledge, Krishna provided guidance to Arjun every step along the way. This is something that is talked about even today, while the feats of the Yadav army on the battlefield are long forgotten.

Another lesson is about the role of a mentor in identifying and clarifying values. Just before the onset of battle, when Arjun was plagued with doubts and apprehensions, the Divine Song or Bhagwat Gita narrated by Krishna served to give him the right perspective about his values and duties. Often one finds oneself in a predicament similar to Arjun, not being able to discern the right from wrong. At such a time, a trusted mentor can help one seeing things in a correct perspective.

On many occasions, Krishna protected his protégé from imminent danger and harm, either through astute advice, or through physically removing him from the path of danger. The role of a mentor in protecting and nurturing his mentee’s growth path is critical, as he has much better vision and foresight to be able to judge the long term impact of actions taken today.

There are times when Krishna uses his influence and powers to smoothen the path of Arjun. For instance, when Arjun had vowed that he would avenge the death of his son Abhimanyu by killing Jaydrath by sunset or he would immolate himself, Krishna uses his yogic powers to simulate sunset before time to bring Jaydrath out from hiding, enabling Arjun to slay him.

Another significant aspect was the complete confidence and trust that the mentor and mentee reposed in each other. Not once did Arjun ever doubt the veracity of the advice given to him by Krishna, and Krishna also remained steadfast in his confidence in Arjun’s abilities.

In this day and age, a mentor – mentee relationship is ever more important, due to the increasing complexities and range of choices and dilemmas that one faces at every step of one’s life and career. Fortunate are those who can find an able charioteer to steer one’s professional chariot through the morasses of the professional landscape.

Posted in Blogitorial, Management, Ponderings | Tagged Mahabharata, Management, mentoring, Sri Krishna | Leave a comment

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Posted on June 4, 2010 by sword

: Image via Wikipedia

One would hate to be in the shoes of the Chief of Army Staff these days. Having to wake up every morning dreading what bombshell the newspapers would bring can’t be a pleasant experience. Being at the helm of an organisation consisting of over 10, 00,000 bodies in this age of scandal hungry public and an ever obliging media, this is a cross that he perhaps has to bear. The sad part is that the antics of a few black sheep with unbridled libido, greed or ambition inevitably overshadow the sterling work done by the other 99.9% comprising the organisation. The latest scandal screaming at us from the headlines and ubiquitous red ticker tapes of breaking news is yet another such incident.

Details of the case are under investigation, and truth will be established expeditiously and justly, as one has no doubts about the speed or impartiality of the military justice system, particularly under such intense media scrutiny. Irrespective of the side which is found to be guilty – whether it was lust on one side or ambition on the other which was behind it – it is a lose-lose situation for the organisation. The fact that such ugly incidents are occurring with alarming regularity, and the involvement of the highest echelons of military leadership in them, points to a malignant malaise in the organisational culture. It is the easiest thing to dismiss this as part of a larger affliction of the society at large, of which the services are a microcosm. But this must not happen. The services have always prided themselves of maintaining higher standards of probity, of having a way of life that is wholesome and values based. The impact of the erosion of such values on a force whose efficacy hinges on discipline and implicit faith between superiors and subordinates would be catastrophic.
The time for introspection and soul searching is long past. Its time meaningful action is taken urgently to preserve the organisational fabric. There is a need to drastically cut down on all non-core activities that serve not only to detract efforts from professional pursuits, but also provide opportunities for career advancement to those thriving on these. Event management must be left to caterers and tent houses, and not made into a fine military art. Family welfare must be restricted to unit level, with the role of all others up the hierarchy being merely to provide amenities and resources required. The role of officer’s wives in AWWA must be reviewed and attempt must be made to hand over the day to day running of this organisation to hired professionals, with supervision by concerned staff officers. One only has to see the efficient manner in which NGOs such as CRY and Helpage are run to realize that this is highly feasible, with possibly better results.
Increased professionalism in attitude and activities is another step that is required to bring the organisation back in alignment with its core values.

Training events must reflect this professionalism and should be shorn of attempts at showmanship, and consequent assessments must also be on professional basis. In fact, the need for a revamp of the entire assessment system has been talked about for long but there have been only cosmetic changes limited by the stifled imagination of the MS Branch. For a comprehensive reform of the appraisal system, there is a need to throw out the old rule book and take a fresh look at the entire game. The reporting officers up the chain of command must be made to exercise their moral courage by being less non-committal about their assessments. We need to change the environment where an overwhelming majority of the reports are like a ‘dining out speech’. The reporting must be less generic, and unequivocal. For instance, how can attributes like loyalty and integrity be rated on an analog scale? Logically, these are qualities that are either present or absent in the absolute, and half measures or shades of grey are not possible. Also, the reviewing officers up the chain need to make greater efforts to familiarize themselves with their indirect reports, and must also be made accountable for their assessments. To make the appraisal system truly meaningful, a 360 degrees appraisal must be put in place.

Of course, opposition to any radical change is strong and backed up with adequate staff work and data – fear of change is endemic, and fear of the unfamiliar coupled with the prospect of having to do additional work without the comforting backup of precedence is daunting for the so called HR managers of the forces. However, it is for the decision makers to realize that such changes are no longer luxuries that can be indulged in, but imperatives for survival.
The alternative is that we must all get used to black woollens, for wool off the black sheep can’t even be dyed.

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Posted in Appraisal System, Blogitorial, Media, Military, Ponderings, Promotion System, Reforms, Values | Tagged Appraisal System, army, chief, corruption, Indian Army, Military Service, Reforms, Values | 5 Comments

Mahabharat over Arjun

Posted on May 20, 2010 by sword

: Image via Wikipedia

A lot has been written on the whipping given by our very own home-grown battle tank Arjun to that upstart of a Russian import T 90, in recently concluded comparative trials between the two. More muted are the voices about the Army’s dissatisfaction with Arjun. Passions often run high between the unfortunate adversaries in this drama, who rightfully should be on the same side of the fence. On one side is the user – the Army. At stake for the Army, if the tank fails to perform as promised, are possible lost battles and wars, own casualties and loss of reputation. On the other side is the developer – the DRDO, who feels its professional competence and reputation hinges on the acceptability of the tank, after taking a beating through all the years of delays and disillusionment. So it is understandable if each side wants to give and take no quarters. In this melee where each side is tearing down the other’s stance, often drumming up non issues to support their respective arguments, a balanced dispassionate view of the real concerns doesn’t seem to be emerging. Let us examine some of them.

National pride – indigenous vs imported equipment is one plank of DRDO’s argument. It has been insinuated that the army prefers the latter for reasons other than performance, despite availability of the former. The implied and sometimes stated slur is that there are vested interests involved in importing costly equipment when better, cheaper indigenous alternatives are available. The fact is that based on past experiences, institutional memory of the Army is instinctively distrustful of the promises and claims made by DRDO. The history of Project Arjun itself is one of delays, cost over runs and shortfalls in performance and reliability – as in the case of a number of other critical equipment. Army ends up as the loser, having to do without equipment upgrade since imports are stalled by DRDO’s promises of impending fructification of projects, which are not kept. As regards the cheaper indigenous alternative, it is neither cheaper (the Arjun is apparently costlier than the T 90) nor indigenous (from the engine to the fire control system to the transmission, all major components are of foreign origin ). Apparently the major components will be indigenized and the prices will fall as the numbers to be produced go up. There is also a basic difference in the perception of the relationship between DRDO and the Army by either side. The Army views itself as the user and DRDO as one of the vendors, and expects the same standards of service that a customer would from a vendor. DRDO on the other hands sees the Army as a captive customer that must have no option but to buy the equipment that is developed by it in order to support the development of indigenous technologies. The Army is not keen to be the guinea pig, particularly when testing grounds could be the next war.

Then there is the curious case of comparative trials. Curious because it is difficult to understand the parameters on which comparisons can be made between two tanks which are of different classes – one weighing 58 tons and the other 46 tons. The DRDO has gone to town in the press about how Arjun outran and outgunned the T 90 in the trials. Since there has been no views to the contrary from the Army, one must believe that either this is true, or that they have either been gagged into silent agreement or have resigned themselves to a silent submission.

Even if we take the most optimistic view, that our own indigenous tank is living up to all the promises made by the DRDO and outstripping the T 90 in every attribute, two major areas of concern remain. The first is regarding quality control. Even if Arjun has reached maturity of design and is capable of all that is claimed, manufacturing of each tank would require the highest standards of quality control, something that has been less than satisfactory in previous experience with indigenous production. The frequent bursting of gun barrels of indigenously manufactured T 72 Ajay tanks is an example of this. In fact, this is an issue that will require attention even for the T 90 tanks that are being manufactured indigenously. Often this concern does not find a distinct segregation from the aspects of design of the tank per se, and thus is affects the Army’s overall bias against Arjun. It would therefore be a good idea to understand design concerns separately from those of quality control during overall evaluation, and state these distinctly to avoid quality control issues clouding judgement about design.

The second major area of concern, which surprisingly has so far received a broad brush every time the Army has expressed it, is that Arjun weighs almost 25% more than tanks presently in service. Not only does this weight penalty pose severe restraints on logistics, it is a major stumbling block in the Army’s ability to use the heavier tank across different terrain configurations. Logistically, it means that the tank transporters and railway rakes required to carry these tanks from peacetime locations to the front and switch them between theatres of war will have to be upgraded – a major exercise in itself. Operationally, the weight poses severe restrictions in the movement of the tank in the developed areas astride the western border which is criss-crossed with canals and other obstacles. These have bridges of lower classifications which could be used by existing lighter tanks. Even the Combat Engineering equipment such as the assault bridges cater to a lighter tank, and will have to be changed. Also, the bigger size of the tank and its correspondingly higher silhouette makes it a bigger, more vulnerable target to enemy anti tank weapons.

Unfortunately, in its zeal to redeem itself, DRDO has been riding roughshod over all these objections of the Army. And, quite apparently it has better media management capabilities and clout with the government since not only has one not heard of these issues being discussed beyond perfunctory mention in any of the mainstream media, the army has been made to double its current order for Arjun tanks. While the Army had found a solution to the mobility problem for the first lot of Arjuns by employing them in the desert sector where bridges don’t pose a problem, the defence planners must now be scratching their heads on what to do with the additional numbers imposed on them.

Considering all this, there is a need for pragmatic reassessment. Arjun in its present form must be viewed as a big achievement, but a major step in the journey and not the destination. Rather than trying to prove its success through forcing more numbers on to an unwilling Army, DRDO must take pride in all that it has achieved so far, and move onwards to a design that is closer to the overall requirement of the customer.

Posted in Blogitorial, Civil Military Relations, Equipment, Military, Tanks | Tagged Anti-tank warfare, Arjun, army, Battle tank, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Military, T 90, trials | 7 Comments

Internal Deficiencies?

Posted on April 27, 2010 by sword

: Image by baxiabhishek via Flickr

Assistant Commandant GP Singh of CRPF has written a letter to the Army Chief, expressing his ‘annoyance’ at the latter’s remarks in the aftermath of the Dantewala massacre. As per an item in the Pioneer newspaper, the officer citing limited success of several joint operations of the Army and CRPF in Punjab, J&K, North East and Sri Lanka, opines that such failures are not due to training deficiencies, but other reasons. He talks about the Chief’s remarks ‘disturbing his inner soul’. He goes on to say that “every organisation has merits and deficiencies.”

A positive view of the emotional outpouring of the officer is that such feeling of loyalty and ‘josh’ for one’s outfit is an extremely good sign. Pride for one’s unit and organisation is a prime attribute that one would look for in junior leaders of a fighting force. He has also displayed a degree of audacity – another quality sought after in such leaders – in violating the norms and channels through this missive, as also having the moral courage to sign it with his name rather than sending it anonymously. One hopes that for these reasons, his indiscretions will not invite more than a rap on the knuckles by his superiors for what is probably a misdirected display of loyalty.

The disturbing part of this newspaper report, however, are the statements that the letter has “touched a chord with the CRPF rank and file” and “majority of the CRPF officials agrees with the assistant commandant”. As per the news item, the chief’s statement has had a “demoralising effect on the force”. This can have two interpretations – that either they do not agree with the Chief’s assessment that ‘internal deficiencies’ exist, or that while they agree that deficiencies exist, the Army Chief has no business to talk about them. The latter has already been talked about at length in a previous Blogitorial entitled ‘Silence of the Lambs’. So what about the internal deficiencies?

A number of newspaper reports based on interactions with CRPF men on the ground tell tales of glaring apathy by the government and the force’s own hierarchy towards the troops deployed to tackle what is termed as the ‘biggest internal security threat’. “Why are we being tortured” is one such report from Times of India. The reporter in question visited the CRPF camp at the site of the massacre, and has been receiving calls from the CRPF men there since. “…being posted in Dantewada is worse than getting killed by Maoists. We have to walk 50 km to buy something as trivial as a matchbox. There is no gas cylinder for us to cook food—we have to pick firewood. Does the government even bother about us?” one soldier told the reporter. “We have no water, no proper food, no medicines—why are we being tortured like criminals? Please get our voices heard in Parliament. You are a journalist after all,” was another plea. Obviously, the troops in question have bigger reasons to be demoralised than remarks of the Army Chief about internal deficiencies within their force – even if they did have access to a newspaper, or the time to worry about such distant events.

Report of the enquiry conducted by a former DG of the BSF into the Dantewala massacre has been submitted to the government. While it has not been made public as yet, newspapers say that the report indicates ‘leadership failure’ and lack of coordination between the force and local police were the major causes.

If the remarks made by the Army Chief have disturbed the inner soul of the Assistant Commandant in question, and possibly that of a large number of his brother officers, one wonders what effects reports about such apathy and deficiencies would have on them. There is a lot of truth in his assertion that every organisation has its merits and deficiencies. But it is also true that acknowledging these deficiencies does not mean that the organisation itself is being castigated. In fact, accepting any such shortcomings and taking assertive action to overcome them is what actually contributes to its strengthening. The Army itself has been guilty of attempting to brush a number of infirmities under the carpet or trying to ignore them. But in a larger number of cases, it has proved itself capable of acknowledging mistakes and taking corrective action – the latest instance being the removal of two COs in the valley for failure to prevent human rights violations.

For a force to be reckoned as a truly professional outfit, it is necessary for it to be ruthless in introspecting on its own shortcomings and dealing with them positively. This is a lesson that needs to be learnt urgently by forces involved in anti naxal operations and other internal security duties to ensure incidents like Dantewada are not repeated.

Posted in Audacity, Blogitorial, Civil Military Relations, Military | Tagged Army Chief, Audacity, CRPF, Dantewada, Indian Army, Leadership | 8 Comments

Send in the Cavalry

Posted on April 16, 2010 by sword

: Image by kinshuksunil via Flickr

Army called in… to hold the Commonwealth Games, says a front page story in today’s Indian Express. Why isn’t it surprising? With six months to go and national pride at stake, with the panic mounting as the somnolent government and Organising Committee finally see the writing on the wall (which was apparent to everyone else long ago), who else to turn to? The only organisation in the country that has the track record of delivering every time, irrespective of what it was that was asked of it, or at what stage.

Going a little beyond the obvious, into the crevices and folds of the issue. As per the report, ‘South Block’ is planning to attach over 300 officers, including 10 Brigadiers and 245 Lt Cols. Largest number of personnel are needed for “spectator services” – provision of highest level of service to all spectators that come to the games. No doubt the army as an organisation will rise to the occasion, as will individuals detailed for the tasks, and will deliver results. But even in the gusto to lend a helping hand in a national event, the dignity of the organisation and its officers needs to be scrupulously preserved.

Going by past experiences, one would not put it past the babudom to use the Army officers for roles and tasks that are not entirely in keeping with their seniority and status, or for unpopular ones that none of their ilk would like to take on. Besides, most of the officers being good soldiers not used to questioning orders, and also not likely to have had much prior exposure to the bureaucracy and its working, would unhesitatingly and enthusiastically go about doing as ordered. It is therefore up to the Army HQ to ensure that officers are deputed only after getting detailed job descriptions for each of the roles, and ensuring that officers are detailed only for ones which are befitting, preferably also being carried out by civilian officers of parallel rank. Organising a brief orientation of sorts prior to deputation would also be in order.

There is also a larger question that must be considered in light of this request. Why is it that deputation of Army officers for roles in the civil administration such a rarity, resorted to generally in crisis situation as this? Parallel absorption of middle level officers into other ministries / department has often been mooted as one of the means of addressing stagnation brought about by the steep pyramid, which is an organisational peculiarity of the armed forces. But such a measure is equally unpopular with the bureaucracy as with the MS Branch. The former is probably apprehensive of opening the doors of their exclusive domain to the outsiders that forces officers are considered. The latter is obsessed with the shortage of officers and reluctant to add to this shortfall by losses through parallel movement. However, the provision of opportunity to officers not empanelled for promotion due to limited vacancies in higher ranks for continued professional growth through such parallel movement would be preferable than retaining them for employment in inconsequential appointments – the so called ‘management’ of non-empanelled officers that MS Branch resorts to. While the Army finds it difficult to optimally employ these officers, those amongst them who have left and moved on either into the corporate sector or private enterprise, have time and again proven themselves in such spheres. A suitable mechanism to tap even a portion of this available potential for roles within the government where they can contribute towards better administration, governance and nation building, should therefore be put in place.

Posted in Blogitorial, Civil Military Relations, Military, Shortage of officers | Tagged Commonwealth games, Delhi, deputation, Indian Army | 2 Comments