Paramilitary forces living on edge Soumyajit Pattnaik, Hindustan Times Email Author Bhubaneswar, December 14, 2008 First Published: 23:19 IST(14/12/2008) Last Updated: 23:22 IST(14/12/2008) soumyajit.pattnaik@hindustantimes.com
Friday, December 19, 2008
Paramilitary forces living on the edge
Reproduced below is an article published in a news paper. Lets have comments of visitors as to how to improve the situation
Paramilitary forces living on edge Soumyajit Pattnaik, Hindustan Times Email Author Bhubaneswar, December 14, 2008 First Published: 23:19 IST(14/12/2008) Last Updated: 23:22 IST(14/12/2008) soumyajit.pattnaik@hindustantimes.com A study by the IIM, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on the working conditions of the central paramilitary forces has highlighted their stressful and dismal living conditions round the year as they don’t have a concept of peace posting like the armed forces. IIM-A submitted this study on “performance related incentives in government” to the Sixth Central Pay Commission. According to the study, the forces are required to put in long working hours (invariably 12-14 hours a day) and perform additional duties of guarding the camp without sufficient rest and respite in difficult terrains, hostile environments and face regular threat to life. The report said: “They always remain on call and have round-the-clock commitments throughout the year, without any consideration for leave, gazetted holidays, weekends, festivals, personal commitments and social obligations. This leads to very high levels of stress and imbalances. Repeated physical ailments in far-flung areas of deployment and absence of medical facilities for diseases like cerebral malaria, Hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, chikungunya etc render working conditions hazardous. Stress compiled with unhygienic living conditions leads to high instances of chronic diseases and (premature) death among force personnel.” The study has further noted their social isolation after living in camps for a lifetime. Their unavailability for social and family commitments like marriages, functions, death etc of near and dear ones almost leads to their social boycott in the family and their society. The report further added: “The problem of social isolation is compounded by the fact that their entire career is spent in hard areas and they don’t have a concept of peace posting (as in the armed forces).” The report also mentions about their increased personal expenditure as they are forced to maintain two or more establishments due to separation from family and the need for education of their children. The report said: “He is forced to undertake journeys to home to sort out domestic exigencies, which cost him additional money. Regular need for communication with their families adds to their costs and it’s made worse by the fact that at many places of their deployment, they only have satellite phones which cost a fortune.” The IIM-A team further mentioned: “Separation from family is a serious problem. We met somebody who has not lived with his family for the past 37 years and said that ‘my children don’t recognise me’.” The report makes another important observation on the food provisions for the forces. It said: “Food is the most basic human need and the related provisions are widely perceived to be unfair and highly discriminatory which adversely affects their morale. Ration money paid out to force personnel is perceived to be inadequate, especially for their places of deployment where ration is always more expensive. Levy of income tax on this effectively reduces the amount of calories that money can buy.” apear in today HT,comments may be sent to email listed on top or me for doing needful. thanks for sparing time. ragards AKHILESH
Paramilitary forces living on edge Soumyajit Pattnaik, Hindustan Times Email Author Bhubaneswar, December 14, 2008 First Published: 23:19 IST(14/12/2008) Last Updated: 23:22 IST(14/12/2008) soumyajit.pattnaik@hindustantimes.com
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Mr. Unnikrishnan
Dear Mr. Unnikrishnan,
You do not know me but I owe you a great debt. It sits on my shoulder like the body of a much loved brother, it shrouds my heart and casts a pall on all that I do….I know not how to repay you and that is my biggest agony. I see you as you speak to the media without a quaver in your voice, I see your wife with a broken heart and I am lashed with a pain that has no voice. Your son died saving my son and it weighs me down…speak to me and ask for some thing in return…I will give you my blood and the very marrow from my bone! Forgive me as I am the cause of your brilliant son fading…I did not see the enemy neither did I recognize it and when it attacked me with the ferocity of a thousand lions, I could only run and try to hide. I left the battle to your son and he has gone to the soldier's paradise. He has done his duty and asked for nothing and I am cursed.
I am cursed as I lie at night wrestling with sleep as images of the dead and dying call out to me. I am cursed when I see the beautiful face of your son. I am cursed when I look at the face of grief that is your wife. I look at my sleeping son lying safe in his bed and I am overwhelmed. I cannot begin to imagine what courage it takes you to get up in the morning and face another day.
If it gives you any small iota of relief, let me tell you that it is the sacrifice of soldiers like your son which make me hold up my head high. It ignites a feeling of great self esteem and it is what makes me hopeful. If we have men like your son still left in India, then we will come into our own. These men show me a bright, shining vision of the future and make me a believer.
Our fat, ugly, disillusioned sorry caricatures who are our politicians who suck out hope and glory and tarnish all that is good in our world fail in their task of destroying our faith.
Men like Major Sandeep who live by their ideals unflinchingly are our saviours. We see them and recognize in them a pure spirit burning bright. They are our beacons…they shine forth like our star of hope and we can weather all storms.
Mr. Unnikrishnan, you are the exceedingly brave father of a lion among men. In your grief, know this that all Indians have seen him and his faith and his love for our country…in his death he has become immortal. Death will come to us all. It will carry us away leaving only our loved ones orrowful…your son's funeral has made a whole nation grief-stricken. It has made all Indians say a prayer for him and his family. It has made us sit up and has lit a fire under us. He singlehandedly silenced Mr. Raj Thackeray with his deed. This sorry politician's career is over before it began…the so-called leader of the Marathi hides his face at home when a soldier rams home his point in so direct a fashion. Raj Thackeray was cowering beneath his bed when "his" Mumbai was burning and the men in uniform fought and gave up their lives for an India they unite and protect. No talk, no rhetoric just a heroic fight to the finish!
Mr. Unnikrishnan, if we have more men like your son then India WILL become a superpower.
I salute you and your family.
God bless you all.
An indebted Indian.
M K GAHLAUT
You do not know me but I owe you a great debt. It sits on my shoulder like the body of a much loved brother, it shrouds my heart and casts a pall on all that I do….I know not how to repay you and that is my biggest agony. I see you as you speak to the media without a quaver in your voice, I see your wife with a broken heart and I am lashed with a pain that has no voice. Your son died saving my son and it weighs me down…speak to me and ask for some thing in return…I will give you my blood and the very marrow from my bone! Forgive me as I am the cause of your brilliant son fading…I did not see the enemy neither did I recognize it and when it attacked me with the ferocity of a thousand lions, I could only run and try to hide. I left the battle to your son and he has gone to the soldier's paradise. He has done his duty and asked for nothing and I am cursed.
I am cursed as I lie at night wrestling with sleep as images of the dead and dying call out to me. I am cursed when I see the beautiful face of your son. I am cursed when I look at the face of grief that is your wife. I look at my sleeping son lying safe in his bed and I am overwhelmed. I cannot begin to imagine what courage it takes you to get up in the morning and face another day.
If it gives you any small iota of relief, let me tell you that it is the sacrifice of soldiers like your son which make me hold up my head high. It ignites a feeling of great self esteem and it is what makes me hopeful. If we have men like your son still left in India, then we will come into our own. These men show me a bright, shining vision of the future and make me a believer.
Our fat, ugly, disillusioned sorry caricatures who are our politicians who suck out hope and glory and tarnish all that is good in our world fail in their task of destroying our faith.
Men like Major Sandeep who live by their ideals unflinchingly are our saviours. We see them and recognize in them a pure spirit burning bright. They are our beacons…they shine forth like our star of hope and we can weather all storms.
Mr. Unnikrishnan, you are the exceedingly brave father of a lion among men. In your grief, know this that all Indians have seen him and his faith and his love for our country…in his death he has become immortal. Death will come to us all. It will carry us away leaving only our loved ones orrowful…your son's funeral has made a whole nation grief-stricken. It has made all Indians say a prayer for him and his family. It has made us sit up and has lit a fire under us. He singlehandedly silenced Mr. Raj Thackeray with his deed. This sorry politician's career is over before it began…the so-called leader of the Marathi hides his face at home when a soldier rams home his point in so direct a fashion. Raj Thackeray was cowering beneath his bed when "his" Mumbai was burning and the men in uniform fought and gave up their lives for an India they unite and protect. No talk, no rhetoric just a heroic fight to the finish!
Mr. Unnikrishnan, if we have more men like your son then India WILL become a superpower.
I salute you and your family.
God bless you all.
An indebted Indian.
M K GAHLAUT
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
We need one more Committee to fix up this Mess
69 Sierra has rightly said we Indians are too tolerant to the extent of being spineless. The way our politicians are shooting from their mouths would give a complex to any Marco. We are more than happy forwarding chain mails propagating the Myth that India is the next super power or the fact that India gave the world the number Zero. It is ironical that Zero has no value.
Our standard reaction to such disturbing events seems to be blaming our betenoir cum neighbor “PAKISTAN”. Are we such an impotent nation incapable of taking any action? To start with why can’t we cut all links economic, air, land and sea? If we cannot flex our military muscle we can surely flex our economic muscle. The way the Americans have responded to the 9/11 should be an eye opener for us. I don’t remember the democrats criticizing the Bush administration for gaining political mileage. We have to make our politicians accountable too. Remember this is election time. Where have the likes propagating the notion “Maratha Manoos” gone?
One more standard response is to set up a committee. By the time the committee submits its report after infinite extensions there would have been an Air attack, a cyber attack or some other form of attack which our mind cannot conceive right now. What has happened to all those GOM studies and recommendations? They must have gathered enough dust to make a dust storm or a dust attack.
We know the ground realities, how well trained we are and the level of motivation . Soldiering is a professional job whether it is the CPOs or the Defence Forces. If you treat them like daily wagers then they will act like one. It is heart wrenching to see these guys move from one extreme part of the country to another extreme part to conduct elections. We pride ourselves on being the world’s largest democracy. If elections need so much security then what sort of democracy is this?
Another interesting discussion is regarding the setting up of a Federal Investigation agency. This agency should not be a place to “cool the heels” for those elite services which have only one agenda and we know what. Lateral entries should be allowed only in case of permanent absorption. The agencies like CBI, RAW and IB should be allowed to grow on their own with little dependence on Officers on deputation, only then we can expect something tangible from them. This applies to specialized border guarding forces like BSF/ITBP/SSB also.
Our standard reaction to such disturbing events seems to be blaming our betenoir cum neighbor “PAKISTAN”. Are we such an impotent nation incapable of taking any action? To start with why can’t we cut all links economic, air, land and sea? If we cannot flex our military muscle we can surely flex our economic muscle. The way the Americans have responded to the 9/11 should be an eye opener for us. I don’t remember the democrats criticizing the Bush administration for gaining political mileage. We have to make our politicians accountable too. Remember this is election time. Where have the likes propagating the notion “Maratha Manoos” gone?
One more standard response is to set up a committee. By the time the committee submits its report after infinite extensions there would have been an Air attack, a cyber attack or some other form of attack which our mind cannot conceive right now. What has happened to all those GOM studies and recommendations? They must have gathered enough dust to make a dust storm or a dust attack.
We know the ground realities, how well trained we are and the level of motivation . Soldiering is a professional job whether it is the CPOs or the Defence Forces. If you treat them like daily wagers then they will act like one. It is heart wrenching to see these guys move from one extreme part of the country to another extreme part to conduct elections. We pride ourselves on being the world’s largest democracy. If elections need so much security then what sort of democracy is this?
Another interesting discussion is regarding the setting up of a Federal Investigation agency. This agency should not be a place to “cool the heels” for those elite services which have only one agenda and we know what. Lateral entries should be allowed only in case of permanent absorption. The agencies like CBI, RAW and IB should be allowed to grow on their own with little dependence on Officers on deputation, only then we can expect something tangible from them. This applies to specialized border guarding forces like BSF/ITBP/SSB also.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
TOLERANT INDIANS
When the idea of starting this blog was discussed we decided that we will not only restrict it to the BSF issues but will allow write-ups on any National issue. So I am taking the liberty of expressing my frustration through this blog on the recent terror strike in Mumbai.
In 1983 a movie by the name Hadsa starring Akbar Khan and Smita Patil was released. Its title song which went like this “Yeh Bambai Shahar Hadson Ka Shahar Hai” proved to be quite a rage. Who knew that twenty five years later a hadsa in the same tinsel town would shake the country and make the international community take notice too.
An attack of this magnitude in Mumbai especially can have the maximum impact from a terrorist point of view. One single incident made the largest democracy as one of the most dangerous places on earth. As an Indian it is quite embarrassing to see that in almost every index where all countries of the world are compared, we fair abysmally low. Yet we yearn for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and strive for the moon. Countries like Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland and many others do not undertake such ambitious programmes and perhaps cannot boast of Nuclear weapons and PSLVs but their citizens are well fed and secure.
With an inimical neighbor in Pakistan, the decision to go nuclear perhaps may be right but we seem to have lost our way somewhere. In the movies of the black and white era, I remember that the issues used to be hunger, corruption and poverty. In the 21st century too the issues are same, only difference being that now they are doing a greater harm. I do face the risk of being termed as cynical and a pessimist but in my assessment there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.
Corruption is so deep rooted that it is indulged in as a right. It has become a part of our culture and tradition. It always goes unpunished. Those caught do not even fear a social ostracization. As a society that’s the level we have gone to. Individually too we are extremely irresponsible. We violate traffic rules blatantly, smoke at no smoking zones, honk in hospital compounds, spit and litter on the roads, encroach on govt land and what not. As a matter of fact there are two philosophies Indians seem to follow: one, “rules are meant to be broken”, and the second, “only those who do not get the opportunity are honest”. Both reflect our inherent aversion to civilized behavior.
The question staring right into our faces and being vehemently debated in the media is whether such an incident can repeat? The unfortunate answer is yes. Although it might not be possible for any country to altogether prevent a terror strike but the kind of ferocity and frequency it is happening in India is beyond any comparison.
Unless we stop killing in the name of religion, region or language, unless as a Nation we ensure prompt delivery of justice, unless we restore the faith of the people in the rule of law, unless we improve our policing, unless we control our population and unless we take care of education and health, such incidents will keep on happening. We have to achieve these objectives before we think of bombing the hell out of Pakistan or fortifying our borders, cities, hotels further.
On paper they look as simple solutions but will perhaps need a change in the generation of Indians to make it practically possible. It will take ages to change the obdurate, dogmatic and feudal attitude of our bureaucracy. Till such time we can only perhaps blog, debate, condole, endure the grief of losing our beloved ones or become a victim ourselves. We Indians truly are so tolerant or should I say helpless.
In 1983 a movie by the name Hadsa starring Akbar Khan and Smita Patil was released. Its title song which went like this “Yeh Bambai Shahar Hadson Ka Shahar Hai” proved to be quite a rage. Who knew that twenty five years later a hadsa in the same tinsel town would shake the country and make the international community take notice too.
An attack of this magnitude in Mumbai especially can have the maximum impact from a terrorist point of view. One single incident made the largest democracy as one of the most dangerous places on earth. As an Indian it is quite embarrassing to see that in almost every index where all countries of the world are compared, we fair abysmally low. Yet we yearn for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and strive for the moon. Countries like Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland and many others do not undertake such ambitious programmes and perhaps cannot boast of Nuclear weapons and PSLVs but their citizens are well fed and secure.
With an inimical neighbor in Pakistan, the decision to go nuclear perhaps may be right but we seem to have lost our way somewhere. In the movies of the black and white era, I remember that the issues used to be hunger, corruption and poverty. In the 21st century too the issues are same, only difference being that now they are doing a greater harm. I do face the risk of being termed as cynical and a pessimist but in my assessment there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.
Corruption is so deep rooted that it is indulged in as a right. It has become a part of our culture and tradition. It always goes unpunished. Those caught do not even fear a social ostracization. As a society that’s the level we have gone to. Individually too we are extremely irresponsible. We violate traffic rules blatantly, smoke at no smoking zones, honk in hospital compounds, spit and litter on the roads, encroach on govt land and what not. As a matter of fact there are two philosophies Indians seem to follow: one, “rules are meant to be broken”, and the second, “only those who do not get the opportunity are honest”. Both reflect our inherent aversion to civilized behavior.
The question staring right into our faces and being vehemently debated in the media is whether such an incident can repeat? The unfortunate answer is yes. Although it might not be possible for any country to altogether prevent a terror strike but the kind of ferocity and frequency it is happening in India is beyond any comparison.
Unless we stop killing in the name of religion, region or language, unless as a Nation we ensure prompt delivery of justice, unless we restore the faith of the people in the rule of law, unless we improve our policing, unless we control our population and unless we take care of education and health, such incidents will keep on happening. We have to achieve these objectives before we think of bombing the hell out of Pakistan or fortifying our borders, cities, hotels further.
On paper they look as simple solutions but will perhaps need a change in the generation of Indians to make it practically possible. It will take ages to change the obdurate, dogmatic and feudal attitude of our bureaucracy. Till such time we can only perhaps blog, debate, condole, endure the grief of losing our beloved ones or become a victim ourselves. We Indians truly are so tolerant or should I say helpless.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)