Army officers set to lose batmen

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ssgoyat

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I might not be having the sligtest idea of army...(as per samartians..)...but the parliamentary standing comitte surely does have...

but here i got an intresting article in today's Times of India Newspaper..

which would make general public, so as to make more aware about my says...

After pay shock, Army officers set to lose batmen
batmen
22 Oct 2008, 0309 hrs IST, Rajat Pandit, TNN

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Army_officers_set_to_lose_batmen/articleshow/3625756.cms

NEW DELHI: Still smarting from "bureaucratic mischief" to downgrade their status in the new pay scales, here is another shocker for Army officers: th
ey may have to make do without orderlies, or sahayaks as they are now called, if MPs have their way.

The sahayak system prevalent in the 1.13-million strong Army is ‘‘a shameful practice’’, which ‘‘should have no place in Independent India’’, holds the latest report of the parliamentary standing committee on defence. In tune with what many believe is a vestige of the colonial era and an anachronism for any modern Army, especially since fresh recruits are now better educated unlike yesteryears, the committee urged the defence ministry to abolish the sahayak system with immediate effect.
Though the committee actually dwelt upon ‘‘stress management in the armed forces’’, in view of the mounting number of fragging and suicide cases in their ranks, it felt that utilising soldiers as sahayaks was also a contributory factor in raising stress levels in the lower ranks. ‘‘The committee hardly needs to stress that jawans are recruited for serving the nation and not to serve the family members of officers in household work, which is demeaning and humiliating,’’ says the report, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

This, of course, is bound to evoke howls of protest from the Army, which has 35,495 officers at present out of an authorized strength of 46,614. Its argument is that an officer gets a sahayak basically for upkeep of his uniform, weapons and other equipment, as also act as his radio operator and ‘‘buddy’’ during combat. That is certainly true. But the fact also remains that sahayaks are grossly misused by many officers, from being made to walk the dogs, taking kids to school to even washing clothes. Moreover, senior officers often have two to three sahayaks, particularly when posted outside the Army HQ in New Delhi, in blatant disregard of rules which lay down only one orderly or batman for Majors/Lt-Colonels/Brigadiors and above.

‘‘But a few black sheep should not lead to a time-tested, age-old practice being scrapped. There is no rampant misuse of sahayaks, who are combatants meant to support the officers in the discharge of their official duties,’’ said a senior Army officer.

Added another, ‘‘Strict action is taken if any misuse comes to notice in the Army. Visit a district magistrate’s house or any other IAS officer and you will see the real misuse of lower government staff.’’

That may equally be true but the parliamentary committee, during its ‘‘study visits’’ and interaction with jawans, learnt that some soldiers had even been deployed to work as sahayaks with families of officers. When the committee asked an Army officer specifically about this, he replied that the sahayak could be ‘‘attending the work at home due to reverence’’ even though he was not supposed to do it ‘‘technically’’.
 
I am no expert on this topic , neither for the IAS ones but do not know why i have a strage hunch that 20 years from now , we will be a seeing a resurgent india with norms in place!

May be i am just being too optimistic!

:)
 
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Army Jawans are basic of our defence system.They are very hardworking and do a lot of hard work.They do all the dirty work and getting very less salary.But this is part of their duty and work should be done.
But what I am seeing Army officers are using them for all their personal work.I am staying in a Society where most of army officers are staying,when they will come,they bring 4-5 soldiers with them.They will clean their houses,will carry their heavy luggages and they all do all these things in their heavy respected uniform.What a respect to the uniform.Usually all officers take undue advantage of them,officers's wife make them to do all their dirty works.This is pathetic.
Earlier before independance,Britishers were the officers and they used to treat soldiers like that.But now country is independent but this tradition is still there in army.
What I have more observed is that,first generation officers in army are gentle and they treat people with dignity.But second generation(army officers son of army officer) officers are really lacks quality of officers and they treat jawans in a very bad ways.
What i feel Rifle looks better insted of officer's family members's shoes in soldiers hand.
 
I agree with Satinder here. Many british traditions in forces need to go. It is not justified to have 4-5 domestic helps for a captain or major rank. In fact it is in their favor if Govt pay them good but no domestic helps on the expense of govt.
 
ofcourse, this practice shouldnt have been there in the first place. and it better go earliest.

I even say that even in civilian society, the word 'servant' or 'naukar' should never be used. it is a very demeaning word.
 
either the ignorance will last or the human race will.
change one day becomes a necessity and then it has to happen.
i am sure of one thing - either we will see a resurgent india or we will see india perish. one of the two will definitely happen.

anilsinghd said:
I am no expert on this topic , neither for the IAS ones but do not know why i have a strage hunch that 20 years from now , we will be a seeing a resurgent india with norms in place!

May be i am just being too optimistic!

:)
Click to expand...
 
Sahayaks are an integral part of the Indian Army's culture and tradition. The practice of allotting Sahayaks to Army officers should not be abolished outright. Instead the system need to be fixed where it is broken.

I believe that instead of getting rid of the Sahayaks, the Army needs to strictly enforce their role in an officer's household. Any officer found misusing their Sahayaks should be severely punished.

Those who say that their Sahayaks are performing various tasks out of reverence should be punished too for not being good officers. If you cannot direct your Sahayak to stick to your orders, then how can you command a platoon, a company, a regiment, a brigade, a division or even the whole Army.
 
Just to add to my last post,
It is not just Forces, where low level cadres are used as servents, but in other Govt civilian institutes this practice prevails.
One friend of mine whose father was in railways. For his father there was one Govt servent who used to tie his shoe laces. First when he told me this, I asked him to repeat what he just said, as I thought he meant to say something else. But shokcked when he rephrased that his father would sit in chair and another person would bring the polished shoes and sit down and tie the knot. I would not be surprised if this or similar things are happening in our forces. But certainly I would not like our soldiers to do this. I am this tradition have support of very few even in forces, just the high ranking officers.
 
A military machine is not a democratic system.

If one joins as a Jawan, It goes with the territory, that the person will be expected to serve as an orderly, performing the menial tasks that are required, there is no escaping it.

In all military systems, this happens, and it is deluding ourselves that it will stop anytime soon.

The Jawan or the lowly conscript will be exploited.

That said, officers will not command the respect of their men, if they exploit them and if they do not, morale will be low, and we will have a weak and ineffective force.

It is to the credit of our Indian military system, that such exploitation is rare, and which is why there is so much regimental spirit and a sense of a brother hood at arms.

Will there be some undue exploitation by officers, using the ranks to serve their personal needs, be it menial tasks around the house. Of course there will be, but I will suggest that our military is by and large very responsible, and this will be kept to a minimum, and those who exploit the situation will get pulled up and censured for it.

Similarly officers have to also pay their dues they join at low ranks, and are gradually put through an initiation process that gives them the opportunities to develop their leadership and command skills,. Do all succeed, no they do not. Most are average, but those who rise are generally very competent.

Do some get by, with smooth talking, Yes they do. Witness the Indian Army from 1947 to 1962. A vast officer corp. saw it as their legitimate right, to take on the perquisites of the leaving British colonial officers, and we saw the result- a debacle in NEFA, with the mighty 4th Indian division melted away,the commanding officer deserted, without firing a shot.

Since then we have seen, vast changes, and our armed forces have stood the test of time.

We should do well to keep that in mind,

This recent uproar in parliament, is yet another case of arm chair babus, bringing down the morale of our men and ladies in arms.

IF there was a flare up tomorrow, you will see the same politicians lining up at New Delhi Station to serve tea to these same military personnel, they decry and abuse today.

None of those who complained, have ever seen as shot fired in anger, and thanks to our men and women who serve, hopefully never will.


Suggestion: take it easy.


The future:

As our population becomes more and more educated, it will and it already is becoming more and more difficult to recruit people to the armed forces. The traditional areas- jats, etc from Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana, UP, are not joining the forces. It is no longer a matter of pride, and a calling, a tradition to be upheld. Other economic opportunities beckon.

They are being replaced by those who value the trade.

In airmen ranks, for example, most people applying come from Bihar or South India. Hardly the traditional recruiting grounds one would expect.

As the feudal legacy of our past is dying, we will see a more egalitarian armed forces evolve, more representative of our population to come, a population educated, more like that in the Western countries.

Until that happened, expect these feudal traditions to continue.



Ravi Chaudhary
 
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