Guest Post: Expectations on Compensation and Status
[This is a guest post by Commander M S Prakash NM (Retired). His qualifications include MSc (Madras), MBA (Schulich), MPhil (Hong Kong) and he is currently a PhD Candidate at University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. I received this post, originally published as a message on a military forum, from half a dozen service officers with a request to publish it. Prakash has consented to post it here and I am sure he will take on the comments as well.]
I retired from the Navy in 2000 after 20 years of service. I recall the days when I eagerly awaited the 5th Pay Commission report and felt the same sense of disappointment that most members felt with the 6th Pay Commission last week. Perhaps senior veterans who served through the earlier pay commissions too must have felt the same way. Now that these pay commissions make no difference to me, I look at their reports as a civilian and feel that the country should concentrate on areas such as education, health and infrastructure rather than on its military.
I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work, travel and study after my retirement from the Navy. When I now take an impartial look at a career in the armed forces, I realize that we in the services get trapped in our thinking, like the proverbial `frogs in the well’. Many of us have a limited or even distorted view of the world outside the services.
We tend to compare ourselves with IAS and other services. Whether we like it or not, there is no denying that the IAS is an elite service. If we liked the IAS so much, what prevented us from joining it? Let’s accept that we took up a career in the armed forces, simply because this was the best option available to us when we joined. Let us graciously concede that the IAS or for that matter the IPS are far difficult to get in, compared to the armed forces and those guys are justified in enjoying their privileges.
Unfortunately, we start off right from the Academies with the mistaken notion that we are somehow superior to the `bloody civilians’ and that we can do everything better than them. This feeling gets intense as we mature as `frogs’; we become bitter and complain that the `babus’ are out to enslave us. If we can get out of this trap, it will help us to think rational. The services would be better off by recognizing that in a democracy, the people, the government and the civil service have the ultimate say in governance and should always take precedence over the Armed Forces, including in times of war.
It is a fact of life that promotions are restricted in the Armed Forces. We knew this when we voluntarily decided to take up a career in the Armed Forces. Once we are in, we complain that we are denied promotions. We seek cadre reviews and accelerated promotions, thus upsetting the organization structure and diluting the ranks. We in India are more fixated about ranks and promotions when compared with other Armed Forces, such as in US or UK where people take more pride in their professionalism rather than on the stars or stripes on their shoulders. Perhaps our training Academies have failed in giving the right perspectives to our officers.
Ours is a poor country and there is a limit to what it can pay its armed forces. We simply can not demand parity with the industry or the top rungs of the civil service. It may be possible if a country’s armed forces are small, but certainly not for India with its 1.5 million strong armed forces. While we may say that we risk our lives in carrying out our duties and hence should be compensated adequately, we should also remember that by the same token, no amount of compensation would be enough for a life or a limb.
We crib about the steady erosion in our `status’ in the order of precedence. Does it really matter? The respect that an officer commands is not based on where he figures on the warrant of precedence, but on where he stands in the eyes of the citizens.
Take a look at our neighbor where the `brass’ keeps the `babus’ under their boots, but what do the citizens think of them? There the military occupies many top civilian chairs as well, but they are no better than the civilians or perhaps even worse in most cases.
To cut the long story short, my dear serving brother officers, if you are not happy with your job, quit it and try for something better. There is no way you can realize your dreams of high pay and status by being in the armed forces of a functional democracy. If you think you cant get anything better, stop complaining and prepare yourself to enjoy the `rape’. More than anything else, stop being a frog in the well and experience the world. Increased awareness of the outside world will help you. Even if it is too late to help you, it will surely help your children.
Personally, I loved my time in the Navy. Some times I miss the Navy, but I am also glad that I am out of it, because it gave me an opportunity to learn and experience life outside, while the age is still on my side. I left it while the going was good and look back at my service fondly and often thank the service for what it gave me, not in terms of money but as a rich learning experience and transferable skills.
Thank you very much for your great insight into the plight of your serving brothers -in -arms..! Which such clarity of thought and such rational justification of the compultions of the govt , one wonders why a officer like you ever quit , because this is exactly the same bull shit that one hears from every mouth in the so called Top Brass.And if ever there is defender of the civil services , it is you…
And about the quitting , well , there are people who have gone upto the Supreme Court , trying to leave the “job” with some dignity intact , and have failed . They continue to serve against their wishes, up untill the President so pleases . Why dont you just state the obvious , which is that u are glad and lucky you got out in the nick of time , rather than taking a high moral ground sitting on your plush sofa at home and degrading the very people you once worked with as second best and not good enough , you Naval Dope !
View points change if you change your viewing point. A pathetic testimony of an ex serviceman.
The article shows that you really have what it takes to rise in the system…take the best out of it and then dump it / rubbish your subordinates.
Howcome you had such a ‘rich learning experience’ and yet remained nothing but a ‘frog’??
Im glad you are no longer serving
I am shocked at this exposition by Cdr prakash. I am also amazed that Pragmatic thought it fit to publish it as a guest column. It shows the person what he was in the Navy and the collateral damage. What type of leadership he would have given to the sailors with such low self esteem. All the degrees of the world cannot take away the sins committed by this officer on a splendid service like Navy.
I am in IT industry and people here are looking forward to defence personnel to show them leadership in operations. This is the truth and fact.The respect is immense.We need to channelise
When there is enemy with in why to look for foes outside?
My dear friends Navy has wonderful people and do not have paint Navy bad because of such Goebbelian untruths.
@ cdr prakash
“Let’s accept that we took up a career in the armed forces, simply because this was the best option available to us when we joined.”
Im sure you did!! in fact the only option. No wonder you harbour such thoughts. i re-read your post and it seems to me that you are a terribly complexed personality….please refrain from identifying yourself as an ex serviceman, it puts serving personnel to shame.
@pragmatic
i am terribly sorry for being impolite. but for all my cribs i have a lot of loyalty to the service. Cdr Prakash’s post is really not in the right vein. Facts yes but skewed opinions …NO. Just because he had happened to serve in the Navy grants him no credibility. He remained, as per his own confessions, a ‘ frog’. Very distasteful indeed.
Folks, you better keep thinking only about Armed Forces. If you can’t, watch ‘Border’, ‘Hindustan ke Kasam’, LoC – Kargil, etc. So what, that the last war was fought during 1971 and the world realises that if a country like US has been sucked due to full fledged war, developing countries cannot even dream about it. (Sarcastic me).
Moral of the story – Try to feel the pains of millions who sleep without food, without shelter, etc. Try to analyse that India being an agrarian society, is not being able to provide a square meal to more than 50% of its population. The infrastructure even in metros is far from satisfactory. No drastic improvements have occurred in the literacy levels of the masses in the last couple of decades. So many people keep dying everyday due to dreadful diseases and their folks dismiss them as ‘Baghwan ka prakop’!
‘Holy cows’, be sure to put on your ear plugs so that you hear no evil and blindfold so that you see no evil. Keep munching grass, non stop, so that you talk no evil! (Sarcastic me).
Moral of the story – One fine day after you hang your uniform you realise….oh heck! I served in India, how the hell have I retired in Greece!
“If we liked the IAS so much, what prevented us from joining it? Let’s accept that we took up a career in the armed forces, simply because this was the best option available to us when we joined.”
Who says that I am inferior? Well I cracked the NDA! I could have been an IAS officer! (Sarcastic me).
Moral of the story – Who told you not to? If you are what you are, then it is your personal choice that too after family deliberations (including the fact that the Armed Forces did not advertise what is in store for you once you join)! If you still feel that Armed Forces are at par or better than the IAS; prove it by defeating them at their own game! Ensure that they sign what we want them to sign!
I set my foot on the pious soils of Pune and report to the NDA reception at the railway station. I approach with a query in a casual manner (being from civilian background). The first statement of the drill ustad is…yeh cadet…tum ab civilian nahi ho! It continued till the time I was conditioned to think that I am from Mars and rest of the civilians are from Venus (Sarcastic me).
Moral of the story – Total disconnect with mainstream India! Today neither we know much about civilians nor do they know anything about us…..and you expect that they will hire you at top management level without even being aware of what you all are capable of?
Rightsizing; anyone? (Sarcastic me)
Moral of the story – If we want to compare ourselves with IAS/ IPS/ etc, then we also need to compare their intake versus ours.
I can write a thesis on the subject, but will leave it for pragmatic to do so!
Commander MS Prakash…..People with revolutionary thinking often face resistance! Sooner or later they emerge victorious! My best wishes to you!
Special thanks to pragmatic who had the courage to post such message!
@trusty:
I got this post last night and since then from different sources many times over with requests to post it anonymously. I posted it on the condition that it had to have the name of the author.
His views, though radical and harsh to many ears, have lots of merit. They aren’t much different from what Jaswant Singh says in his autobiography. The text might be different, but the sub-text is similar.
http://pragmatic.nationalinterest.in/2007/12/11/jaswant-singh-indian-army-better-awaken-to-reality/
If you and others are willing to take him on his ideas and not base it on personal attacks, you can shift the debate in your favour. To castigate him and to take this as an attack on personal and communal honour doesn’t do much good.
It is more about taking an intellectual position and accepting that there are more views than one can ever imagine. In this respect, you might like to check out the speech by Dave Petraeus on my post here. Request you to download the mp3 from the link and hear it in full.
http://pragmatic.nationalinterest.in/2007/12/24/the-soldier-and-the-scholar/
The second reason civilian grad school is so beneficial for those in uniform flows directly from living outside the cloister. Through such schooling our officers are often surprised to discover just how diverse and divergent views can be.
The sixth way grad school produces better military officers is that it typically imparts a degree of intellectual humility—not at all a bad quality in those who may be charged in the future with some very weighty responsibilities.
@Contrarian:
Contrarian– An investor who deliberately decides to go against the prevailing wisdom of other investors.
Opinions are like A——–, everybody has one. But as Uniformed personnel we have to protect him/her even if we disagree vehemently with him/her. The naval commander is expressing his views and many others express their views but nobody is wrong. It is just that; the point of observation, way of looking at things, the perspective and most importantly the experiences are different. He considred himself or rather he really was inferior to various other professions including the IAS/IPS. Most of us do not. He was or rather is still convinced that he is a frog but it is upto him to decide what he thinks of himself and should not generalise his views and statements. What everybody has to understand is this blog is for the primary objective of ‘Right to Quit’, rest all is a smokescreen.
[1] Don’t see The Reason Why*
Views – informed, intelligent, intellectual divergent, diverse if permitted in the military, untramelled, reduce the S/N ratio.
Also against AA Sec 63 or its American street policing equivalent – the Disorderly conduct stuff.
[2] Best to conform whilst in mil. service, use the work experience and move up or – out if constraints chafe. Or a leap of faith and outa the well – as it is tail (with tale to tell) less amphibians are flexibly equipped for mode changes. Kya chinta hai bhai ?
[3] Critical stuff later about the style of the Post Master General or QMG is okay if it helps the public get better service from the mail or military. Can also crib about the very distinguished brass on the Boards of NBFC’s which looted and scooted ?
*Was reading the book by CW Smith. (pub 1957, Readers Union, Constable London ) Cardigan’s style is nice; A quote from page 66 – 67:
About the Black Bottle etc etc
‘ Lord Cardigan unquestionably possessed certain qualities of efficiency; indeed his contemporaries agreed he would have made an excellent sergeant major.’
Two fascinating pages about the Captain he arrested for ‘bad form’ in the officers mess
- for drinking port instead of champagne.
Tiring to type it out – can send a .jpg if anyone interested.
Thank you all for your responses to my post. Your responses, including those which attempted personal insults instead of logical counter-opinions, show how important compensation and status are to this community.
To read my post in the right perspective, please understand that it was made in another forum, exclusively meant for the armed forces community. It was in response to a very large number of posts from officers, expressing severe disappointment at SPC report and decrying loss of status vis- a- vis the IAS and that the ‘babus’ have again denied the services of their fair share. It was meant for introspection of our own community. It was not meant to be used by the ‘civilians’ or ‘babus’ to be used as a stick to beat our community with! The points I was trying to make are:
a) A career in the armed forces is more of a calling, rather than a life long ride on a gravy train.
b) No amount of money can be an adequte compensation for a life or a limb.
c) Get rid of the idea that we in the services are superior to the ‘civilians’ in everything.
d) Accept the limitations that services have in assuring promotions to everyone.
e) Those who are not happy in the services should look for happiness outside the services.
f) Those who don’t want to leave, stop whining and accept the reality.
At no time did I state or imply that we should not be adequately compensated. I also did not imply that the services are inferior or that we should not ask for just compensation or better service conditions. What was implied is that we should rationalise our demands, based on the constraints that services have in assuring promotions and India’s limited resources.
Unfortunately none of the responses have any valid or direct reference to the points I made, except a general expression of resentment. Still, I will try to respond to them as best I can:
@Lebroy
Neither did I defend the civil service nor did I state that the services should hold on to those who want to leave. I agree with that those who want to leave don’t have to fight their way out. The services should release those who want to exit.
@Trusty
You are absolutely right that ‘view points change when you change your viewing point’. Please do that!
Yes, I joined the services because I thought it was the best option for me. I stand by that. If you are implying that you joined the services even though you could have joined IAS /IPS or another super duper job, my hats off to you. Well done!
Thank you for reminding me that I am still a ‘Frog’. Its just that my ‘well’ has become a little bigger after leaving the service. You are a better judge of how big your own well is; I only hope its not as small as a ‘lota’ (a tumbler) or a ‘balti’ (a bucket), as it appears.
@sk4
You talk of of Gobbelsian untruths, but dont say what they are!
As regards to your innuendo about my service and your experience in IT industry, I would remind you that my post is not about my personality, but is about my opinion on compensation and status. You seem to be rathter confused. Still, to put your doubts to rest, let me assure you that I served very well, not only in the Navy but also in the very IT industry you were talking about, at a fairly senior level. Now, if you want to leave the IT industry because I served in it once up on a time, its your call!
@ Contrarian
That was fun reading and thought provoking. Thank you.
@PS
I am still thinking.
Best Regards,
Prakash
The Commander has provided a lot of food for thought. It is pertinent to reflect on the many threads of his post. Many of us would have interacted with IAS officers. Personally speaking, I would rate the average IAS officer as well endowed in knowledge, possessing well rounded knowledge of issues which are significant and keen intellect. Comparisons are odious and are matters of perspective but what counts is the environment provided to a youngster by the Armed Forces, which is totally sequestered – to say the least. For example, there are many officers who take the 6 month resettlement course route for PMR and are still seeking suitable placements. Granted that they have given the best years to the uniform, yet they are found inadequate by the Corporates. Prospective employers come to the Institutes knowing fully well that the officers have a different work experience, are keen to employ them but they also do expect a lot more, namely, awareness of the Firm that is seeking to offer employment, the general awareness of the happenings in the industry etc. Sadly many fail the test. The reasons could be that the officers did not put in some effort in keeping themselves updated, expand the knowledge horizon and be well read. Perhaps, this would be in agreement with the ‘frogs in the well’ remark. How many officers can sincerely say that enhancing domain knowledge in some field has been a priority for them? Lack of time, opportunity can be the well worn excuses but tested against the requirements of the industry would not wash. Blaming the Service won’t do. We need to seek answers within ourselves. Perhaps that would be the first positive step towards understanding and acceptance of reality.
@Cdr Prakash
a) A career in the armed forces is more of a calling, rather than a life long ride on a gravy train.
b) No amount of money can be an adequte compensation for a life or a limb.
c) Get rid of the idea that we in the services are superior to the ‘civilians’ in everything.
d) Accept the limitations that services have in assuring promotions to everyone.
e) Those who are not happy in the services should look for happiness outside the services.
f) Those who don’t want to leave, stop whining and accept the reality.
I dont thimk many would be contesting your opinions put in this manner. Please compare it with you initial post and then you will realise why you got responses that you have.
About superiority over the civillians…I think too much is being made out of it. The ‘civillian’ term may have been used in the academies for things such as drill, punctuality etc etc. I havent seen too many carry it forward with them beyond that. If you have been following this blog… the clamour is only for equality with the civil services not superiority.
You assume my size of ‘lota’, but my friend I was never a frog.
@Cdr Prakash
Those who are not happy in the services should look for happiness outside the services.
This is another point which is being discussed. the exit policies are not in place. You got out when you wanted to ..so good for you. But there are scores who are struggling.
An obsn:
[1] Post 1947 some short / wartime commission officers were given the option to join the ICS or IAS ( whatever ) or go regular into the Services. Quite a few turned up their noses at becoming civilian ‘babus’. Some later retired as Admirals / Generals.
[2] Recently, I met an 85 year old retd IAS officer ( to help him get some disability eqpt.) His son was also IAS ( this latter gent resigned on principle afer a clash with politicians – well known person, now runs an NGO for street children and riot victims. ) What was intriguing is that the 85 year gent’s business card had a Jat Regiment badge; seems he had served in the Regiment till 1951 and then joined the babucracy for 30 years, but for him his old Regiment was all that still mattered.
@ Pragmatic
I have changed my id so that incorrect personality traits are not conveyed. Also took inspiration from KKta KKpoor!
@ All sharp shooters
Shoot the message and not the messenger (copyright @ pragmatic). Blogs are not meant for personal attacks, but for attacking the POV, if any, point wise.
Try visiting Pragmatic @ IEB. If you can make 50% sense of his posts there, then you are in a larger well. Unfortunately I could make sense only out of ‘defence pensions – a worrying sign. I am definitely in a much smaller well…lota?
@ Cdr Prakash
PS is an intellectual. It takes some time to understand his, in between the lines/ words/ alphabets remarks. Be rest assured, he supports your POV.
@KKontrarian:
All’s well that ends (in a) well. Are you politely telling me to keep off military matters and go back to the Indian Economy Blog? I know that I haven’t posted there for some time.
This is for you from one of my posts at IEB–
…two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of ‘em says, “Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.” The other one says, “Yeah, I know; and such small portions.”– Woody Allen
@ Pragmatic
Keep posting at both the places. Do post some basic lessons on economics for the benefit of lesser mortals like me!
interesting and thought provoking! the initial piece and the many responses! We really need to look within.. the Armed forces of India is undoubtedly a remarkable institution, amazing institutional structures, and a learning environment.which is constantly trained to execute.. that says a lot in this country of very “competent” civil servants … what they lack is not inherent ability but institutional structures which arent there or dont work.. they is also the ‘tyranny of the status quo’ which reduces smart bright ones who join the IAS and the IPs to mere puppets of the system.. but the Cdr has some very pertinent observations …. i loved the Army form the first day in NDA to the 27th year .. after higher commmand moved to Delhi and the South Block .. was deeply disappointed … didnt say a word .. just quietly quit … if I think I can do better with my life …. in which ever way .. its better to move on and try rather than demean the wonderful system which made me .. and most of us ..what ever we are ….
@Colonel Gopal Karunakaran:
Thanks for visiting and the comment. Remember seeing a story about you on NDTV a few days ago.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080044436
You were part of a core team handling crucial promotions and postings in the Army headquarters. A bright future lay ahead for him as a Brigadier and then possibly as a General.
I am quite intrigued by your comment– just quietly quit … if I think I can do better with my life …. in which ever way .. its better to move on
Not even a thought of trying to make a difference or seek reform… Simply move on!
But then why is a similar option “to quietly quit” and “simply move on” not available to many others, especially younger officers, in the army and the IAF. They might be also wanting to “do better” with their lives. They would not “demean the wonderful system” with acerbic comments on this blog and other public forums.
I am certain you can certainly throw more light on the subject with your first hand experiences in Delhi.
@All
What is all about this comparisons between IAS OFFICERS and ARMY OFFICERS?
Can you compare a Driver’s job with a cook’s job?Both have got their different values,and both need diff.expertise.
IAS OFFICER’S job demand an expanded knowledge on current affairs and general awareness.At the otherhand a army officer’s responsibility is diff.Can an IAS officer solve technical and applicational queries of the guns and tanks?Does he know how to hold an AK-47?
‘Being a frog in the well’ is a personal choice.Nobody is going to agree that all the new-generation army officers are frogs in the small well.Can’t say much about the older generation(less interaction).Now when the media of television is with us,I think knowledge is spreading everywhere in the same proportion.You ask a kid about current affairs and he can give you a complex by telling more than expected.
hi folks.. most of us blogging here are either serving, or retired [ voluntarily & otherwise] and few others who are closely associated with the forces.. let me at the first instance request not to let each other down, succumbing to emotions..lets face the fact that in the past 6- 8 yrs most officers who have quit are the ones who have got very high to moderately high salaries in the civil. those of us who have not been able to find suitable jobs have been waiting for the pay commission.. now that the pay commission has not matched our expectations , the increase in frustration levels and also the comparisons with the IAS and IPS. Had the pay commission given at least another 20% net up., most of us would not have even bothered to find out about the issues relating to status .Had this happened many offrs including gopal [kk] as he is known to some in the army ,would have at least for a moment thought it foolish to have left the forces prematurely. Cdr Prakash is well justified in saying that we must not compare ourselves with the Babus as the intake criteria as well as the job content differs drastically. however the positives is that the babus know for sure that the army offrs are no frogs in wells any more and the government too in my opinion has no option but to hike the pay of defence pers by another 20-25% from the existing recommendations .so lets maintain pragmatism on Mr pragmatics site and pardon the ones who have ditched the ship for greener islands and continue to maintain that we are an elite force who WILL get a better deal. cheers.
quite a while for a response to my comments and the comments of Pragmatic..!!!
Winston Churchill said Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains.
What you can reform is when you are 20-30 … old people can’t change a thing … except their clothes …. even that is not a pretty sight.
I cant change a thing, at 48 , not in any case after seeing south block … i have no delusions …. I have done my bit … every rank in the valley incl comd . no feeling of guilt either … there are better men out there … no feeling of superiority either
Its a personal challenge to move on … touch lives through education before I pass on …nothing more. thanx for the question too.Gopal
@gopal..Its a personal challenge to move on.
hi. gopal.. glad you are doing your bit for the org on tv..but the irony still stands out. The time when ‘mistreating the military” was being telecast, harbajan was handed a 11 match ban,.The channel quickly wound up the pgme and switched on to the cricket coverage., truely it was mistreating the military..We know what makes news in india. cheers..
Cdr Prakash : For all your soft language, you have displayed immensely jaundiced opinions masquerading as facts.
Fact : All cadet academies do promote a feeling of superiority over the “civilians”.
Unstated fact : Go to the IIT, the first thing the students get is a taste of the Brand IIT, the feeling of being special. Ditto IAS. Ditto any place that seeks to inculcate bonding. Go to any squadron in NDA and see, the major push is about being the best squadron, different from others. This kind of talk is merely to create a bonding and is common the world over. To say that it skews the later perceptionsand make us rude/condescending towards civilians is YOUR opinion: where is the FACT in it ? Every regt in the Army has its own special “traditions” etc … does it make the Army a divided house ? Being proud of what you are is no way offensive.
Fact : It is far tougher to get in the IAS etc than the NDA.
Unstated Fact : Let us be clear – the equivalence of structure was based on a certain norm. To change the norm AFTER people have joined is unethical. I have a counter q : why didn’t the IAS et al join NDA after 11th if they felt the Services were being placed at a unnecessarily high eqv rank ? To trash people saying that they joined the NDA cos they were not good enough is IMMENSELY insulting. Today, 20 years after I joined, you are removing the structure PROMISED while joining.
Fact : You’re ignoring the job security.
Unstated fact : Every other Govt servant has SECURITY while he WANTS it, and FREEDOM to resign when he feels he can earn better outside. It is the SERVICES that do NOT let officers leave, despite grovelling and demeaningly submissive applications begging to be let off AFTER 20 YEARS of service.
Fact : You are ignoring market realities: that outside people are in demand by the companies and therefore they get paid.
Unstated fact: The GOVT is ignoring simple economic reality : that it is not paying enough and that is why people want to leave, not in bits and spurts, but in their HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS.
Fact : The Services want more pay.
Unstated fact : Nobody ever joined the Services thinking they’d grow rich. A certain way of life, a certain dignity, a certain status : these were what were promised. And still are. Today, please, please walk into any Service accomodation in Delhi. The walls with cracks and seepage in them, the dingy houses, people with 20 years of service staying in 2 rooms + kitchen houses with 2 kids. And I am NOT talking of 2 bedrooms : I am sayin 2 ROOMS and trunks piled up. AFTER waiting for more than 9 months for this. By the time you get a A type house in Delhi as a Commander in the Navy (Rusted and dingy, no garage if you have a balcony, and such joys) for example, it is transfer time.The standing joke is that the PCT list (trg list) is drawn from the accommodation roster; the moment you get a house you are out. Back to a chawl in Mumbai, likely.
Today, unless your wife works, you are unable to lead even a middle class life on a Service officer’s pay. This pinches. Hurts. Badly. Because we were MISLED while joining. And are not being allowed to make good our loss by being allowed to leave either.
There are a lot of problems in the Services: incompetence at the mid level, lack of vision at the top, an antiquated HR policy, a lack of committment at all levels … and not all of them have outside causes. I would say, in fact, that a lot of them don’t have anything to do with pay either. The Services have a lot to do to put their house in order.
But to say that we’re living in a “koi hai” attitude with sahayaks fawning over us is gross, gross injustice. The worst is your “get out if you don’t like it” statement when you KNOW, and going by this blog, even most of the civilian readers know, that it is a FALSE statement. I seethe as I write this, and wish it were otherwise, but I cannot write any more coherently out of sheer rage and frustration. I am thankfully sure of one thing : no serving naval officer would be fooled. For you to be able to leave at 20 when people are still banging their heads against a wall in the navy begging to be let out shows that you would have been the soft spoken mealymouther who always had the assuring pat of a senior officer to have your way, whether in the Navy or in leaving it.
Cdr Prakash in Davy Jones locker?
After spending a year plus in Delhi and interacting closely with the IAS babus I have revised my opinions. The IAS/IFS officers are a lot more smarter, knowledgeable and decisive than our senior officers.
They are also less/not corrupt. The selfish behaviour of some of the senior military officers is sickening. Unfortunately, I cannot comment in detail and would not like to do so in a public domain. In disgust, I have recently put up my papers.
P.S: Fortunately I have the background to do well outside.
dear cdr prakash,
nice to read your views. but please confirm you are the same friend i have known since our days together at Maitri station in Antarctica. my mail i.d. is mukherjeesharad@rediffmail.com kindly contact. it will be a pleasure.
best regards
mukerji
@Davy Jones
You seem to have read my post through a tainted prism. Its quite obvious that you would never be able to read my post without prejudice.
You admit to seeting in rage to a point of incoherence as you wrote your response. Why rage? Cant you accept differing views? mmm.. I wonder if that is really an appropriate trait of an ‘Officer and Gentleman’!!!
@S Mukerji
Yes, I am the same person you knew in Antarctica.Its great to hear from you!
Dear Gopal Sir,
I am raj, and a kumaoni specially Fierce fifth please reply to me at rajkatoch@gmail.com I ahve tried to contact you and Dixit Sir but no reply. I am presently in Canada.
@Pragmatic
GOOD LOST AND FOUND SITE.
THIS IS A MUCH BETTER USE OF THIS BLOG.
CONVERT NOW AND REAP THE BENEFITS OF MORE HITS.
EARN SOME MORE BY SPREADING HAPPINESS.
Dear Racer,
I am sure you are a service officer, which I can make out easily from your comments. Before you ask me who I am, I am an SF offr and have seen it all, certainly more than you. This is my first comment here.
I have been a regular reader of Prag’s blog <6 months or so now> and even though I disagree with many of his views, I find it appalling that service officers like you have completely lost it here. There is a certain decorum and decency of being a service officer, which I am extremely sorry to say, you do not seem to possess. Maybe, you perceive immunity because you comment under a pseudonym and thus do not mind going over the top or hitting below the belt.
May I request you to refrain from commenting here, as many other visitors will form an extremely poor opinion of the service community as a whole because of your indiscretions. It is the reputation of the larger community that is being tarnished by your reckless comments. This is only a humble request from a comrade-in-arms and you may or may not agree to it.
Regards.
JM
@JM
Well said.
Goody two shoes.
Doesnt work that way.
SF – Good.
But guess what – you are wrong on two counts. mak it three.
@ Cdr Prakash and others
Reading your views, I was taken back several decades, to the day when as a youngster in School I met a senior who was about to pass out of Military Academy. He showed me photos of him with an SLR (didn’t know it was DP then), in starched dungarees on a hill top (akin to the Kargil ones on billboards now). I got hooked. This was what I wanted to be!
I had an option then – I had seats in several prestigious Engg Colleges on offer and IIT / Civil Services was something I had not tried then but was confident of cracking later. I had made it to the Mil Academy too though it was something never on the radar screen till this life changing moment.
As happens with young men, adrenalin overruled logic, and there I was frontrolling and crawling my way to future dreams. I admit that I have learnt a lot in this organisation and life has been reasonably fulfilling up until now, but increasingly stagnant. Those old dreams faded long back as I matured and reality dawned.
Points I wish to make:-
1. The Services try to catch them young from an age of 17 years (NDA etc) or so when options have not really crystallised. These young lads are likely to be swayed by adrenalin rather then by the cold logic which we fuzzy oldies are now so adept at. Would you not call the glitzy media campaigns (Do You Have it in You etc etc) as a GOVT APPROVED propaganda to lure unsuspecting adolescents? Did you have it in you at age 17 to read the fine print and try to figure out the terms of service and paybands? The only sense I had then was to stop eating dinner till my mom succumbed and said “Go if you want to”.
2. Once the illusions are over – there is no way out. You are trapped. All the points you make are logical and valid and all we need is a credible exit ploicy. Most of us wouldn’t really want pay commission doles or charity – just the option to quit. Allow us the liberty to fight our battles on our own merit. Is that not one of the basic tenets of a democratic nation?
3. If people are not allowed to quit (beacuse of deficiency in manpower and perception), then you put the person between a rock and a hard place – you get acrimony. Its like bonded labour struggling to escape. Its then their undeniable right to protest and demand compensation.
4. Are we so grossly incorrect if we try to equate ourselves to the Civil Services?
5. Were we fools to have fallen to a rare urge? Is that urge also foolish?