|
STATE OF ARMED FORCES
Increasing 'yes' men around !Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi This article is on a
fairly serious yet
current subject,
as veterans like
me have
observed a
tendency amongst military
officers of drifting away from
that famous phrase 'Courage
of Conviction' that was
drummed in to us from the
first days of our joining the
military training academies.
Even in other fields of endeavour, its importance is no less, yet nearly all civil government employees have been and are 'Yes Men/Women'. The main reason is that when the governing hierarchy holds loyalty higher than professional competence; sycophancy flourishes and the nation suffers. What the highly respected Field Marshal had stated was again highlighted by yet another Army Chief, General K Sunderji on assuming General K Sunderji command of the I n d i a n Army on 0 1 F e b r u a r y 1986, in his famous p e r s o n a l letter to all officers of the Indian Army, wherein he had minced no words when he said: "As a whole, the Corps of Officers is becoming increasingly careerist, opportunist and sycophantic; Standards of integrity have fallen and honour and patriotism are becoming unfashionable. " Till about two decades
back, the military (by and
large), had adhered to the
advice of these great
commanders and had
displayed excellent
leadership qualities. In the 1940's, the struggle for Independence was at its peak. In Punjab, there were many firebrands, especially among the youth. Every day, there were sloganshouting processions, against the British Raj. The then Governor of Punjab had a game leg, so he was promptly nick-named "Tunda Laat". So, when someone cautioned a firebrand not to say or act violently against the government, the person's reply was "Parwah Nahin Tunde Laat Di", or I could not care less even about the lame Governor! With this as the
background, let me revert to
"Good Man the Laltaen". The
basis for the phrase was that
there was indeed a good
quality lantern in the market,
sold under the brand
'Goodman's Lanterns'. So,
Goodman's Lanterns became
'Good Man Di Laltaen'!
The phrase was soon picked
up by Army Officers and often
used as a pat on the back for
junior officers, while the
Hindustani word 'Shabash'
(Good Show) was used for
JCO's and Jawans.
Many years later, another
line was added to it, more like
a humorous riposte: "And Bad
Man Da Diva", although it was
rarely used in the army. It is unfortunate and I dare say highly dangerous from the security point of view that the 'Yes' syndrome has now crept in to the military. The new phrases in the military are "Yes Man Di Laltaen" and "No Man Da Diva"! Consequently, the armed forces are also veering away from the straight and narrow path of leaders with character. This is in stark contrast to the much ingrained ethos of the armed forces, when exemplary character was the hallmark of military Leadership. In earlier times, a 'Yes Man', was not only shunned but was made to suffer the ignominy of isolation and little social contact. Unfortunately, spinelessness has resulted in more 'yes men/women' surfacing. While correct orders are never questioned, especially in the army, the army permits the questioning of wrong or unlawful orders. It is a great pity that the military hierarchy is succumbing to 'chamchagiri' that was the preserve of most civil officials. The fallout is that even unlawful commands are answered by 'yes sir' and 'will be done sir'! This rot needs to be curbed ruthlessly as it is against the ethos of the armed forces. I can recall many instances of the past when firstly a senior officer hesitated to give an unlawful or even a wrong order to his subordinates; and secondly, the officer receiving such an order displayed 'courage of conviction' by going back to his senior, advising him that the order was wrong and requesting that it be changed. The armed forces especially and even others, need to revert back to "Good Man Di Laltaen" from the current "Yes Man Di Laltaen, which unfortunately we see more and more, while the junior leaders look askance and curse under their breath! Our young officers on commissioning are full of pep and most start their adventurous career in the forces on a high note, but as they rise in service and rank, they start losing respect for those seniors who display the 'Yes Man' syndrome. Resultantly, when they become senior officers, many sadly join the ranks of the "Yes Man Di Laltaen". Our senior military leaders need to re-learn the importance of character and professional competence. They must not be mere 'Yes Men' and revert to the basics of soldiering, which is not just professional competence, but also the highest level of personal integrity and belief in themselves; the personnel they command; and the 'Izzat ' of their units, formations and the armed forces. A great army with an enviable record must change and regain its lost high levels of Leadership and Character qualities. |