Defence minister A K Antony on Saturday expressed concern over the repeated incidents of standoffs between jawans and Army officers in recent days.
This was the first public acknowledgement of the growing worry over fraying of the officer-jawan ties in the world’s second largest standing army, and came on a day when the defence minister brainstormed — for the second time in three days — the incidents with the Army chief General Bikram Singh.
There have been at least three incidents of standoff between Army officers and jawans in recent months. The latest was at Samba in Jammu and Kashmir, where a tense face-off went on for hours between the jawans and the officers of 16 Cavalry after a jawan committed suicide on Wednesday. In May, a violent incident took place between the officers and the jawans of 226 artillery regiment in Ladakh, while in June last year there was a similar incident in the 45 Cavalry unit in Punjab.
“Each incident is a matter of concern to me but armed forces are better trained to handle such situations. They are handling it in their own way. Today also I had a brief discussion with the Army chief and they are handling it,” Antony said.
While the government is not particularly alarmed by the incidents, there is concern at the highest levels that such issues do not become a trend in the Army. A senior official said that efforts are on to improve welfare and dignity of soldiers as part of the larger goal to modernize the Army.
Asked about suicides in the Army, the defence minister said, “Compared to the past, the number of suicides and fratricides in armed forces are slightly reduced.” He claimed that over the years, they have been able to reduce suicide rate gradually.
-via The Times of India.
SAINT ANTONY PLEASE DO JUSTICE WITH DESERTION CASES AND SOLDIERS WHO ARE COMMITTING SUICIDES…. IT’S HIGH TIME
Let us ask some questions to our Media and Politicians?
1) A rape and murder of a normal citizen of India is broadcasted 24 hours on few of the newschannel but daily deaths/suicide/murder of our Jawan gets no place at all in the news channel?
2) Is it fair to isolate defence forces Jawan’s just because they are part of defence forces… but nothing else changes he is still a father, son, brother and relatives to many? everyday 1 soldier commits suicide why??
3) why only soldiers/Jawan’s are commititng suicide?
4) why the psychiatry wards of defence forces is full with Jawan’s?
5) why only Jawan is forced to be a deserter? even if they would commit suicide they must obey their officers?
6) why deserter soldier who has excellent records in service can never lead a normal life after being deserter and treated worst than a murderer?
WHY OFFICERS DONT COMMIT SUICIDE/DESERT/REFERRED TO PSYCHIATRIC WARDS??????
7) why on newschannels there are no representation of Jawan’s? it is only officers who represent Defence Force… if Answer is Jawan’s are not capable… Mind it Anna Hazare ji was a Jawan not a officer. LET US PLEASE HAVE SOME REPRESENTATION OF OUR JAWANS AND EX SERVICEMEN ON THE MEDIA…
JAWANS ARE THE ONE WHO FIGHT ON BORDERS… JAWANS ARE THE ONE WHO ARE AWAKE WHOLE NIGHT TO CHECK INFILTRATION… JAWANS ARE THE WON WHO ACTUALLY DIE FIGHTING THE ENEMIES ON THE BORDER…
PLEASE STAND UP FOR THE CAUSE OF JAWANS SUICIDE/MURDER/DESERTATION/FORCED REFERRAL TO PSYCHIATRIC WARDS..
These are very relevent questions,perhaps should be best answered by good for nothing sarkari scientists ie defence psychologists !
Defence minister do something for officers who did not get promotion because of corruption, officers not done corruption for CO, got bad ACR from CO.
SHAME ON YOU…
FIRST WE SHOULD CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN JAWAN & OFFICERS
SOME OFFRS HAVE EGO POWER THATS A PROBLEM. THEY BEHAVE LIKE SERVANT WITH JAWAN WHILE JAWAN ARE FIGHTING TO GEHTER IN BORDER THERE IS NO DEFFRENT BETWEEN JAWAN AND OFFRS.
FOREIGN ARMIES HAS NO DIFFRENT.
“Compared to the past, the number of suicides and fratricides in armed forces are slightly reduced.” may be true but the situation is alarming. More serious incidents are brewing. When it explodes , every one is going to blame Antony and Bikram singh ! The bright part is that MOD has acknowledged the situation ,even though the Army would not. Antony Saab !There is very little time left to act !
Treatment towards lower ranks to be checked properly ,due to iron screen of the military forces facts are covered ,due to inherent quality of location also help full to cover the facts ,and very rare incidents are cumming out .That too those who are having good political connection /media connection etc its comes out otherwise it will buried in “self releasing pressure cooker system “/Court of Inquiry ,Summery of evidence etc , very rarely the culprit officer get caught .
For Antony it is a Herculean task , normally political party /army top brass afraid to do any action due breaking system, transferring to new system , which is against their will .
This kind of activity it is happening all the armed forces , some times it is coming out in the shape of pay commission strikes, hunger strikes /tools down strike /slowing down production etc. And so called “disgruntled personals” are normally kept in blacklisted category by the administrations , if it is required they will go for make him as case of AF-10, (make him as a abnormal behaving person /common mans languages mad ), and posting him to some where in Assam , Leh ,Ladak,Glassier,Thosie ,etc.finally poor man keep his mouth shout .
But we can kill this issue by giving basic amenities ,like leave , good food , like respectful treatment to all human beings, etc.Ironically it isn’t happening. .
And Saint Antoni will divert attention to such petty things and get the Generals signs on the dotted lines to ink another Billion Dollar contact from another friendly foreign country where the political establishments irrespective of ideology and color of their Flags will manage hefty political mass ( may call it religious donations to some obscure NGOs in different parts of the world or to some Mathas, Peethas, Trusts or Temples only to be channelised to the party’s funds.
I do not know why average Indians are so deaf and dumb (especially the so called lower castes by birth who has the numbers and get any govt of their wish but wait for a few Manuwadi Manhoos to throw a few bread crunch when they can conveniently have the cake and eat it too.
I want a complete overhaul of the military machines.