The PM’s Answer

Wasn’t expecting much of an answer from the PM, but I put the question to him nevertheless on the return flight from Qatar at dawn today. I asked him if his government had any plans of addressing the clear and present disenchantment in the armed forces over the 6th Pay Commission. He said, “I have constituted a committee under Shri Pranab Mukherjee, which also includes the Defence Minister. The committee is looking into it.”

71 thoughts on “The PM’s Answer”

  1. I will say it again. The army is being ruined. Instead of a happy, cheerful force, we have an increasingly rabble-ised set of officers and men.

    Heavily armed, almost totally bearing a grudge against the state, these men are no longer the happy men of the past. Thank god for the iron discipline of the services. But to any student of history, the time is not far, when this iron discipline breaks, and the nation is left to the mercy of foreign powers.

    Isnt it time that the government did something, before things come to this horrific and completely unnecessary pass?

    Its time to treat the troops well.

  2. Shiv, could we have some coverage please, on the meeting of the veterans with Shri Pranab Mukhopadhyay? Is the FM not participating in this meeting? Has the committee also completely broken?

  3. anonymous above:
    “Have you ever heard of a five ft”

    MMS Kohli, a dry fruit merchant’s son subsequently changed trade to a Banker, Bureaucrat and MP from Assam.

    Ever seen a Bank Manager lose his cool while scornfully rejecting a loan application ?

    Or a Bureaucrat do anything without a consideration ?

    Unfortunately this twit (other learned commentwalas have replaced the ‘i’ in the t–t with an ‘a’) is honest. Best to contact other agents for approvals.

  4. You may be wondering why the PM has not shown much interest in our problems. The reason can be traced to his tenure in the reserve bank . In banking they have a security set up which does the bank security jobs,. In RBI their exclusive job is only guard duties. Even officers have to do security shifts guarding the vaults. In other PSU banks also the set up is there, manned by released SS officers. Even the CSO appointment has not been upgraded for a long time. Typical of the Army the DGR had agreed to appoint full col/ Brig in these appointments since this was a re-employment. Obviously rank pay was not taken into consideration when deciding their equivalence,i.e.Assistant Gen Manager. Now directors in finance ministry are senior to the chairmen in PSU banks and routinely get nominated in to the director boards of PSUs enjoying tremendous perks and privileges. Generally these men are promotees from the central secretarial services.. So obviously there is confusion for finance people to accept anything other than that. In that set up security is just a nuisance which one of the GMs looks after On the ground that security is not that important for the CMD or Exec Dir to look into. So the PM the ex banker he is, cannot see any thing other than his knowledge of the security officers as far as defense setup is concerned. No wonder he has shown not much keenness to visit border areas or other service institutions.

  5. You may be wondering why the PM has not shown much interest in our problems. The reason can be traced to his tenure in the reserve bank . In banking they have a security set up which does the bank security jobs,. In RBI their exclusive job is only guard duties. Even officers have to do security shifts guarding the vaults. In other PSU banks also the set up is there, manned by released SS officers. Even the CSO appointment has not been upgraded for a long time. Typical of the Army the DGR had agreed to appoint full col/ Brig in these appointments since this was a re-employment. Obviously rank pay was not taken into consideration when deciding their equivalence,i.e.Assistant Gen Manager. Now directors in finance ministry are senior to the chairmen in PSU banks and routinely get nominated in to the director boards of PSUs enjoying tremendous perks and privileges. Generally these men are promotees from the central secretarial services.. So obviously there is confusion for finance people to accept anything other than that. In that set up security is just a nuisance which one of the GMs looks after On the ground that security is not that important for the CMD or Exec Dir to look into. So the PM the ex banker he is, cannot see any thing other than his knowledge of the security officers as far as defense setup is concerned. No wonder he has shown not much keenness to visit border areas or other service institutions.

  6. Anony@1221

    Heavily armed soldiers bearing a grudge agaainst the state. And no more the happy sldiers of past. So who is to blame ?? Again the unhappy soldiers?? For they being unhappy. The govt should order the Chiefs to order his men to be happy and if they are still not happy they should treat this as defiance of the civilian authority. How dare the soldiers dare to be unhappy. And then again the ever genuflecting media can be roped in to write horror tails of defiance by the forces and the slimy Baboos can join in in deriding the forces hoping that all this will make them pull up their socks . This is madness. Some one is out to destroy the forces. There is no danger to the state from these “Heavily Armed Soldiers” as you apprehend as any Babu would do. The real dangers is that these tough lookig soldiers will simply melt into history leavig a void for the Taliban to come and sort us out. But then it will be too late. Like a gone moment the vanished army do not come back.

  7. Long live Babus and bureaucrats. Die with honour veterans and servicemen. Thats what you are meant for.. You will not get any single thing of what you have asked for. We will salute you and praise you and remember you only for a single day, that too after your death. When you are alive nobody will even respect you as a human, as you are not worth atleast for a vote.

    Go on slaves!!!! Die for honor!!!
    Long live Bureaucrats!!!! long live babus!!!!!

  8. Some clever babu gave me this to think over.

    Armed Forces people are paid more dying in service than alive – ex-gratia, family pension at enhanced rate, etc

    So, like the proverbial lemmings, let us jump off Raisina Hill. Some of us might land in the s–t of North and South Block. The one who lands on Sushama Nath’s office roof and dies will be paid extra.

    Can’t say much about South Block – that is where PM, FM and RM sit when they are not in 10 JP.

    Anyway Shiv, hope you have a job after this!!!!

  9. Why have Armed Force in India.Disbanding would release billions of rupees and allow the government to help other countries tide over the economy downslide started by Lehman Brothers of US. So all problems of the Armed Forces qua VI Pay Commission will be sorted out and the Bureocrats will have bags, hands and mouthfuls.
    JAI HIND

  10. Seem to remember that South Block has a golden lettered Urdu saying engraved over the entrance.

    [the Brits left it for Desis to read]

    Perhaps also an English version over North Block; anyone read it ?

  11. Shiv we hope you have some incisive talk shows to rustle up the pace at which things are going.After all you guys had promised to keep track of what is on and you have a reason now as the Govt has overstepped the deadline.

  12. Dear Shiv,

    When the media takes the focus/spotlight off the issue it dies a quiet, unceremonius death. That has been the issue with the pay anomalies.

    The GoM was constituted and things were put on the fast but greasy track and then when the light shifted to Raj Thackeray and the Sadhvi, the issue of the anomalies has been consigned to the corner in MoD/Ext Aff to gather dust at best on to waste paper basket, which is more likely.

    As an air marshal wrote earlier, why doesn’t the Govt show some guts and tell the Armed Forces that they are wrong or show more guts and right the wrong committed by the CoS?

    If only the Congress (I) led Govt and the Honb’le RM had shown as much alacrity to the pay anomalies as he has to Margaret Alva’s disclosure, the armed forces would have been satisfied.

    As for Lt Gen (retd) RS Kadyan, the less one writes or associated him with the Armed Forces the better! Imagine bestowing Lt Gen (Emeritus) on himself? Where is that in the Army Act?

  13. Shiv, you should’ve bashed up the sardar and thrown him out of the aircraft into the pacific for wasting your time!!

    And after that you should’ve looked out of the window and shouted at him, “Singh is indeed King Sir, but a Konkani is Ikka (which is higher than a Badshah)”

  14. Dear shiv,
    you could have asked PM about deadline for the committee. Anyway, it doesnt matter for the bonded labour of indian democratic system(Armed forces) as they have to take whtever is given.

  15. Dear shiv,
    you could have asked PM about deadline for the committee. Anyway, it doesnt matter for the bonded labour of indian democratic system(Armed forces) as they have to take whtever is given.

  16. Dear shiv,
    you could have asked PM about deadline for the committee. Anyway, it doesnt matter for the bonded labour of indian democratic system(Armed forces) as they have to take whtever is given.

  17. [1] PM Margaret Thatcher
    [visiting the Falklands just after that war.]

    Seems she went on a rotating AA weapon platform and was told to fasten a safety harness. Says she:
    “Will this thing jerk me off ? “
    {live on BBC}

    Replies poker faced RA Sergeant: “No Ma’am I’m afraid not.”

    [2] Move to MMS – At a Goldfinger Award ceremony to honour his Nelson eye at the wholly corrupt Ministers surrounding him -the whole bloody SPECTRUM ji. ” I have appointed a (a) Commission to examine the findings of the (b) Conference convened to Consider the Recommendations of the (c) Working Group which reviewed and examined the modalities of the Indian National Army and the Indian Army. As I said at a press Conference immediately after I was detailed to volunteer as PM ” I was very inspired in my youth by General{ ex Capt Mohan Singh INA ). I stand by the ideals of the (various) Arm(ies)”. Please excuse.

  18. sad its the only wordcomming to mind KASH such cpc was declared a few days before KARGIL Mr PM would have given up his pay so as FAUJ could be kept happy. Sir country cant afford please keep fauj in the present scales to remove the anomalies bring the civ counterparts to equivilace as in 5th cpc it will furthur ease the burden.

  19. within a few months this Sardar and his Aunt will be on the streets after loosing the elections. The MI should probe the links of Aunty S with foreign powers and her cahorts in the IDS HQ. Leaks to the press would be welcome.

  20. dobara bolta hoon… jaakar choodiyaan pehan lo…

    phir poochhta hoon…. chaloge laal kile par????????

    he he he….tuhmare baski baat nahi hai…. tumhe bheekh maangne ki aadat par chuki hai… mangte raho… bhikahri ko sirf laat aur galiyaan milti hai….

    ha ha ha…ha ha ha…

  21. dobara bolta hoon… jaakar choodiyaan pehan lo…

    phir poochhta hoon…. chaloge laal kile par????????

    he he he….tuhmare baski baat nahi hai…. tumhe bheekh maangne ki aadat par chuki hai… mangte raho… bhikahri ko sirf laat aur galiyaan milti hai….

    Jis Din Laal Kile gaye – us din tumhare hazaar najaayaz baap bhi tumhe bachaa nahin paayega.

  22. “within a few months this Sardar and his Aunt”

    Don’t forget his Crony Cool Cat Chidambaram and the Fin Min lurking, eager to screw all – PBOR, PBCR, PRCR, PRGR (P Reached General Rank.)

  23. no pb4 for lt col only band to beat till next pay commission china and pak are friends now army is not required they can go to their village and work on fields jai baboos jai kissan and jawans can go to hell

  24. Shiv,

    Most inappropriate heading of this blog piece “PM’s Answer”..??

    Heading should have been ” PM’s Does Not Answer”…..No. It is for the jouralist to extract an answer or why is one a jouralist..????

    Basics of Jouralism are weak friend..???

  25. Yes we have an impending crises due to massive demoralisation of Armed Forces, apparently engineered by the ISI with active connivence of Baboos
    thru the 6CPCR.The problem,which has the potential of causing complete disintegration & a National Security Disaster,has been correctly appreciated & identified by the Chiefs.And they have tried to address it “Honestly”.But the concerned baboos/babuines, on behest of thier controllers, are repeatedly adding fuel to raging fire of near revolt & are doing everything possible to prevent the Chiefs from getting the situation under control.They have even gone to the extent of disregarding/disobeying GOI/Cabinate orders & instructions,manipulating issues & documents at will .Why has’nt the NSA taken note of & given his assessment of this alarming situation to the GoM/GOI ?Forget the mil reforms for the time being & concentrate on handleing this serious crise first.

  26. @bill

    “Yes we have an impending crises due to massive demoralisation of Armed Forces,”

    But the Boss says there are no problems anywhere. The Boss is always right. Please don’t worry. At the most a few sarkari security staff must take a pay cut in the national interest.

  27. Yes. The time has come to act. It seems that the bureaucracy has been sold to foreign interests. Not surprising considering the number of RAW and IB officers with sons living abroad. They all go settle abroad after retirement too. Same for IAS/IPS.

  28. What about the sitting prettily, ex Military Governors eg JJ Valaiya Bhai, Roddy the Civvie Bully and other retd IAF, Navy men in reemployed service – should they RTU their pay to Montek Bhai like loyal mafia dons ?

  29. This shameless PM has achieved shaming commissioned officers in grovelling for status that was always theirs. After returning it in portions the ‘honourable’ PM will make them feel grateful for being at least gladiators if not soldiers!
    he rot in hell!

  30. @ Jis Din Laal Kile gaye – us din tumhare hazaar najaayaz baap bhi tumhe bachaa nahin paayega.

    ha ha ha… dil pe mat le yaar…sach bola to bura lag gaya….tumhi ne in babuon ko sir pe chadhaya hai ab kaan mein mooth rahe hai to dard kyon ho raha hai…

    vaise main tumhare saath hee hoon bas apne tarike se tumhe ye yaad dila raha hoon ke kuchh karo isse pehle ki der ho jaye…

    all the best…

  31. Shiv, You guys in the Press need something spicy to splash the headlines. I remember that a channel advertised for TRPs with the catchy slogan’ First to bring you the Arushi murder -Refreshingly Different’. What is refreshingly different about this gruesome act. Maybe you guys wiil only speak for the Services in case they resort to raping the Italian Madamme or sodomising the frigid Singh.

  32. ab tum aaGosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii aayaa na karo

    ab tum aaGosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii aayaa na karo
    mujh se bikhare huye gesuu nahii.n dekhe jaate
    surKh aa.Nkho.n kii qasam kaa.Npatii palako.n kii qasam
    thar-tharaate huye aa.Nsuu nahii.n dekhe jaate

    [aaGosh-e-tasavvur=in the grasp/reach of dreams/imagination]

    ab tum aaGosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii aayaa na karo
    chhuuT jaane do jo daaman-e-vafaa chhuuT gayaa
    kyuu.N ye laGaziidaa Kharaamii ye pashemaa.N nazarii
    tum ne to.Daa nahii.n rishtaa-e-dil TuuT gayaa

    [laGaziidaa Kharaamii=hesitant walk; pashemaa.N nazarii=penitent gaze]

    ab tum aaGosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii aayaa na karo
    merii aaho.n se ye ruKhsaar na kumalaa jaaye.n
    Dhuu.NDatii hogii tumhe.n ras me.n nahaa_ii hu_ii raat
    jaao kaliyaa.N na kahii.n sej kii murjhaa jaaye.n

    [ruKhsaar=cheek]

    ab tum aaGosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii aayaa na karo
    mai.n is uja.De huye pahaluu me.n biThaa luu.N na kahii.n
    lab-e-shiirii.n kaa namak aariz-e-namakii.n kii miThaas
    apane tarase huye ho.nTho.n me.n churaa luu.N na kahii.n

    [lab-e-shiirii.n=sweet lips; aariz-e-namakiin=salty cheeks]

  33. In this last Swaminomics of the millennium, I would like to sum up our performance in the 20th century in one sentence. Indians have succeeded in countries ruled by whites, but failed in their own.
    This outcome would have astonished leaders of our independence movement. They declared Indians were kept down by white rule and could flourish only under self-rule. This seemed self-evident. The harsh reality today is that Indians are succeeding brilliantly in countries ruled by whites, but failing in India. They are flourishing in the USA and Britain.
    But those that stay in India are pulled down by an outrageous system that fails to reward merit or talent. Fails to allow people and businesses to grow, and keeps real power with netas, babus, and assorted manipulators. Once Indians go to white-ruled countries, they soar and conquer summits once occupied only by whites.
    Rono Dutta has become head of United Airlines, the biggest airline in the world. Had he stayed in India, he would have no chance in Indian Airlines. Even if the top job there was given to him by some godfather, a myriad netas, babus and trade unionists would have ensured that he could never run it like United Airlines.
    Rana Talwar has become head of Standard Chartered Bank Plc, one of the biggest multinational banks in Britain, while still in his 40s. Had he been in India, he would perhaps be a local manager in the State Bank, taking orders from babus to give dud loans to politically favoured clients.
    Rajat Gupta is head of Mckinsey, the biggest management consultancy firm in the world. He now advises the biggest multinationals on how to run their business. Had he remained in India he would probably be taking orders from some sethji with no qualification save that of being born in a rich family.
    Lakhsmi Mittal has become the biggest steel baron in the world, with steel plants in the US, Kazakhstan, Germany, Mexico, Trinidad and Indonesia. India's socialist policies reserved the domestic steel industry for the public sector. So Lakhsmi Mittal went to Indonesia to run his family's first steel plant there. Once freed from the shackles of India, he conquered the world.
    Subhash Chandra of Zee TV has become a global media king, one of the few to beat Rupert Murdoch. He could never have risen had he been limited to India, which decreed a TV monopoly for Doordarshan. But technology came to his aid: satellite TV made it possible for him to target India from Hong Kong. Once he escaped Indian rules and soil, he soared.
    You may not have heard of 48-year old Gururaj Deshpande. His communications company, Sycamore, is currently valued by the US stock market at over $ 30 billion, making him perhaps one of the richest Indians in the world. Had he remained in India, he would probably be a babu in the Department of Telecommunications.
    Arun Netravali has become president of Bell Labs, one of the biggest research and development centres in the world with 30,000 inventions and several Nobel Prizes to its credit. Had he been in India, he would probably be struggling in the middle cadre of Indian Telephone Industries. Silicon Valley alone contains over one lac Indian millionaires.
    Sabeer Bhatia invented Hotmail and sold it to Microsoft for $ 400 million. Victor Menezes is number two in Citibank. Shailesh Mehta is CEO of Providian, a top US financial services company. Also at or near the top are Rakesh Gangwal of US Air, Jamshd Wadia of Arthur Andersen, and Aman Mehta of Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp.
    In Washington DC, the Indian CEO High Tech Council has no less than 200 members, all high tech-chiefs. While Indians have soared, India has stagnated. At independence India was the most advanced of all colonies, with the best prospects.
    Today with a GNP per head of $370, it occupies a lowly 177th position among 209 countries of the world. But poverty is by no means the only or main problem. India ranks near the bottom in the UNDP's Human Development Index, but high up in Transparency International's Corruption Index.
    The neta-babu raj brought in by socialist policies is only one reason for India's failure. The more sordid reason is the rule-based society we inherited from the British Raj is today in tatters. Instead money, muscle and influence matter most.

    At independence we were justly proud of our politicians. Today we regard them as scoundrels and criminals. They have created a jungle of laws in the holy name of socialism, and used these to line their pockets and create patronage networks. No influential crook suffers. The Mafia flourish unhindered because they have political links.
    The sons of police officers believe they have a licence to rape and kill (ask the Mattoo family). Talent cannot take you far amidst such rank misgovernance. We are reverting to our ancient feudal system where no rules applied to the powerful. The British Raj brought in abstract concepts of justice for all, equality before the law. These were maintained in the early years of independence. But fifty years later, citizens wail that India is a lawless land where no rules are obeyed.
    I have heard of an IAS probationer at the Mussorie training academy pointing out that in India before the British came, making money and distributing favors to relatives was not considered a perversion of power, it was the very rationale of power.
    A feudal official had a duty to enrich his family and caste. Then the British came and imposed a new ethical code on officials. But, he asked, why should we continue to choose British customs over desi ones now that we were independent?
    The lack of transparent rules, properly enforced, is a major reason why talented Indians cannot rise in India. A second reason is the neta-babu raj, which remains intact despite supposed liberalisation. But once talented Indians go to rule-based societies in the west, they take off. In those societies all people play by the same rules, all have freedom to innovate without being strangled by regulations.
    This, then, is why Indians succeed in countries ruled by whites, and fail in their own. It is the saddest story of the century.

  34. I agree with lot of comments on this blog that all the chiefs should now act like chiefs. They should straightway refuse acceptance of pay in the new pay scales Nov (R) Nov 2008 onwards. This is the only way, we can win.

  35. During the MMSK’s visit to the US:

    Bill Clinton: Don’t you have female interns in the PMO?

    MMSK: No. But we have the Cab Secy.

  36. Anony 12.09pm

    Brilliant and factual summation.How do we improve conditions in the country for merit to be recognised and encouraged? A committed institution with discipline ingrained to assume power? Any takers!!!!
    Jai Hind

  37. Ive heard ominous rumours about the current army chief. He is widely suspected of a great deal of corrupt dealing. Apparently HS Panags accusations against him are entirely substantiated.

  38. Anon 1:20 PM

    Don’t fish in troubled waters. And, don’t spread rumuors about the Chief. Bugger off, you filthy scribe.

  39. @ all,
    one good piece of news.
    in mumbai, voters registration for service personnel is going on on fast pace.
    it is estimated that there are 50,000 votes from the three services and their families.
    hearing this, shri milind deora (think he’s contesting from south mumbai) is having the jitters.
    considering that the margin between main parties is at best a lakh of votes, atleast in one prominent constituency, we will have the power to decide our MP.
    Given the current resentment against the present govt, any guesses who’ll win or if someone promises to raise the degradation of armed forces in the parliament, then rest be assured he’ll win hands down in south mumbai.

  40. same is the case in many military stations where this voter registration is taking place on a war footing. if all goes well and they still keep mum atleast i know the election results!!!!!!.

  41. Nothing amuses the affected….efficiency levels are going down…the issue has been forgotten by the media…they do not need the TRP’s generated obviously….if you are worth your salt Shiv…let’s see some action…merely constituting a GoM was a balm which has worn off.

  42. I also wonder why the army chief has not complained to the PM about the immediate and loud reporting to the media about the involvement of Purohit?

    While the Babus have used it to dent the image of the army, does the PM have no regard for what this will mean for the trust that tpublic has in the army to act impartially in communal situations, etc. It seems to me that the bureaucracy has gone out of its way to sabotage the national interest, in exchange for its narrow gains.

  43. Complain to the PM?
    And what, pray, will the Twit do?
    He’ll look into it, of course!
    C’mon grow up. The Indian polity does’nt work on fariyads. It’s a democracy, remember.

  44. The Right to a Reputation is a Fundament.(al) Right {Today’s Supreme Court ruling -TOI}. So Give ‘it’ to them here politely ?

    As the ids of all commenters here can be easily traced not a brilliant idea for the (annoyed retd etc security) tail end to yap till the sarkari dog breaks the fingers of all such intemperate typists ?

  45. MEGADRILOGICA
    (Quote from the Journal)

    ‘Every worm has an end.’

    — Dr. Olav Giere (Universität Hamburg Zoologisches Institüt und Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg, Germany), – – reflections on retirement from oligochaete research, and in anticipation of renewed focus on meiofaunal studies; shared with a small group of participants at the 9th International Symposium on Aquatic Oligochaeta, convened at the Wageningse Berg, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 6-10 October 2003

    http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~mjwetzel/Megadrilogica.home.html
    http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~mjwetzel/mjw.inhsCAR.html

  46. Anonymous said…
    The Right to a Reputation is a Fundament……….
    yap till the sarkari dog breaks the fingers of all such intemperate typists ?

    The sarkari dogs and bitches better not try it this time. Like rabid dogs they will be stoned on the streets. You think people are not aware that ids can be traced. Soon the sardar will be on Jullundur platform saying “Allah ke naam dee de” and the madame will be the gangster moll in the sicilaina mountains. The elections will tell.

  47. ON 7TH DEC THIS YEAR WE SHOULD WEAR BLACK FLAGS ON THE ARMED FORCES FLAG DAY IN PROTEST AGAINST WHAT THE GOVT. AND THE CROOKED BUREAUCRACY HAS DONE TO SUBVERT THE MORALE OF THE ARMED FORCES. IF THE CONUNTRYMEN WHERE NOT EXHIBITING RHETORICS BUT SPOKE FROM THEIR HEARTS THEN THEY SHOULD ALSO WEAR BLACK LAPEL FLAGS TO PROTEST AGAINST THE DEMORALISATION.

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