Is Military a different breed?
Courtesy: Brigadier(Retired) Mastinder Singh, Sena Medal, and his Network.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Your Military Too Goes Through This
Is Military a different breed?
Courtesy: Brigadier(Retired) Mastinder Singh, Sena Medal, and his Network.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Svipja CMR Chair: A Dynamic Model Needs to be Developed for CMR
[A lot has happened in the CMR arena in the Indian Context in the recent past. It was therefore considered prudent to establish 'Svipja Civil-Military Relations Chair' from within resources of Svipja Technologies, a Think Tank in its own right. Our research will be objective, impartial and a positive delivery to Democratic forms of Govts, with special focus on India. This Note in fact marks genesis of the Chair.]
Indian Military has remained loyal and apolitical since Independence. It appears to have faced ‘not-so-pleasant’ handling in our system, reasons are many. Has resulted in ‘grouses’, at the levels of officers and men which are amply seen lately. As a ‘maturing democracy’, we all need to be careful. We can not afford to let the professionalism of the Indian Military erode in view of challenges & commitments that the nation has.
It is time that we develop a ‘dynamic model’ for better understanding of the type of civil-military relations which could dominate the country’s political life. The creation of a multi-factorial model is therefore needed. This model ought to be a composite one. The following issues could be considered:
Firstly, The military institution itself. A close observation to the size of the military institution, the social background and the level of professionalism of its members, their political ideology, their level of cohesion and unity as well as that of their desire to protect their corporate interest(s), could offer us a better chance for comprehending the relations.
Secondly, the model should take into consideration the effect of the domestic social, economic and the political environment in which the military institution lives and functions. Special attention ought to be paid to the political factors since it is this which will greatly determine whether the process of democratisation has established strong roots in the nations’ military and the country.
Thirdly, the role of the international factor and more specifically the influence which the major foreign powers could exercise upon both the military establishments, and the country’s para-military forces in their routine interactions.
Lastly, the past and the present role of the military institutions in the evolution of civil-military relations. A small rider below should be added here.
Most studies of civil-military relations are greatly concerned with the 'military factor' only after an intervention occurs. The role of these institutions in domestic policy-making process in situations where the military does not rule, is often neglected or under-estimated. Although most of research anywhere focuses on the immediate factors leading to the military intervention, they forget that the military organization as "a system of continuous purposive activity of specified kind" functions within the society long before the pre-intervention stage. It is said that "the direct control of govt. by officers or military junta is only a crude indication of the role that the armed forces may be playing at a given moment, for men in uniform have sundry ways of making their will felt".
The phenomenon needs a continuous study. May be institutions like IDSA /Other Think Tanks could help in regular profiling of Civil-Military Relations in India. The relations are ‘not very diligently’ handled presently, to say the least.
Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/
Credit: NATO Study on Turkey & Greece.
Indian Military has remained loyal and apolitical since Independence. It appears to have faced ‘not-so-pleasant’ handling in our system, reasons are many. Has resulted in ‘grouses’, at the levels of officers and men which are amply seen lately. As a ‘maturing democracy’, we all need to be careful. We can not afford to let the professionalism of the Indian Military erode in view of challenges & commitments that the nation has.
It is time that we develop a ‘dynamic model’ for better understanding of the type of civil-military relations which could dominate the country’s political life. The creation of a multi-factorial model is therefore needed. This model ought to be a composite one. The following issues could be considered:
Firstly, The military institution itself. A close observation to the size of the military institution, the social background and the level of professionalism of its members, their political ideology, their level of cohesion and unity as well as that of their desire to protect their corporate interest(s), could offer us a better chance for comprehending the relations.
Secondly, the model should take into consideration the effect of the domestic social, economic and the political environment in which the military institution lives and functions. Special attention ought to be paid to the political factors since it is this which will greatly determine whether the process of democratisation has established strong roots in the nations’ military and the country.
Thirdly, the role of the international factor and more specifically the influence which the major foreign powers could exercise upon both the military establishments, and the country’s para-military forces in their routine interactions.
Lastly, the past and the present role of the military institutions in the evolution of civil-military relations. A small rider below should be added here.
Most studies of civil-military relations are greatly concerned with the 'military factor' only after an intervention occurs. The role of these institutions in domestic policy-making process in situations where the military does not rule, is often neglected or under-estimated. Although most of research anywhere focuses on the immediate factors leading to the military intervention, they forget that the military organization as "a system of continuous purposive activity of specified kind" functions within the society long before the pre-intervention stage. It is said that "the direct control of govt. by officers or military junta is only a crude indication of the role that the armed forces may be playing at a given moment, for men in uniform have sundry ways of making their will felt".
The phenomenon needs a continuous study. May be institutions like IDSA /Other Think Tanks could help in regular profiling of Civil-Military Relations in India. The relations are ‘not very diligently’ handled presently, to say the least.
Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/
Credit: NATO Study on Turkey & Greece.
Svipja CMR Chair (3): Why are CMR More Important in a Democracy?
(This Posting was First Mede by Me on www.InformedCitizensForum.com on 26 Mar 2010)
There is a ‘rooted’ tendency amongst Us to narrow Civil-Military Relations to IAS-Military Top Brass. In wider sense it in fact relates to who governs the Country, Civil or Military leadership?
Civil is all encompassing - politicians, civil bureaucracy including allied civil services, police, State machinery, civil offices providing services like supplies, power, water, teles, transportation, roads, etc. Military and its personnel deal at various levels of ‘civil governance’ in official and personal capacities. Any aberrations to military personnel while on duty, off duty, or at home leaves them frustrated. Military has expectations to be governed / handled diligently and in an orderly fashion. It is here that a soldier ‘grumbles’ when he is ‘towed’ to follow ethos alien to him.
First damage to civil-military relation stems when a soldier is handled shabbily, dishonestly, or indifferently in the Civil. And this could multiply manifold as he moves through his ‘life cycle’. In his frustration, he then uses ‘force’, the only ‘expertise’ developed in him to reach his objective, at least temporarily, willing to face its consequences subsequently.
Any nation has to be sensitive not to bruise soldiers’ pride in day-to-day interactions. Self-Pride, Self-Respect, Self-Reliance, High-Class Motivation, Professionalism, Ability to Lead by Example, etc are his inherent strengths. Any act that tends to lower it is damaging to the Forces, and Nation as a whole. Anyone including Armed Forces Leadership hurting/undermining these basic traits in any manner is doing disservice to the Nation as it may result in ‘mass grouse’, sometimes difficult to be handled by leadership. That’s why the Armed Forces handle cases of bad management, indiscipline or corruption strictly.
‘All Civil Institutions’ need to fully appreciate it in a democracy like India, where ‘ethos & personal examples’ tend to become casualty.
A Soldier is a Class by Itself and Should be treated as Such. He is then ‘fit’ to deliver optimally ensuring Your Freedom.
We are an established democracy now, it is time that we talked and discussed Civil-Military Relations openly, and organised ourselves on 'Systems Approach' both in thinking and action.
Sukhwindar
Svipja Technologies
[It is a stub, could be expanded to a full Article by some Researcher(s)]
Civil is all encompassing - politicians, civil bureaucracy including allied civil services, police, State machinery, civil offices providing services like supplies, power, water, teles, transportation, roads, etc. Military and its personnel deal at various levels of ‘civil governance’ in official and personal capacities. Any aberrations to military personnel while on duty, off duty, or at home leaves them frustrated. Military has expectations to be governed / handled diligently and in an orderly fashion. It is here that a soldier ‘grumbles’ when he is ‘towed’ to follow ethos alien to him.
First damage to civil-military relation stems when a soldier is handled shabbily, dishonestly, or indifferently in the Civil. And this could multiply manifold as he moves through his ‘life cycle’. In his frustration, he then uses ‘force’, the only ‘expertise’ developed in him to reach his objective, at least temporarily, willing to face its consequences subsequently.
Any nation has to be sensitive not to bruise soldiers’ pride in day-to-day interactions. Self-Pride, Self-Respect, Self-Reliance, High-Class Motivation, Professionalism, Ability to Lead by Example, etc are his inherent strengths. Any act that tends to lower it is damaging to the Forces, and Nation as a whole. Anyone including Armed Forces Leadership hurting/undermining these basic traits in any manner is doing disservice to the Nation as it may result in ‘mass grouse’, sometimes difficult to be handled by leadership. That’s why the Armed Forces handle cases of bad management, indiscipline or corruption strictly.
‘All Civil Institutions’ need to fully appreciate it in a democracy like India, where ‘ethos & personal examples’ tend to become casualty.
A Soldier is a Class by Itself and Should be treated as Such. He is then ‘fit’ to deliver optimally ensuring Your Freedom.
We are an established democracy now, it is time that we talked and discussed Civil-Military Relations openly, and organised ourselves on 'Systems Approach' both in thinking and action.
Sukhwindar
Svipja Technologies
[It is a stub, could be expanded to a full Article by some Researcher(s)]
Svipja CMR Chair(2): A Perspective
(This Posting was First Made by Me on www.shatrujeet.blogspot.com on 05 Apr 2010)
Some excerpts from the Article of Lt General Vijay Oberoi, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, Former VCOAS, are given below which have CMR Implications in the Indian Context:
“The deteriorating civil-military relations do not bode well for the safety and security of the nation. And the regional security environment is cause for concern. The status of army personnel is dwindling continuously, adversely affecting the morale of the rank and file.”
“In democracies the world over, the political leadership makes national policy and the national security strategy, with the active participation of civil and military officials of the country. However, in India, the military has been deliberately kept out of the policy formulation loop and even after over six decades of loyal, patriotic and dedicated service to the nation, it is obvious that it is still not trusted!”
“The military also needs to modify the concept of being apolitical. The army’s long standing stance of keeping a distance from the leaders of political parties other than those of the party in power needs to be modified. In a parliamentary system like ours, policy is formulated by all parliamentarians despite differences of the opposition. After all, the Parliament Standing Committee on Defence and similar other committees are all-party bodies. Consequently, though remaining apolitical, the army needs to apprise and discuss its concerns with the political leadership across the board. This would not reduce the apolitical nature of the army, about which it is justifiably so proud.”
“Civil Control implies the supremacy of the political leadership over both the military as well as the civil bureaucracy.”
Click: Challenges Before the New Army Chief for the full Article.
Svipja CMR Chair
“The deteriorating civil-military relations do not bode well for the safety and security of the nation. And the regional security environment is cause for concern. The status of army personnel is dwindling continuously, adversely affecting the morale of the rank and file.”
“In democracies the world over, the political leadership makes national policy and the national security strategy, with the active participation of civil and military officials of the country. However, in India, the military has been deliberately kept out of the policy formulation loop and even after over six decades of loyal, patriotic and dedicated service to the nation, it is obvious that it is still not trusted!”
“The military also needs to modify the concept of being apolitical. The army’s long standing stance of keeping a distance from the leaders of political parties other than those of the party in power needs to be modified. In a parliamentary system like ours, policy is formulated by all parliamentarians despite differences of the opposition. After all, the Parliament Standing Committee on Defence and similar other committees are all-party bodies. Consequently, though remaining apolitical, the army needs to apprise and discuss its concerns with the political leadership across the board. This would not reduce the apolitical nature of the army, about which it is justifiably so proud.”
“Civil Control implies the supremacy of the political leadership over both the military as well as the civil bureaucracy.”
Click: Challenges Before the New Army Chief for the full Article.
Svipja CMR Chair
Svipja CMR Chair (1): India's Think Tanks
(This Posting was First Made by Me on www.InformedCitizensForum.com on 03 Apr 2010)
Firstly, Think Tanks should in the normal course aim to influence targeted audience for getting their ‘mind share’. It should take a ‘systems approach’ to an issue with the ultimate objective of sound implementation to achieve the desired outcome. It is not correct to say that the Policy Makers or Others may not ‘heed to the advice, or may not be influenced’ by the Think Tanks. It does in a way. If not, these are not Think Tanks then - their research results may be ‘tainted’, not in line with the democratic values, or totally out of context. Think Tanks need not work in ‘vacuum’ of any kind and should relate to the existing or future course(s). That much for the concept.
Secondly, Think Tanks need to be staffed with practicing managers/researchers and academia of the right kind to tackle real-life situations, and not be pure ‘philosophic’. These should relate to our ‘own’ environments. This would help in looking at their findings from ‘Policy Angle(s)’. Who funds it may not be very important in today’s intellectual scenario; system sees it through and places credibility on the Think Tanks accordingly. There may be hundreds of them but a few are creditworthy.
Thirdly, the subject matter to be tackled could take the form of a 'Chair’, for long life. The Chair could be established in Corporates, Universities, Foundations, etc, provided they operate under the Charter of Think Tanks. Intellect is widely dispersed.
Mr Kanti Bajpai’s Article in today’s TOI on ‘ Think Tanks in India’s Democracy’ puts the subject issue in a perspective, but the 'common notion'.
Click: Think Tanks in Democracy
'Svipja Civil-Military Relations (CMR) Chair' be seen in this context, a faithful delivery to the Indian Democracy and its People in CMR.
Svipja Technologies
Secondly, Think Tanks need to be staffed with practicing managers/researchers and academia of the right kind to tackle real-life situations, and not be pure ‘philosophic’. These should relate to our ‘own’ environments. This would help in looking at their findings from ‘Policy Angle(s)’. Who funds it may not be very important in today’s intellectual scenario; system sees it through and places credibility on the Think Tanks accordingly. There may be hundreds of them but a few are creditworthy.
Thirdly, the subject matter to be tackled could take the form of a 'Chair’, for long life. The Chair could be established in Corporates, Universities, Foundations, etc, provided they operate under the Charter of Think Tanks. Intellect is widely dispersed.
Mr Kanti Bajpai’s Article in today’s TOI on ‘ Think Tanks in India’s Democracy’ puts the subject issue in a perspective, but the 'common notion'.
Click: Think Tanks in Democracy
'Svipja Civil-Military Relations (CMR) Chair' be seen in this context, a faithful delivery to the Indian Democracy and its People in CMR.
Svipja Technologies
Launch of ‘Svipja Civil- Military Relations Chair’
(Svipja CMR Chair was launched on 29 Mar 2010)
Sukhwindar
General
“Svipja Civil- Military Relations Chair” (or ‘Chair’, for short) has been set-up by Svipja Technologies with a view to harness Ideas from Intellectual Defence Community to promote Civil-Military Relations in India. Views from the International Community will also be welcome.
This work is needed in order to raise intellectual capital of the stakeholders in line with the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution. It would help reinforcing democratic values in the Defence Community with Military Ethos intact.
Objectives
The establishment of the Chair and Fellowships is expected to:
1. Promote healthy and meaningful exchange of ideas amongst the intellectual Defence Community on civil-military relations in the Indian Context.
2. Facilitate wider, deeper, and un-biased discussions / interactions amongst the intellectual Community, and Faculty / Moderator(s) appointed against the Chair or as Fellows, in particular.
Terms and Conditions
The creation and operation of the Chair and Fellowships will be subject to the terms enumerated in the succeeding paras.
Methodology Research work on the subject will be undertaken by a Team constituted by Svipja Technologies within the Objectives laid. Certain identified Blogs / Sites will be used to initiate discussions amongst the stakeholders. Once done, ‘finished product’ would be circulated to the stakeholders, and published in a transparent manner.
Donor(s) Svipja Technologies will meet all the expenses of the Chair as a Founder.
Founder Chairperson Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh will be the first Chairperson.
Guidelines for “Appointment” of Faculty Against the Chair To be approved by the Board of Governors established by Svipja Technologies / Trusts / Donors.
Eligibility Anyone with a track record in defence with independent, impartial & sound logical abilities would be eligible to be considered for “appointment” against the Chair. Individual(s) being considered would first be appointed as Moderator(s). The Chair has a Think Tank’s charter.
Duration of the Chair The “appointment” against the Chair will be made for a period of up to five years. However, continuation into the fourth and fifth years will be subject to a review at the end of the third year. Further, an individual may be eligible to be considered for re-appointment, together with other eligible candidates, for a period of up to 5 years (without a break) any number of times.
Designation Member(s) appointed against the Chair will be called “Svipja Civil-Military Relations Chair Emeritus Research Fellow / Research Fellow / Research Associate Fellow”.
Research Grant To be assigned by Svipja Technologies on need basis as the faculty / work expands.
Intellectual Property (IP) Rights As a result of the “appointment” against the Chair, there shall be no change in the rights applicable to the IP developed by the researchers / faculty members and/or his/her collaborators.
Strategic Alliance(s) Svipja Technologies would be willing to establish strategic alliance(s) with like-minded bodies.
Research Presentations Research Articles will be published on Media/Sites/Blogs identified for the purpose. In addition, as a result of the “appointment” against the Chair, the faculty would be expected to undertake Presentations of the research findings of the Chair to various targeted audience, organizations and institutions.
Conclusion
This work would enhance intellectual capital of the stakeholders for security of the country in environments unfolding in the 21st Century India. Dynamics of the Civil-Military relations needs to be captured routinely in the Indian Polity.
You are welcome to contribute Your thoughts on the CMR in the Indian Context as Comments on this Blog, or by e-mail to svipja@gmail.com Your Privacy will be fully maintainted if You so like.
“Svipja Civil- Military Relations Chair” (or ‘Chair’, for short) has been set-up by Svipja Technologies with a view to harness Ideas from Intellectual Defence Community to promote Civil-Military Relations in India. Views from the International Community will also be welcome.
This work is needed in order to raise intellectual capital of the stakeholders in line with the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution. It would help reinforcing democratic values in the Defence Community with Military Ethos intact.
Objectives
The establishment of the Chair and Fellowships is expected to:
1. Promote healthy and meaningful exchange of ideas amongst the intellectual Defence Community on civil-military relations in the Indian Context.
2. Facilitate wider, deeper, and un-biased discussions / interactions amongst the intellectual Community, and Faculty / Moderator(s) appointed against the Chair or as Fellows, in particular.
Terms and Conditions
The creation and operation of the Chair and Fellowships will be subject to the terms enumerated in the succeeding paras.
Methodology Research work on the subject will be undertaken by a Team constituted by Svipja Technologies within the Objectives laid. Certain identified Blogs / Sites will be used to initiate discussions amongst the stakeholders. Once done, ‘finished product’ would be circulated to the stakeholders, and published in a transparent manner.
Donor(s) Svipja Technologies will meet all the expenses of the Chair as a Founder.
Founder Chairperson Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh will be the first Chairperson.
Guidelines for “Appointment” of Faculty Against the Chair To be approved by the Board of Governors established by Svipja Technologies / Trusts / Donors.
Eligibility Anyone with a track record in defence with independent, impartial & sound logical abilities would be eligible to be considered for “appointment” against the Chair. Individual(s) being considered would first be appointed as Moderator(s). The Chair has a Think Tank’s charter.
Duration of the Chair The “appointment” against the Chair will be made for a period of up to five years. However, continuation into the fourth and fifth years will be subject to a review at the end of the third year. Further, an individual may be eligible to be considered for re-appointment, together with other eligible candidates, for a period of up to 5 years (without a break) any number of times.
Designation Member(s) appointed against the Chair will be called “Svipja Civil-Military Relations Chair Emeritus Research Fellow / Research Fellow / Research Associate Fellow”.
Research Grant To be assigned by Svipja Technologies on need basis as the faculty / work expands.
Intellectual Property (IP) Rights As a result of the “appointment” against the Chair, there shall be no change in the rights applicable to the IP developed by the researchers / faculty members and/or his/her collaborators.
Strategic Alliance(s) Svipja Technologies would be willing to establish strategic alliance(s) with like-minded bodies.
Research Presentations Research Articles will be published on Media/Sites/Blogs identified for the purpose. In addition, as a result of the “appointment” against the Chair, the faculty would be expected to undertake Presentations of the research findings of the Chair to various targeted audience, organizations and institutions.
Conclusion
This work would enhance intellectual capital of the stakeholders for security of the country in environments unfolding in the 21st Century India. Dynamics of the Civil-Military relations needs to be captured routinely in the Indian Polity.
You are welcome to contribute Your thoughts on the CMR in the Indian Context as Comments on this Blog, or by e-mail to svipja@gmail.com Your Privacy will be fully maintainted if You so like.
Sukhwindar
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