A call for parity

The other day, I was passing through a remote village in one of our Eastern states when I came across a State police official. He had three stars on his shoulders, looked far older than a Captain would look and certainly did not have the sophistication in conduct that one associates either with a Captain or a middle level officer in any of our security forces. On enquiry, it was revealed that the gentleman was an Inspector. On further pursuing, it was evident that the stripe that accompanies the stars of personnel below officers’ rank who display the stars on their shoulders, had been discarded in the case of Inspectors. Perhaps, tomorrow, we will reach a stage in this country where a young army officer is equated with a Class II gazetted officer.

It’s essential for us to renew the battle to regain our status vis-à-vis the civil cervices. In the case of uniformed police and para military forces, it becomes far more relevant since we operate with these forces often enough in a country plagued by insurgencies. Ministry of Home Affairs letter of 1966, confirmed by letter No 12/1/2007 dated 14 August 2007, equates Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels and Majors with IAS officers of 23, 18 and 13 years of service, respectively. Brigadiers are equated with IGPs of police. An SP and DCP of Police are equated with a Major. A further notification was issued on 26 July 1979, that equated Joint Secretaries with Major Generals, thereby throwing all equations off balance. Today, a Joint Secretary reaches that rank in approximately 16 to 18 years of service while a Major General takes over 35 years before he sports the crossed baton and sword on his shoulders.

The implications of these down gradations include a huge loss in pay and allowances and erosion in the respect we elicit in the streets. With media informing the masses, all that our brass on the shoulders is worth, it’s all too painfully visible to one and all. It has also led to erosion in the self esteem of our soldiers. Facing dangers, privations and pit falls that soldiering often entails, requires an enormous amount of pride in being a soldier. Battalions fight through fire because of an elitist feeling induced in the men. The greatest force that inculcates such values in soldiers is the nation’s deference to its men in uniform. But, if the soldier feels he is being short-changed, there is every probability, notwithstanding the increases in defence budget, of a drop in commitment.

It’s time for the armed forces to seek a comprehensive review of their status as compared to the other civil services. The bottom line of our approach needs to be the stance that an officer of the armed forces is equivalent in status and pay with officers of the IAS cadre of the same service length. The issue of select rank needs to be addressed in that context. A selection grade colonel with 18 years of service needs to be equated with a Joint Secretary. When the last pay commission was working out the details, it was the IAS and the IFS who were most staunchly against service officers getting their due pay grades. Their main argument was that the current working equations will get unduly stressed.

We have a problem today of high profile officers opting out. The intake also does not any longer boast too many from reputed schools. Setting right the anomaly of status would definitely make the armed forces a more decent choice as a career. It’s also in the interest of a democracy where some institutions have to remain strong in an atmosphere of absolute debauchery.

Brig SK Chatterji Brigadier (Retd) is a Defence Analyst based in New Delhi

Courtesy: Purple Beret

(The views expressed in the article are that of the author and do not represent the views of the editorial committee or the centre for land warfare studies).