I am all for enforcement of legal rights and
fully believe that one of the most precious privileges of a citizen in our democracy
is the ability to challenge the might of the State. However a recent phenomenon
of fanning litigious tendency in the military, that too, based upon hearsay or
perceived injustice, is quite alarming.
A false picture is embedded in many minds
that litigation or creating an uproar coupled with notional and emotional calls
is the answer to everything, forgetting in the bargain that Courts cannot intervene
unless there is infringement of a legal right or policy or rule or when there
is a patently perverse and arbitrary action. Every time a matter comes to note,
many within the military community take recourse to commenting upon it, without
even checking its background and veracity, displaying a tendency that goes beyond
even trade unionism. Some even start floating calculation sheets based upon intended litigation, again on tittle-tattle,
thus raising expectations without reason which might ultimately result in dejection
and frustration.
While it is true that the system of redressal
of grievances in the defence services leaves much to be desired, and I have written on it earlier, this disruptive tendency might succeed in drawing
eyeballs on social media but only a graceful approach, that too limited to real
and solid issues, can help in resolution- institutionally or legally. Many members
of the military community also start deriding senior military leadership on
social media by creating a hullabaloo but take no steps to institutionally
resolve a matter by even putting it in writing to the concerned quarters or finally
taking it to its logical legal conclusion. Again there might be instances
wherein senior leadership would have taken actions that were not well-rounded
but that may not always be the case. And where there is actual injustice, again
the way to address is to take legal recourse in a refined manner, with malice
towards the anomaly, not against the personalities involved.
Not just seniors, even civil servants continue to bear the brunt of the military community on social media. Most of
this anger emanates from the real and perceived acts of bureaucracy in the Ministry
of Defence. But one must not forget that the actions of elements in the Defence
Ministry are not reflective of the entire civil services and neither should one’s
vision be so restricted that the impression of the entire civilian staff of the
Republic of India is tagged with what happens in some corner of a table of a junior
staffer of one ministry in Delhi. The projection that goes out on social media
is that the military is being persecuted, which we all know is not the case and
one can imagine the negative impact this has on the morale of the rank and
file, almost bordering on disaffection. This fastest finger first syndrome is also spilling into other domains.
Certain messages with communal undertones are also spread on military groups,
some injected by the adversary, and these are further embellished with utterly
immature comments not expected from someone who has worn the uniform.
We fail to realise that this subtle injection
of hate is meant to divide our society and this subtle injection of
disaffection is meant to neutralize the strength of our military and create
schisms.
Be aware. Be careful. Be wise.
Thanks,
Navdeep.
Thanks,
Navdeep.
