Leave the Army out of this...

It had to happen - when will it happen, was really the question..I refer to the decision of the Government to use the Armed Forces - the Army and the Air Force to combat the Maoists and the Naxals who have played havoc in various parts of the Country, in recent times.

Now here's where I think we are making a mistake. Once again. Like we have so many times in the past. We are once again asking the Army to do what is positively NOT its role, and to do something it has NOT been trained to do.

The role of the Army is primarily to guard the frontiers of India. Likewise, for the Air Force it is to guard India's air space.

Over the years, these forces have been used for a wide variety of purpose other than the one they are exclusively supposed to serve. The intervention of the Army or the Air Force in times of National calamities of various kinds - floods, drought, cyclones etc. cannot be questioned. Because saving the lives of thousands of human beings is the unquestionable purpose.

But the Army was inducted into large numbers in other roles like counter terrorism in the Punjab, North Eastern India and J&K. Take just one State - J&K - where large numbers of battalions comprising of hundreds of soldiers were removed from their critical role - defence of the land, and moved to the State, and have been operative since the last fifteen years or more, in counter insurgency operations.

And now, the Army might be moved to fight maoists.

The armed forces like the army and the air force, due to their very specific role are generally aloof and away from the civil population of the Country. During peace times, they are confined to their Cantonments away from the civilian world, where they continuously train. When there is no war, they train to be prepared for war.

There is enough historical evidence to prove that deploying the Army in roles where they interact with the population and the masses, has had its pitfalls. The average army jawan is not trained to control mobs during communal riots, to perform search and cordon operations in villages and small towns and similar activities, and to deal with the local population there. And when the jawans are forced to perform such roles, there are mistakes made, and allegations abound, of human rights violations.

And in all this, what we also tend to forget that we compromise our strength on the borders. Because there are that much less soldiers patrolling the border, as they are busy chasing militants, criminals and so on.

The question is - what good is the police? What I read, in this decision of the Government to use the Army for the maosists and Naxal issue, is that the State police and the Central forces together are not found good enough either in terms of number strength or capability, to perform these roles.

Take the Central Reserve Police Force. This along with its off shoot force - the Rapid Action Force are 2,00,000 soldiers, and that's a very large number, by any stretch of imagination. If these forces are not going to be used on occasions such as countering the maosits menace, then why do they exist?

The way to go is to train and equip forces like the CRPF, RAF and the NSG, much better than they are today. But the primary responsibility and accountability for countering terrorism has to lie with these forces.

Use them effectively or disband them and think of a newer more capable force.

In any case, it's time we stopped looking up to the Army for any and every civilian crisis...

First day at work

Today is the day we welcome new joinees to our Organization. And one of the Management Trainees is going to be a part of my team.

Takes me back to that specific day, when I started my own career as a Management Trainee. It was July 1, 1988 - about 22 years ago.

The three of us who joined were literally 'marched up' to the head of the Delhi Branch of Britannia Industries. To us rookies, the General Manager looked awesome, somewhat inspiring and I recall that to some extent intimidating.

A full training schedule was drawn up. What followed was a training regime that almost resembled School or College. One made notes of everything one observed on the shop floor. And there were 'on the spot' or 'surprise' vivas !

Trainees were assessed and progress reports were written based on these vivas, reports written by the trainee on every department where the training had been completed.

All reports were written on A4 size paper in neat handwriting and put togehter in a folder and presented within a set deadline.

During training we learnt the science - the chemistry and the entire theory of baking - of bread and biscuits. And then we had to work on the shop floor to actually bake !

The first 'practical' test was when I was asked to bake a loaf of bread. I proudly presented the fresh hot loaf to the Factory Manager, who had one look at it, and promptly asked me to 'trash' it. Reason? A loaf meant to be 800 gms in weight, was only 600 gms. !

Before we knew it, it was time for the final assessment and the big decision - confirmation which meant promotion to the covenanted cadre of the Company, or rejection which meant the trainee had to pack up and leave.

I was summoned to the General Manager -the same old strict looking Boss, for the final assessment interview. One question from him and the earth seemed to slip from under my feet. "What if we don't confirm you?" was the question he asked.

I didn't sleep for the next three or four days and when the suspense became unbearable, I decided to approach the HR Manager 'Harikrishna' or 'Hari' - an absolutely friendly and jovial young man. The types who would put everyone at ease within no time.

I related the jist of the interview to Hari. His facial expression turned to a frown, as I completed my story. When I asked him about what he made of the whole episode, he answered " It's strange he made this remark. Because only yesterday, I read the assessment that he wrote about you, and I found it to be one of the most positive and strong recommendations he has written for anyone..."

So GM had decided to basically derive some sadistic kind of pleasure at my expense....

A shade under 22 years have flown by. Roles are reversed. And now some of us might appear to the youngsters as so senior, serious, intimidating and so on. However unlike that Boss, I have always ensured that every 'fresher' joining a new Organisation and on the threshold of his or her career, is made absolutely comfortable...and that he or she finds friends all around...

The World has changed from what it was 22 years ago. Today, the management trainee has a designated work station, a computer a phone - all waiting for her as she walks in on her first day at work. When I came to work on my first day, personal computers were a thing no one knew, let alone use. Three of us shared one intercom in the Office. And there was one rarely used or almost discarded conference room in one corner of the Factory far away from the main Office, which the three of us called 'our' room.

Well at least we could sit there and smoke without running into the 'Boss' with a cigarette in our hand..!