by Brig Arun Bajpai

Power Comes From Barrel Of a Gun, it was on this dictum that China, which got one can say independence two years later then us, is today number two power in the world, fast heading to become a super power , while we are still blundering along thanks to our Netas and Babus. In every field China is way ahead of us. It can not be denied that we have more talent than China. Indian diaspora which left India seeking better pastures outside in the world as late as 1956, are doing very well world over but not in India. problem lies with limited brain Indian Netas getting elected on caste, creed and religious vote banks instead of merit and an unaccountable bureaucracy. Armed Forces of India have been getting neglected since Nehru days. It was as late as 1962, only after we got a solid thrashing from China, that Nehru realised his folly. Once feared world over, Indian Army, due to neglect, parochialism, lack of arms and equipment was badly defeated. Nehru died a broken man. Now after 71 years, Modi Sahib the current Indian Prime Minister appears to be following same path as Nehru. It appears that our Netas wants to learn no lessons from history.

US spends 678 billion dollars yearly on its defence budget and is a super power. No country in the world can defy it. Those who have tried to defy it, ask China, Russia and Iran, what they are facing today, especially in terms of trade war and economic sanctions. America has both economic and military might and in comity of nations, military and economic might are complimentary. For a very long time Japan was number two economic might country in the world but had no military might, so nobody bothered about it. While china which was way behind both in comparison to US and Japan, realised the value of military might in foreign policy and bide its time while simultaneously improved both its military and economic might. Today it is number two economy in the world and also number two military might. Compare this with India.

The half-baked, uneducated and strategically zero Indian Netas have definitely improved the economic state of India but have allowed Indian Armed Forces to go to dogs, specially in last decade and half of Congress and then BJP rule. Today we are militarily nowhere, despite spending fifty billion dollars on defence every year. Compare this with china which spends 150 billion dollars per year on defence. It is beyond understanding of Indian Netas, busy in vote bank politics, Karj Mafi, Bijali bill Mafi , and all sorts of Mafis that these Mafis do not make country strong, if you neglect external threats on the country. Today despite being ruled by a so called nationalistic party and combined threat to India from China and Pakistan combination, Indian Air Force is down to just 32 fighter squadrons from an authorised 45 squadrons due to lack of fighter aircraft. Navy should have 200 ships, it is just having 130 ships. we had 19 submarines, now they are down to 13 conventional submarines which are very old and rickety and two nuclear submarines in which only one submarine can carry nuclear tipped missiles.

Army is worst off with 70 % of its weapons and equipment museum pieces. recently parliament committee on defence under leadership of BJP MP General khan Dori had declared that Indian Armed forces have ammunition to fight only for ten days, so he was summarily removed by Modi Ji. Indian Netas after Indira Gandhi have been continuously neglecting its armed forces. That is why even small countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and even Pakistan cares too hoots for us. Pakistan, a country on verge of bankruptcy is running a proxy war against us since 1988 in Kashmir and we do not know till date how to deal with this menace. While we are losing our trained solders every day, on Pakistani side they are losing just their Jehadis who are basically cannon fodder to Pakistani Army. but we have learned nothing. Our Netas feel that at the time of problems and threats some other country will bail us out. Like Russia in earlier days and US now. they must understand that the days of zero sum games in world arena are long over. Now every country must stand for itself and its national interests.

Problem with Indian political masters is that they refuse to take any advice from the people who deal with threats to the country, days in and days out, that is Indian military. Indian Netas feel very much at ease to take military advice from Indian Babus or their IPS counter parts the police people.it is like one blind man leading the other. Till date all Indian National Security Advisers (NSA) have been either policemen or Babus. In the current Modi Government set up, NSA is from police Mr Doval, his three deputies are from police, all the three advisers to J&K Government for Kashmir problem are from police. What knowledge these police man have of external threat facing the country? the strategic angle and what have you? If police in India is all that capable then why army is being used in j&K and NE states for last so many decades? Now so called Para military forces in India are numbering 1.3 million , more than Army, Then why Army is still employed in counterinsurgency operations? No country in the world uses policemen as advisers on matters military except India. In India in all meetings of Cabinet Committee on Security , the highest defence body dealing with external threats to India and weapons procurement, the three services chiefs are not permanent members, they can be invited if need be and they are never invited. This is height of stupidity. probably we took this idea from western countries. We forget that in Western countries most of the Netas have taken part in one war or other. Besides MOD is not staffed with 90% civilians as in India , there MOD is staffed by 90% with military men.

All said and done it is time that in India also public must start taking interest in how things are run by the Government on matters military. Mr Rahul Gandhi and opposition should take these points for agitation and not purchase of Rafael Fighters, which is a government to Government deal and nothing will come out of it. Indian Government must make presence of three services chiefs a must in all meetings of CCPA. we must implement Chief of Defence Staff system. Either NSA or Dy NSA must be from Armed Forces. Army must be withdrawn from all internal security duties now, when para military forces are numbering more than Army.

Brig Arun Bajpai (Retd) is a distinguished Defence and Strategic Analyst. Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of IDN. IDN does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same