‘Protecting the Strengths of the Military’s Institutional Ethos’
STORIES, ANALYSES, EXPERT VIEWS
In a fast changing world, military leaders, writes Lt Gen DS Hooda retd. (former Northern Army Commander) “must look beyond the traditional domains of security. India is one of the few countries that face serious conventional threats on its northern and western borders. While keeping these in focus, the military should not isolate itself from national security challenges posed by climate change, demographic pressures, pandemics, technology disruption, and ethnic cleavages. These challenges would become more critical as we peer into the future internal security landscape of India.
“In India, the nature of the political-military interface is changing. Traditionally, the military had always kept its distance from politics……Today, the military is increasingly being dragged into political debates. While these declarations do not automatically translate into the politicisation of the military, some of the enthusiasm displayed by serving officers in defending the government’s political decisions or in praise of political leaders is a worrisome trend,” in the view of the former General.
Military leaders, he argues “will have to walk a fine line that draws a clear distinction between the instructions of the political leaders and their ideology. It would be unfortunate if a crop of future politicians looks at military leaders with suspicion because of a perceived alignment with a particular ideology…..
“India’s military ethos is based on its rich history and traditions and steadfast adherence to the Indian Constitution. Each member of the military has taken an oath swearing that he will ‘bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established’. The constitutional principles of equality, secularism and fraternity are an essential part of the military’s culture. Military leaders must ensure that their actions are not seen as diluting the institutional ethos.
Lt Gen DS Hooda concludes: “The Indian military is one of the strongest institutions that the nation has relied upon in times of crisis. Therefore, while dealing with the changes in the security environment, our senior military leaders must also ensure that there is continuity in protecting the strengths of the military’s institutional ethos.”
