With jawans taking to the social media to highlight their grievances against senior officers, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday warned them of disciplinary action for resorting to such means of communication as their act affected the morale of those guarding the frontiers of the country.
He asked aggrieved soldiers to contact him directly if their issue was not addressed properly.
Giving this stern message, he said a mechanism for redressal of complaints through proper channels existed in the Army and “if any jawan has any grievance, he has been provided with the proper forum to resolve his issue and maintain a balance. If you are not satisfied with the action, then you can contact me directly.”
“Aapne jo karwai ki hai aap iske liye apradhjanak hain, aur saza ke haqdaar ho sakte hain (You are violating rules by your act and you could be punished for that),” he said, referring to instances of jawans using the social media.
“It (airing of grievances on social media) has (negative) impact on the brave jawans who are serving the country along the border,” the chief said while addressing the troops on the occasion of the 69th Army Day.
Taking cognisance of this issue, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said he had discussed it with the Army Chief, adding there was a need for having an informal redressal system to look into the soldiers’ problems. The Minister also said he was looking into the matter.
Rawat’s warning about disciplinary action came days after lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh of Rajput Regiment posted a video on the social media criticising the exploitation of soldiers deputed as ‘sahayaks’ of the officers.
Singh’s video was amongst a spate of such social media messages, including a Border Security Force (BSF) and a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, airing such complaints. These message went viral prompting the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) seeking an explanation from the Home Ministry.
On Friday last, Rawat had said, “The social media is a double-edged weapon which can be used favourably but can also be detrimental.” He had also announced setting up of “suggestion-cum-grievance” boxes to enable the complainant to approach him directly.
These boxes will be installed at the Army Headquarters and command headquarters all over the country. later on, such boxes will also be set up at lower formations, Rawat said during his annual Press conference on Friday.
He had also assured that the identity of the complainant will not be revealed to avoid harassment by seniors adding the effort was to ensure that the rank and file of the Army has confidence in senior leadership in resolving their problems.
Denying claims that communication lines between the troops and officers had broken down leading to trust deficit and jawans resorting to the social media, Rawat maintained the communication system was working well and the Army had an “excellent” grievance redressal system. He asked the aggrieved soldiers should use it rather than indirectly communicating their woes.
Drawing flak for ‘sahayak’ or ‘buddy system’ even after the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence some years back criticised this system as it led to ill-treatment of soldiers, who are combatants, Rawat defended the system.
He, however, said the Army has given a proposal to the Government to stop this arrangement in peace and static locations. The IAF and Navy had stopped this system but the Army has so far resisted any attempt to do away with it.
Apart from the social media issue, Rawat in his address to the troops said while India sought peace on line of Control (lOC), cease fire violations or untoward incidents propagated by Pakistan will be responded to by force.
The Army Chief also said in the last few months of 2016, the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir turned very volatile.
“I understand that our competitors are aware of our strengths. While being always ready, our policy is to take action at any place and any time. Our efforts to restore peace on the border must not be viewed as our weakness,” he said, while warning those who try disrupt peace through terror activities.
He also brought out that Confidence Building Measures were being further strengthened along the line of Actual Control(lAC) with China to reduce tensions and said despite transgressions on the lAC, the armies on both sides have improved mutual co-ordination.
Earlier, he inspected the parade at Field Marshal Cariappa Parade Ground here. The Army Chief also presented Sena Medal to wife of Siachen braveheart lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who survived miraculously for six days last year under huge ice-and-snow debris after an avalanche hit his post before losing life to multiple organ failure
Army Day is celebrated every year on January 15 to mark the taking over of command of the Indian Army by the first Indian Commander-in-Chief, lt-Gen (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa on this day in 1948. He took over the reins of the Indian Army from lt-Gen Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief.