Politicization of the military and militarization of politicians has accelerated in recent years. Witness bureaucracy-backed politicians sporting military uniforms, head dresses (some over pyjama/dhoti) and imported goggles, strutting around like roosters. But as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw once said – without knowing the difference between a guerilla and a gorilla.
Braggards are galore. Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament we will take back POK and Aksai Chin. So, China’s 2020 Ladakh invasion shut the gate to Aksai Chin. Before the 2024 general election, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins, he will take POK within three months. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh yodels POK will automatically fall into our lap – like Newton experienced the apple. So, Newton formulated the Law of Universal Gravitation and Rajnath lyrics Not Even an Inch of Territory Lost (in Ladakh)– willful subterfuge! This, after meekly vacating the Kailash Range and no question now of any PLA moving back from the LAC.
An erudite veteran-scholar wrote two years back the government has so infected the military’s head that the fence is now eating the crop. Two recent articles must be read; one by former CNS Admiral Arun Prakash and another by veteran Lt Gen HS Panag.
Admiral Arun Prakash finds a push towards public display of a politically-motivated religious-cultural identity with senior military leaders in uniform participating in religious ceremonies with politicians and increasing references to mythological/religious themes in public briefings/utterances; to please the political establishment – violative of the oath of allegiance to the Constitution. He describes in detail grave consequences of political polarization for the military and national security.
Gen Panag points out Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and COAS Upendra Dwivedi, warning Pakistan of changing its history and geography, incredulous and bizarre. CAS ACM AP Singh also talked of 12 to 13 PAF aircraft downed in Operation ‘Sindoor while dismissing Pakistan’s claims of shooting five to six fighter IAF aircraft on May 7. Gen Panag says India must formalise national security strategy and national defence policy; military capability must enable offensive deterrent on Pakistan and dissuasive deterrent on China. Victory is in the psychological domain, not in quantifying physical damages; focus should be for effecting psychological paralysis. Our narrative should have focussed on IAFs full control over Pakistani skies on May 10, with multiple PAF assets neutralised. He emphasizes the military must give professional advice to the government, with moral courage to point flaws in the strategic directions received.
When Gen Dwivedi visited Jagadguru Rambhadracharya’s ashram in Chitrakoot in May 2025, the seer asked him for POK in Guru Dakshina (Teachers Fee). Dwivedi didn’t mention Rajnath had declared POK will fall automatically in our lap. One view is Dwivedi plans to quietly pluck POK from Rajnath’s lap and gift it to the seer. Ironically, service chiefs are falling over each other to become the next CDS. ACM AP Singh, who earlier claimed six PAF aircraft destroyed in Op ‘Sindoor’, now says 12 to 13. Observers feel Dwivedi has a major lead in the CDS race, as he is readying for a political role even CDS, looking at the manner he is greeted at his hometown.
Gen Dwivedi capitalized on Op ‘Sindoor’ by using it as a symbol on his official letterhead, which FM Sam Manekshaw never did after the greatest Indian victory with 93,000 Pak prisoners. There are no limits to buttering the political hierarchy. A former CNS spent government funds to instal a Shivaji statue on civil land introduced kurta-pyjama in officer messes, perhaps taking the cue from the DRDO using government funds to make a silver carriage for the Rath Yatra. But his future ambassadorship went down the drain when the statue collapsed. Ironically the likes of these are the ones who give up dignity without acknowledging karma is unalterable – looking at the end the first CDS met.
India achieved big in Op ‘Sindoor’ but the talk of free-hand to the military is poppycock looking at who all were singly summoned to the PM’s house by night. The military hierarchy lacked the spine to point out the flaws in the PM’s strategic direction – only targeting terrorist targets on the first day which resulted in the IAF losing six fighter jets, including one Rafale, on May 7. External intelligence under NSA Ajit Doval was atrocious – we didn’t know most terrorist hideouts had been vacated, American nukes are stored in areas of Kirana hills and Nur Khan, Nur Khan Air Base is under US control, and how Pakistan could hit IAF jets especially with IAF pilots sans encrypted communications.
About 30% Indian MPs and MLAs face serious criminal cases. The worst was Rajnath telling Parliament no loss of material and men in Op ‘Sindoor’. Morality is alien to politicians and this person habitually lies in Parliament, but not honouring sacrifices of men in operations is sacrilege. ACM AP Singh at least visited injured IAF personnel but Gen Dwivedi didn’t even do that. Why are service chiefs sloganeering like politicians or it doesn’t matter once conscience is killed? The Navy’s so-called ‘Bara Khana’ aboard INS Vikrant for Modi was no less than a colonial dinner minus the wines.
Most national leaders have idiosyncrasies – the most idiotic being US President Donald Trump. But Modi’s penchant for theatrics and self-aggrandizement are at bursting point. In a writeup titled ‘The Emperor has No uniform – And What A Fall It’s Been’ a veteran wrote that Modi’s visit to INS Vikrant was not a gesture of leadership or national pride but another hollow over-production; familiar vanity parade with dramatic visuals, choreographed camera angles, and yet another round of wardrobe drama – a leader dressed for the lens rather than the moment. Link to this Facebook post is naturally rendered dysfunctional but looking at the coverage of Modi waving to a fighter jet taking off, an Indo-American compares it to Modi waving a green flag to a passing train.
Who decided to rename Infantry Day as Shaurya Divas? Infantry Day is unique to the Infantry but Shaurya is not limited to the Infantry alone. Speculation is Shaurya Divas is pay back by CDS Anil Chauhan to honour NSA Ajit Doval’s son (Shaurya) since Chauhan as three-star retiree was under Doval for nine months and then elevated to four-star CDS. Another post says our traditions, our history, our honour, being destroyed one step at a time – but Dwivedi is mum as bitten by a snake. Chauhan also publicly said we don’t need a written national security strategy; to protect Doval’s failure to define it despite being officially tasked to do so years back?
The current multiple military exercises are supposedly to intimidate Pakistan. But then Taiwan (1/16th the size of Ukraine) should have surrendered with PLA exercises around the island country over the past several months/years. Would Rajnath posing with Bhairav Commandos, yet to be fully organized and equipped, scare Pakistan? Isn’t it pathetic that despite repeated intelligence reports of 120 heavily armed terrorists in the launchpads across the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K waiting to cross into India, the political hierarchy can’t muster the spine to hit them?
India is out of ’Ayni’ and ‘Farkhor’ air bases in Tajikistan, jointly operated by the IAF and the Tajik Air Force that gave India a strategic advantage in Central Asia and Afghanistan. To cover up this foreign policy failure, false narrative is built that India is to occupy Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base
and another saying IAF is already operating from there. Also, there are posts (in English and Hindi) that India has widened the Siliguri Corridor to 60-km; masking the activity from the world with a special satellite. One deep-fake shows an army officer saying one terrorist attack in India will change the map of the world – either we will expand our Chicken neck or break the neck of Pakistan.
One doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but with no action to block such fakes, these are possibly government-sponsored.
Modi doesn’t have to be accountable to anyone – he has avoided press briefing since he became prime minister. But the military hierarchy salivating over carrots must remember they have to look soldiers in the eye – choose between being upright or spineless. Finally, readers can view what a veteran has posted on Facebook and Linkedin and draw their own conclusions.
PN: The author is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed are personal.
The first para itself betrays the streak of crass cynicism that this Col Blimp of a General is swallowing and spitting at the same Time . His violence with the language reminds me to recall the most apt of descriptions of a Frustrated Fauji like him..albeit with a bit of upgrade…”A lot many Generals would make excellent Sargeant Majors”, said SAM Bahadur Thapa. And Gandhiji’s retort to an American writer who wrote disparagingly about
India. “Its a gutter inspector’s report.” He is slur on Marron Beret.
Just about blaming every act and everyone, the achievements are over shadowed by your strongly worded and one sided expressions, Adm Arun Prakash a very respected person never minced words and need not be quoted out of context, in services we all deliver, our seniors attain their position due to the men they lead, need to read what you say between the lines
Nothing wrong in doing Puja and taking blessings of our well known deities. Armed Forces should be part of political system in Democracy, till now they were kept away by the Government not to be expose in public the last bastion of country. Army Commander should interact with the political bosses regularly to understand the situation and mindset of Master. Army is raised and funded by tax payers money should be acceptable and accountable to them. When parliament committee visit farward area and briefing by the Army senior officers, they asked very tough questions. Chief or CDS is reporting to Govt since they have a authority to appoint them. All units/ formations have religious place to worship. Proper religious teacher are part of every established system since british days. Chinese Army has political commissiors in every unit. I have been propagating CDS exam entry to Armed Forces, who knows and understands how our civil services works. A child goes to Sainik school or any other school is under restricted area who does not know what is happening outside the boundary wall and he gets commission by beg, borrow and steel. Army doesn’t face day to day challenge like IAS and IPS in public dealing where he is accountable even to village pradhan, MLA, minister. A budget of DM/DC is more than 1200 crore at his disposal. Whereas Army Officers have no such thing. Army Commander fund is also routed through IFA. Military Training should be with attachment to civilians administration like IAS and IPS with Army Units across the country. I am very happy to see our top brasses interact with politicians and get something for forces in bargain, otherwise forces can not buy a pin without MoD finance approval.
The article is biased and blames the entire system! The sweeping aspersions are only partially correct! In the hind sight, all can keep commenting and be critical to the ways prevailing in the forces, the top military brass to be servile and fawning, and call politicians and babus all kinds of names. I only wonder if while in service the veterans commenting in sync with the author took the cudgels to bring a systemic change! Once when grieved by the organisation, I after all intra organisational means of redressal exhausted, took the matter to the court. It resulted in lakhs of engineers in the three services to gain out of it in terms of technical pay! The armed forces personnel are the ones who have been nurtured by the likes of the author! Thus we too are responsible if our next gen are acting truant! Brazen derision seems like there is a personal axe to grind! Now religion and politics not to be mixed……..! Is it achievable? When most of the Indian infantry regiments war cry is based on religion! “Ram Ram Sahab” is a popular greeting! The military needs to be attitudinally, in thinking and action apolitical and without religious bias! We are champions in laughing at anything which is from our own legacy! What our faujis used to wear before the Brits came? Were they attired in trousers and shirts? Its a travesty that the forces could not think of attiring our military in our indigenously designed uniforms. Yet merely for the change, there ought to be a change; I do not subscribe to that and thus wont be averse to maintaining status quo. Those who walked the military way are somewhat responsible for where the military is, be it for good or otherwise!
I fortunately do not agree with the Biased Critical Views of the Author…& critical of the Service Chiefs…Serving & Retd.What is important if the Formal Announcement of the Theatre Comds by the Govt to which end…there in No Vacancy for a New CDS …which will only delay this Imperitive Need of the Hour ..i.e” JOINTNESS & TRISERVICE INTEGREATION”
I am a veteran served and fought wars in 1965 & 1971 and faced Naga insurgency.
I have been keen observer than commentator about the serving senior officers looking for next government job after retirement. They would compromise with the government at the cost of an organisation they had served and nourished. Gen. Rawat was given the task to get rid of CSD system as government was loosing lot of revenue but due to his untimely death the scheme got fizzled out.
Good and critical article. Although calling one of the previous chiefs as a joker doesn’t go well. And what’s the problem in Kurta Pyajama? It connects the military to India. And this must be done by all services. CAS moving from 6 to 7 Aircrafts to 12 to 13 – with change in time, perception needs to be updated. If 12 to 13 can be proved, it’s a great work, whether true or not, doesn’t matter. Using Hindi and Sanskrit pieces during speeches, is good, chiefs aren’t answering to Army Only. They are speaking to the nation and citizens needs to know it, in their language. I say, not only Hindi and Sanskrit, but all 22 should be used.
Whatever be the case, terms of references and non-negotiable should not be played around with.
If we are supposed to be apolitical, non religious, and not playing into hands of any political leaders’ personal agenda , so be it ….
Few agendas of the present political dispensation like Aatma nirbharta are good for the nations economy as well as the defence forces , then it should be supported by us. That too only if the Indian made eqpt is worthy.
Nothing repeat NOTHING should sway us away from our military aim of integrity, ensuring national territorial integrity, security and our basic military ethos.
A hard hitting but absolutely true picture of the abysmal lack of spine of today’s top brass. Pics of COAS in ridiculous poses and pics with religious leaders does not bode well for what is supposed to be an apolitical army with allegiance only to the Constitution and the only religion being that of the troops. The dangled carrot seems to have stripped the COAS of even a modicum of dignity of uniform. Sad state of affairs
Thanks Sir, your pieces are hard, unpalatable facts which only an honorable, serving or veteran officer can accept, but definitely not a MASTERSTROKE-struck serving or veteran. I have seen the uniform from position of grace once Rawat Sahib was propped as Vice Chief and then Chief under the premise that, it was not an era of wars, but only counter terror operations hence an Infantry man was given the task, but not the other two officers – one was from Armored Corps and the other from Mechanised Forces. Since then, Armed Forces have gone down a spiral – politicisation of Generals and militarisation of politicians 🍻