Is Salary The Only Issue Mr Raksha Mantriji???

Mr AK Anthony, the Raksha Mantri informs the Parliament that "the Indian Armed Forces are short of a staggering 14165 officers" as per a Times Of India article. The next day the same newspaper featured an article about the Armed Forces' expectations from the 6th Pay Commission which, in all probability,would be implemented by 2009.

The COAS who also spoke on behalf of all the three forces - the Army, the Navy and the Airforce - was quoted as saying that increments in the salary for the armed forces was a way to stem the tide of migration of its personnel to the corporate world. The very fact that the Chief of Army Staff made that public comment means that the Defence Ministry and our respected RM AK Anthony is of that opinion too.

Not denying the fact that armed forces personnel deserve a better deal, the Top Brass and the RM could go a longer way in ensuring permanent changes in the organisation if they address the real issues of personnel migration from the defence forces instead of alluding themselves to cosmetic changes.

Youngsters join the defence forces for the valour, duty and sacrifice the job entails. I do not believe anyone joined it to make money or become millionaires, unless of course he belongs to a Marwari or Bania caste, then I may cast some doubts. These youngsters leave, not because they are not paid enough, but because somewhere down the line they found that the very values for which they were attracted to it, has dissipated right before their eyes or that they feel undervalued and unwanted because their talents are not made proper use of.

There were 38 Lieutenant Colonels and 34 Captains/Majors (of the Army only) whose release came through in March 2007. I am yet to be convinced that all of them left just because they were not paid enough!

Therefore Raksha Mantriji and the respected COAS, the rot lies elsewhere, not in the pay scale. Because I am one of those of who left in March and the very satisfaction that I get in my new Job is not because my basic pay is equivalent to that of a Major General but because people in my new Organisation sees my potential and how I could be useful to the organisation. After all, to a man, at the end of the day it is not how much money he brings home to his wife but how much recognition or self esteem or self respect/ appreciation he has earned at work that day that matters to him.