Nirmala Sitharaman as new defence minister won't bridge yawning gap between Indian Army and bureaucracy

There is nothing to criticise about Nirmala Sitharaman’s appointment as the defence minister after Sunday’s Cabinet reshuffle . In this day and age, the fact that she is a woman does not matter and her expertise, or lack of it, is equally irrelevant. To harp on about her gender is to patronise.

But there is no reason to celebrate either. Nothing dramatic has occurred and the same old story is repeating itself, albeit with a change of gender.

We can get excited and see it as a major development but all it proves is that ministers in India need to be politicians and are not required to possess knowledge pertaining to their portfolios.

Odds are that the newly appointed defence minister is not even aware of the ranks in the armed forces, let alone its needs. Once again, we are trapped in a seamless loop of ignorance – finding virtue in the fact that administrative capabilities and acumen are not compulsory qualifications for a minister.

Our ministers leap from portfolio to portfolio, oblivious to the needs and priorities of their ministry. Last week’s commerce and industry minister is today’s boss of the third largest army in the world.

For the purists, such cavalier appointments might rankle and many faults can be found in them. But this has been the way for years and the concept of a technocratic government has never really caught on, despite periodic intellectual stabs in that direction.

What is worrisome is that even the present government has not thought to bridge the yawning gap between the bureaucracy and the armed forces. We live in perilous times and if we have to maintain such a huge force then we are duty bound to maintain its morale.

In recent years, the forces have expressed their dismay over issues like disparity in pay scales, service benefits, one rank one pension (OROP) and promotional avenues. Social platforms are rife with retired and angry officers expressing their outrage. The forces could give you scores of examples on how civilian ‘masters’ enjoy keeping the men and women in uniform under control.

The fear of adventurous generals executing a coup has been palpable for seventy years in both political and bureaucratic circles and feeds on this improbable option voraciously. It then makes decisions based on this spectre and herein lies the rub. Sitharaman will depend largely on the civilian set up for advice, having no clue about the forces and its special texture.

You cannot then blame the servicemen for fearing that there could be a further reduction of benefits and perks. Under interim defence minister Arun Jaitley, the whittling of privileges had already begun. This is the only way that the elected government believes it can control the armed forces and it fails to realise the damage it does to the fighting soldier.

Recent history does not inspire confidence either. The former incumbent, now Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, was almost contemptuous of his job and wanted to scurry back to his state. He treated Delhi like a punishment posting. Then came a part timer in Jaitley, who is also the finance minister. It is safe to say that his holding additional charge of the portfolio was scarcely edifying.

Mentally, Sitharaman will have to discard her sari and put on a uniform. We have enemies on the borders and peace seems to be a far off prospect. She needs to listen to the civilians but also heed to the services’ needs to do the right thing. You need them more than they need you. The recent unrest in Panchkula, Haryana elucidates that point perfectly.