Narendra Modi is the Prime minister of India and after decades India has a young and fit man to lead India as compared to the earlier leaders, he is just 64. But his comparative youthfulness needs to be channelized properly. He must remember a nation's standing in the world polity of nations rests solely on its military strength and its ability to wage a war far away from home. Unless this dawns on Modi, there is every chance that he will fall into the abyss of Nehruvian concepts and lead India to look like an old and sick tiger.
Modi has to change his priorities. Firstly, to set up his ascendency over the military he must slowly but surely restore the old parity of the military vis-a-vis the civil authority. The order of protocol must be rewritten. A major should again be equated to a Superintendent of Police and all ranks structured so. This will restore morale now reeling down wards. The perks of office, which existed during the days of the Raj must be restored. A simple example is the use of Form D for rail travel. This allows an officer to travel by rail by paying 60% of the fare. Earlier there was no limit on this concession, but now it is limited to just 3 sets in a calendar year.
It is also important to expand the armed forces. Budget constraints cannot be cited to put expansions on a back burner. A strategic appreciation of the capability of China and Pakistan must be the only overriding reason to decide on the force level to fight China and Pakistan.. Never forget that China can throw 30 divisions for combat at a go.
Equipment must be procured for the creation of strike corps to face China. The defensive strategy needs must be replaced by plans to free Tibet in the long run. The Tibetans are looking to India for intervention for over a 100 years and the first man who let them down was Nehru. Despite the home minister wanting an Indian response to China 's invasion of Tibet in 1950, Nehru just watched. The Indian military policy must be pro-active and not reactive. Foreign policy also needs a re-vamp and active support to Balochis and Sind separatists is the need of the hour, not forgetting the Tibetan people who are ready to fight the Chinese. The Indian army has a great record of fighting along with Germany and Japan during World War II.as well as subduing the enemy in China( boxer rebellion) and other places during the 19th and 20th century.
In the same breath I will add, that morale boosting measures like OROP, must be sanctioned at once. Money can never be a constraint if India is to be recognized as a great power. All this cannot be done by Modi alone, but the General staff which has shown no mettle or strength of character must get its act together. We cannot have another case of an Army Chief like General Thapar accepting orders from a Joint Secretary.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8851379
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