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It is getting more of a rule than an exception.
That is why there is so much of confusion happening in the military discipline and morals.
The new age "fauji" wife
- Thread starter Ray
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That is why there is so much of confusion happening in the military discipline and morals.
My question is simple??
Is AWWA an NGO, if yes who gets to audit its accounts ?? ( AWWA by itself has no capital & is like an inert balloon, requiring funding)
Why at AHQ level a combat serving officer is heading its activities when it has no recognized mandate.( is this appt as per CDA norms)
This officer is answerable to the head honcho of the army, the COAS's wife ,who orders him about.( does she figure in the chain of command )
AWWA is still stuck in the past century mode ;-
1. Official, combat worthy vehicles for commuting for their meetings.
2. Organizing from within, dances / fashion shows for visiting senior officers.( often by subtle coercion)
3. Dispensing sewing machines/ blankets to war widows.
4. At places it is just a glorified "Kitty club" for bored matronly house wives, whose imagination has bid them good bye!!
The writing is harsh to provoke and get imaginative responses !!. Army is meant for precision tasks and decent living standards, it is also meant to uphold values that are de funct in the civvy street. Lead by example is the motto then why this extra non functional / not authorized / past its date baggage of AWWA.
Is AWWA an NGO, if yes who gets to audit its accounts ?? ( AWWA by itself has no capital & is like an inert balloon, requiring funding)
Why at AHQ level a combat serving officer is heading its activities when it has no recognized mandate.( is this appt as per CDA norms)
This officer is answerable to the head honcho of the army, the COAS's wife ,who orders him about.( does she figure in the chain of command )
AWWA is still stuck in the past century mode ;-
1. Official, combat worthy vehicles for commuting for their meetings.
2. Organizing from within, dances / fashion shows for visiting senior officers.( often by subtle coercion)
3. Dispensing sewing machines/ blankets to war widows.
4. At places it is just a glorified "Kitty club" for bored matronly house wives, whose imagination has bid them good bye!!
The writing is harsh to provoke and get imaginative responses !!. Army is meant for precision tasks and decent living standards, it is also meant to uphold values that are de funct in the civvy street. Lead by example is the motto then why this extra non functional / not authorized / past its date baggage of AWWA.
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Wilco.
Soon.
Actually, I have no tag of which all I have appended.
And I don't want to bore you all with repeats.
Will check the threads and then go for it!
I also engrossed in a fiction titled LASKKAR.
Quite gripping except it was a bit boring when the author painted the Indian PM and the Def Min as men of steel and nerve.
That was a bit far from reality.
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Thank you so much
I agree with you. I recently read Lashkar and it was a pretty nice experience. Even I didn't like Mukul Deva emphasizing Mauni baba and St. Antony as super politicians; those idiots do not even deserve any kind of praises even in fictional writings.
I am currently reading the sequel of Lashkar ' Salim Must Die ' and have other 2 books from MD lined for further reading...
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Do give a review.
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A voluntary organization AWWA aims at the holistic development and well being of army wives and children, as well as the rehabilitation of war widows and differently abled. AWWA supplements the official welfare efforts of the Indian Army.
A strong sense of responsibility for the well being of the soldier and his family, constitutes a pivotal and sacrosanct aspect of army life at all levels of military.
It is For the Army, Of the Army and By the Army.
It is not profit making.
Therefore, since it is for the welfare, promotion, education, skill development et al of Army wives and their children, of all ranks, it banks on military facilities for organisation.
I might add that the Military is only cosmetically 'held in esteem' while at the same time, everything is done to do it down.
Therefore, why grudge the military for at least doing something to make their lives more fruitful, not only for themselves, but in the long run for the nation, by not being burdens on society, like those who are always hunting for handouts and sops from the Govt and then whining that nothing is being done!
And these whiners being vote banks get the benefit, while the Military is left in the lurch to fend for themselves and 'being held high in esteem' with nothing substantial being done.
The country has changed,
The ex servicemen are mobilising politically since they find the neglect to be to jarring and enough is enough.
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Ex-servicemen seek voting rights for soldiers at posts
Bhanu Pratap Singh, TNN | Sep 19, 2013, 04.05 AM ISTA
JAIPUR: The 2014 general elections promise to be interesting in many ways, besides the BJP turning it into a Rahul Gandhi versus Narendra Modi battle. For the first time a demand is being made to let the armed forces personnel exercise the right to vote at the places of their posting.
Since the first general elections in 1952, the on-duty soldiers have been casting votes in their far away native constituencies through postal ballot papers, which is a cumbersome process. In the assembly or other smaller elections, a soldier has to take the initiative and request for the ballot papers through his commanding officer—an even more tedious process and, thus, generally avoided.
'Justice for Jawans', a Pune-based NGO run by veteran army men, that has raised the new demand reasons against providing postal ballot papers saying that the practice is "ineffective" and nearly deprives the soldiers of participating in the electoral process, as much depends on whether the ballots are dispatched timely, both by the election commission as well as the respective military commanders.
The NGO's representatives met the Jaipur-based South Western Command's army commander, Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan and Rajasthan's chief election officer (CEO) Ashok Jain on Tuesday to demand that the soldiers be allowed to go and cast their votes directly at the polling booths, which can be set up in the cantonment areas.
"We are seeking a legal opinion on the demand. The Election Commission of India will take the final call on the issue," said Jain, CEO of Rajasthan, where the assembly elections are due this year. Election officials believe allowing voting rights at places of posting could be legally viable in the general elections, but not in the state or other regional elections.
The 'Justice for Jawans' has communicated the idea to the chief of the Army staff's office and claims to have received a favourable reply on the subject. "We are now meeting the army commanders for necessary directions to get the serving personnel registered as general voters using form-6 at places of their respective postings," the NGO's president, Lt Col Suresh Patil (retired) told TOI.
The NGO does not hide its intentions to tap the "vote-bank" in the uniformed forces (including BSF and CRPF) that have a joint strength of almost 20 lakh. The armed forces are said to have 68 military stations/cantonment areas across the country. "This means soldiers can influence as many Lok Sabha seats across India, if allowed to vote differently," said Patil, 1971 Indo-Pak war veteran.
The NGO believes Gen Singh and Col Rathore should not identify themselves with any political party.
Bhanu Pratap Singh<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toireporter/author-Bhanu-Pratap-Singh.cms>
Bhanu Pratap Singh, TNN | Sep 19, 2013, 04.05 AM ISTA
JAIPUR: The 2014 general elections promise to be interesting in many ways, besides the BJP turning it into a Rahul Gandhi versus Narendra Modi battle. For the first time a demand is being made to let the armed forces personnel exercise the right to vote at the places of their posting.
Since the first general elections in 1952, the on-duty soldiers have been casting votes in their far away native constituencies through postal ballot papers, which is a cumbersome process. In the assembly or other smaller elections, a soldier has to take the initiative and request for the ballot papers through his commanding officer—an even more tedious process and, thus, generally avoided.
'Justice for Jawans', a Pune-based NGO run by veteran army men, that has raised the new demand reasons against providing postal ballot papers saying that the practice is "ineffective" and nearly deprives the soldiers of participating in the electoral process, as much depends on whether the ballots are dispatched timely, both by the election commission as well as the respective military commanders.
The NGO's representatives met the Jaipur-based South Western Command's army commander, Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan and Rajasthan's chief election officer (CEO) Ashok Jain on Tuesday to demand that the soldiers be allowed to go and cast their votes directly at the polling booths, which can be set up in the cantonment areas.
"We are seeking a legal opinion on the demand. The Election Commission of India will take the final call on the issue," said Jain, CEO of Rajasthan, where the assembly elections are due this year. Election officials believe allowing voting rights at places of posting could be legally viable in the general elections, but not in the state or other regional elections.
The 'Justice for Jawans' has communicated the idea to the chief of the Army staff's office and claims to have received a favourable reply on the subject. "We are now meeting the army commanders for necessary directions to get the serving personnel registered as general voters using form-6 at places of their respective postings," the NGO's president, Lt Col Suresh Patil (retired) told TOI.
The NGO does not hide its intentions to tap the "vote-bank" in the uniformed forces (including BSF and CRPF) that have a joint strength of almost 20 lakh. The armed forces are said to have 68 military stations/cantonment areas across the country. "This means soldiers can influence as many Lok Sabha seats across India, if allowed to vote differently," said Patil, 1971 Indo-Pak war veteran.
The NGO believes Gen Singh and Col Rathore should not identify themselves with any political party.
Bhanu Pratap Singh<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toireporter/author-Bhanu-Pratap-Singh.cms>
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The above should be an indicator of how the pathological disdain of the powers that be is driving ex military men into politics, so that they get their due.
And what is most horrifying is that when they organise themselves for their welfare with no help from anyone,. be it the AWWA or the Clubs or Institutes, and they become islands of efficiency and mental well being, in the world of confusion, dog eat dog scenarios, even the little comfort the military provides for its own, is found to upset those who cannot look after themselves or do things efficiently or keep themselves happy and constructive, and who have nothing else to comfort them except be in a stae of perpetual grouse!
And what is most horrifying is that when they organise themselves for their welfare with no help from anyone,. be it the AWWA or the Clubs or Institutes, and they become islands of efficiency and mental well being, in the world of confusion, dog eat dog scenarios, even the little comfort the military provides for its own, is found to upset those who cannot look after themselves or do things efficiently or keep themselves happy and constructive, and who have nothing else to comfort them except be in a stae of perpetual grouse!
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Thanks for the effort in replying to a present day sore point in the" Fauj"
Ask any officer at the battalion level, & one can get a standing grudge out of him that AWWA has ruined more careers than provide any succor to the needy.Many a crucial man hours are wasted in peacetime organizing such silly / repetitive events like AWWA meets. A large number of officers are happy with combat soldiering in field areas where such events in any body's wildest imagination cannot even be dreamt. This is today's reality !!
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I visit my units (the one commissioned and one I commanded) quite often..
i interact with officers and men, there, also wherever I meet them.
If you are under the impression that it is like the old days of camaraderie, then forget it.
Today, they are more concerned about self enhancement at the expense of the unit and the command of their troops. Though, in the same breath, I will say it is the system that drives them to that state.
In my time, we wanted to stay in the unit and not be posted out. Today, none wants to stay in the unit and instead go and seek appointments in Staff for 'career punching'.
Let me give you an example.
My CO was very strict about company affiliations and not so keen on ensuring the right rank command the sub units. So, if the company commander was not there because they are out on some assignment, the Senior JCO took over, even if in other Companies, there were officers who could be shifted to take command.
In war, I was a Major, but he kept me as a Platoon Commander when the neighbouring company was being commanded by a Captain.
Did I crib?
No.
I would rather be with my boys than take over another set, even though I had been commissioned in that company, but had a very limited tenure.
And now when I go back to my unit, the men throng around me, narrating stories of me, some true and some fictions and treat me as some legend! They even have preserved a colour TV, (which was actually bought by my mother since those days I could not afford the cost) as a keepsake of my times!
Such is the camaraderie that one had and one developed and nurtured.
Is it the same today?
If it were then we would have not had so many mutinies that we have recently experienced.
One must smell the coffee and not live in delusions.
Who says careers are ruined by AWWA?
The Army is called upon to do the most stupid of jobs. It is how you are trained to look at the task given to you that matters.
Even standing post, on a cold night, can be disgusting and dreary.
Does it mean that we should not do it?
Do you think that being the Duty Officer of the Week is like visiting Disneyland?
I used to hate it going around at odd hours of the night to check, and yet waking up early morning to go for PT!
LICO is the greatest negativity that has ruined unit cohesiveness. The unit is never together! If people are living in independent posts on the LC or operating in subunits in LICO, then where is time and environment to build the cohesiveness? Each one then thinks himself to be a Tees Mar Khan and is self oriented and given the harsh and dangerous environment, is most relieved when posted out to a 'cushy' staff appointment. And some even pull strings to get out and do some career enhancement ticket punching!
I am sure your friends in uniform never saw a Dinner Night.
We used to hate it.
But it taught us one thing - the unit the works, eats and sleeps together (metaphorically) functions better!
Even today, those of us who were 2/Lt and Lt of those times in the unit, have a greater bond than with those who were our seniors.
Ask the NDA boys how they feel about their coursemates of the same Squadron, even if they have gone to different Services. Being coursemates of the same Sqn eases out the issues, like it or not.
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TrueSpirit
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No, I never wrote them.
It was by Deva, who is from my school.
The books are gripping.
Maj Gen GD Bakshi's book, 'The Siege of Warwam' uses my rank and name as one of the heroes of the book!
TrueSpirit
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