Hail the Fauji?....Nah!

Although a rarity in these days of sensationalism, there do surface occasional stories extolling the virtues of the Indian Armed Forces. These stories are usually timed to coincide with some calamity wherein the armed forces have to intervene and rescue some of their countrymen from a situation that should probably have been solved by government servants not in uniform. Makes sense, totally in tune with human nature. After all, no one finishes a meal of 'Maa' ki daal with a vote of thanks to the divine powers-that-be. But 5 minutes in a Haryana Roadways bus on a foggy, January morning, and every single deity is thanked. To put it simply, दुःख में सिमरन सब करें, सुख में करे न कोई।

Now, I am in no way comparing God to faujis (despite fighter pilots being prone to such thoughts). No way, you could never summon God to Uttrakhand or Srinagar or any borewell with just a phone call. I was just trying to amplify our 'Out of sight, out of mind' kind of mentality. I have experienced it firsthand often enough, on those long distance high altitude solo flights, when I couldn't see any of you land lubbers (or water lubbers). Incidentally, quite a few of these flights have been in planes that some of our journalists have dubbed as flying coffins. Obviously, they have learnt something I didn't after 20 years among these magnificent flying machines.

But coming back to these wonderful, rare articles, they often ascribe almost saintly qualities to every member of the armed forces. Now, this makes me very uncomfortable. Call me a cynic, but my experience is that people put you on a pedestal only to see you fall. Or you call someone too good when you want to avoid him/her. 'You are too good for me' is how many a pretty lass turned down my overtures a couple of decades back. 'Sir, you won't like it here' is how many a corporate honchos are turning down my job applications today as I try to re-attire into civvy street.

One task the armed forces are most often credited with is Upholding Democracy. The phrase conjures in my mind a picture of tanks and fighter jets (ok, and marine commandoes is all the naval component I can fit in here) surrounding the Parliament, mowing down hordes of Dictatorial Zombies that want to tear down this symbol of democracy. Come on guys, we uphold democracy just as much as Atlas holds up this earth - in your minds. We just follow orders. Upholding democracy or any other form of governance would imply political interference. That would make us like all other armed forces in our neighborhood where the chief fauji occupies the presidential suite to Uphold the political system.

And, more importantly, where is this threat to democracy from? None of our neighours wants to rule us. They may want our land, our markets, our movies even, but none of them want to replace our Government. Had they really wanted to do that, 13 Dec 2001 would have been a much more important date than it is now. These guys spent more time, effort and money on attacking a hotel full of tourists than this 'Pillar' of democracy.

The armed forces have a charter of duties, and they perform them, perform them well (mostly). It is fashionable to say they serve the nation, but anybody who is performing his duties - professional or civic - is serving the nation. It is fashionable to call them adventorous. Believe me, very few of these people go on adventure trips in their vacations. The few vacations that they do get are spent with their families, catching up on sleep or other household chores.

It is also fashionable to comment on the declining moral fiber of the average fauji. Well, believe it or not, we do not grow our faujis in a special petri dish. They come from the same society as you do. Whatever ails our society as a whole, will affect the man in uniform too. Its just that life in the barracks is designed to minimize these effects. After all, if the armed forces were like any other civil functionary, who would pull young Prince out of the borewell? And if every civil functionary was like a fauji, where would Prince get the open borewell to tumble into? (BTW, Shilpa Shetty kissing the kid got more press coverage than any of the faujis involved in pulling him out.)

Today, as public fascination for heroes subsides, we have aware leaders and members of the press corps enlightening us on the truth about the armed forces. One declares all those who join the armed forces do so to die. Another opposes the move for a war memorial since our armed forces are manned by volunteers. Most mothers bear their children voluntarily, but when they remind their sons of this sacrifice, he dare not turn around and say that she asked for it. Volunteering for a cause should not be a disqualification for credit. If volunteering for a cause is selfish, what is noble - court sentenced hard labour? Do they think compulsory military service is a better way to guard their borders?

If you still feel the faujis are doing a great job (and I hope you do), please treat them as anybody else. Don't begrudge them their evening tipple in a country where a bottle is the price of jumping a red light. Don't begrudge them a war memorial after spending crores on statues of elephants and their winsome mistress. Don't dehumanise them by clubbing them all in a class of their own.

And please, please, don't put them on a pedestal so high that you can no longer see them, and hence forget them. For a faujis favorite refrain to his countrymen is,

'I'll lead if you want to be led,

I'll follow if you want to be followed.

But what I want is to walk beside you

And be your friend'

P.S. Dedicated to Mr Gautam Bhatia, column writer par excellence with ToI, Mr Bhim Singh, enlightened visionary, and all the brave survivors of the 13 Dec attack.