Is Army beyond question?
Kishore
In last few days some question has been raised regarding surgical strikes made by India. In response counter arguments are raised that how can one question Indian army on it.
Government has said that CD of proof surgical strikes cannot be shown because of security reasons. This argument is understandable and we may leave it here even if someone has doubt on it. However I don’t agree the way Government tried to gain political advantage of it.
Here I am not getting into debate weather surgical strikes are made or not.
My point is regarding argument that one could you question army?
There is growing tendency that Army can’t be questioned. Anyone questioning them is a traitor. Anyone is blindly supporting them is a true worshipper of the nation. Is Army beyond questioning?
There are lot of accusation against army on torture of innocent persons. In cases of rapes and murders I will not go into argument weather survivor was innocent or not. They are heinous crime, weather survivor is innocent or not.
There are some cases of violation where army has taken action but conviction in comparison to violation is small.
Corruption in defence deals are happening at large scale.
Some people will argue that corruption is only happening by politicians and not army. I don’t agree by this argument and corruption at this scale is not possible without nexus of politicians and army officers at top level.
Well no need to go into such argument. The point is that the army is not beyond questioning. Here we are not talking about sections at ground level, who martyr at border. I think they lose their lives because of vested interest of some people on both the sides of border.
Argument is against this tendency that army is beyond question.
This may lead to argument of giving absolute power to army or state in security issues which might lead to dictatorship. This has happened in many states which have led to many anti human right laws
This argument has not emerged after surgical strikes. Even before it, there were discussions in circulation that we need a “strong and honest” person who can take tough decisions.
For such decisions absolute power need to be given.
It is said that most of the politicians are corrupt and politics is dirty. So we need such “strong and honest person and scrap all political system.
What does it mean to scrap political system today? Scrap election? Scrap parliament? Scrap constitution?
Ultimately scrapping all political systems will mean scrapping all democratic structures that has been established after long struggle.
One section was saying that many anti national activities are taking place in the name of democratic right and these need curbing. Any demand for basic right is anti-national. This is very dangerous situation.
This situation is emerging from such argument.
Basically this argument of giving absolute power to someone, comes from escaping from once own social and political responsibility.
It is convenient to give this responsibility (which means powers) to such “strong and honest” person and live peacefully. Their argument is politics is dirty and we would not do anything to clean it. We will not do anything but we will give absolute powers to such “strong and honest” person. Unfortunately people think that they have found such “strong and honest” person.
This is just an illusion and such “strong and honest” person does not exist and will not happen in future. History is witness of it. This wish will lead to dictatorship.
Only answer is we people. We need to fulfil our responsibility and clean the system.
Author is working as development professional in child right sector for more than two decades and working on other social issues.
