In war-time, they are supposed to risk their lives to save our country and they have done it time and again. I also once heard that when there is a scarcity of food, they eat grass (imagine!). Even during peace-time they are posted on the borders, just so that our enemy doesn’t try any foul tricks. That’s what the Indian Army does for us.
And what do we give them for all their sacrifices? Let’s compare with the Pakistan Army. A Brigadier gets Rs.32,245 as basic pay in Pakistan and only Rs.16,700 in India. A Lt. Gen. gets Rs.42,215 as basic pay in Pakistan and only Rs.22,405 in India. Effectively, Pakistan pays double what we pay our soldiers. Duh….Aren’t we far more richer than them? Far more powerful than them? Then why this disparity?
When we compare with the corporate salaries, it becomes even more clear why ‘quality’ youth is not lining up to join the army. And the effect is already being felt. The Indian Military Academy’s (IMA) this year is just 86 cadets in a batch where 250 cadets can be trained. The last time a full batch was inducted was in 1993!
So, let’s hope that the the Sixth Pay Commission (which will take it’s own time, given it’s politically sensitive nature) addresses these concerns or we will soon have a huge problem on our hands.
Till those politicians wake up, all we can say is “Jai Jawan! Thanks, for all that you have done to defend our country!”
Information Source: The Indian Express
2 responses so far ↓
anon // February 28, 2008 at 7:40 pm
you are only talking about the officers who are still much better off than the jawans who are sometimes treated less than humans, even within the ranks of the army. the U.S marine is a symbol of military might and carries sophisticated weapons. On the other hand the Indian jawan is a pariah in his own army.
Krishna Aradhi // February 29, 2008 at 7:41 am
Yes, I missed that point. The Indian jawan is indeed a pariah in his own army. And the suicides and shootouts by frustrated jawans is a testimony to that.