“What does the Army do when not fighting a war? Aish karte honge?” Well, this is a common refrain which have ‘germinated’ because of a lack of understanding about the life of a soldier. The military remains a little insulated from the society (for good reasons) and hence, common people have no idea about how the military functions or operates. So, one cannot really blame people from thinking the way they do. But one must understand that military is always on the ball, contributing in large measure towards nation building - quietly but effectively. 
 “The more you sweat in peace the less you bleed in war”. Military, therefore, is constantly and continuously training and preparing for a war which may or may not take place; but if and when it does it has to fight, and fight to achieve victory. Remember in war there are no runners up. 
The primary role of military is to defend the nation from external aggressions and internal threats, and to perform this task it has to constantly upgrade and improve its war fighting capability. This entails procurement and upgradation of weapon systems, communication technology, training methodology etc. More importantly, the soldiers have to remain motivated and well trained, after all, it is the men behind the weapons that make the difference between winning or losing. But, unfortunately, because of economic constraints budget allocations for the military have remained below par and this has negatively impacted our defence preparedness. A nation needs to grow both economically and militarily to be reckoned as a regional or world power. USA has been ruling the roost because it is strong both economically and militarily. China has begun to flex its muscles for the same reason. Irony is that despite the progress it has made through ages, humankind still believes in the old dictum of ‘might is right’ and it will remain so for perpetuity. History of our civilization bears testimony to this assertion. Be it Alexander, Chengiz Khan or Timur, they all used force to conquer the world. I really wonder why we, as a nation, are not taking our military more seriously. 
The 1962 debacle against China was a timely lesson to a nation which had neglected its military. But thereafter, we fought three wars with Pakistan and defeated them comprehensively on all occasions. In fact, in 1971 Pakistan had to face the ignominy of a surrender and the creation of Bangladesh from its erstwhile East Pakistan. During the Kargil conflict in 1999 the military exhibited grit, discipline and professionalism of the highest order in dislodging the enemy from well-ensconced positions in the high mountains of Kargil. Our young officers displayed conspicuous bravery and outstanding leadership in do-or-die situations. 26 officers made the supreme sacrifice but none of them died of a wound on the back! This speaks volumes about the commitment, courage and conviction of our junior leaders. Casualty rate of officers was high not because the Pakistanis were good marksmen but because our officers led from the front. Such is the legacy of our military that it is considered one of the finest in the world. 
Let’s take a look at what else the military does besides defending the nation. 
The military’s pledge is to the Constitution of India and hence, itis loyal to the constitutionally elected central government irrespective of the political party it belongs to. Thus, unobtrusively, military plays a crucial role in facilitating political stability in the country. 
Military also takes care of the internal security of the nation. Any communal or caste related riots, insurgency or terrorism military is called upon to deal with it whereas, these are mostly police related problems and within the domain of the Home Ministry. Military continues to fight insurgency and terrorism in a few states and will not allow any attempt by any group, state or section of the state to secede from the Republic of India. 
Army has had a role in integrating states like Arunachal into the national mainstream. Many a time soldiers were the first to reach out to many remote areas in the northeast. Also, the credit for initiating the feeling of nationalism in such areas goes to the Army. To that extent, Arunachal, I always maintain, is the most patriotic state in the country. Wherever the military goes it creates a garrison. These garrisons generate certain amount of business and developmental activities in and around the station; thus, augmenting the local economy. Tenga township is one such example. In terms of contribution towards environmental growth, no one can refute the fact that a military station is the cleanest and greenest part of any township or municipality.

When it comes to natural calamity, accident or disaster, military invariably is the first responder. Despite the creation of National Disaster Response Force, military remains the most reliable rescue and relief organization in the country. Be it the flash flood in Uttarakhand, tsunami in Andamans or cyclone in the coastal region military has remained the vanguard. It is even called out to rescue children from bore wells! No wonder it is referred to as the ‘last bastion of the nation’. 
In essence, our soldiers deserve all the love and respect the nation and its citizen can bestow on them. It hurts when some unpatriotic individual makes a public utterance that soldiers are ‘paid to die for the country’, so, why so much fuss about their sacrifice. But as a patriotic Indian, let’s appreciate the sacrifices made by these men in uniform and their families, and let’s give them a thumping salute to express our gratitude …..Jai Hind!!  
PS: Once again the time has come for us to support and salute the frontline workers and ‘soldiers in whites’ fighting a different kind of war against COVID 19. It is incumbent on all denizens to follow the protocol and guidelines scrupulously to stop this pandemic. The least we can do is to stay safe.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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