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Wednesday, February 28, 2001
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India's
first e-business paper |
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Defending with dignity
The Vajpayee government must be commended foraccepting a key recommendation of the Kargil Review Committee, namely, theappointment of a Chief of Defence Staff for the armed forces. The Indianpolitical and bureaucratic system has treated service chiefs far tooshabbily. While we should celebrate the fact that India has its army firmlystationed in the barracks with civilian authorities deciding when they comeout and for what purpose - a far cry from the situation in neighbouringPakistan where the army is the real centre of state power - we must alsogive the armed forces their due place. In a democratic society like theUnited States the armed forces have more financial and diplomatic power andinfluence than their counterparts in India. The Army chief in India hasnever enjoyed the status of his counterpart in the United States either inpurely protocol terms or in substantial terms like influence on policy anddiplomacy. This is a pity and hopefully this situation will now change. However, if the forces are to have a Chief of Staff equivalent to theCabinet Secretary and not the defence secretary, then such a person mustalso be required to acquire a wider perspective on governance and diplomacy,as in other modern democracies. Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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©
Copyright 2001: Indian Express Newspaper(Bombay) Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the
world.
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