Over 31 ago after the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, approximately 2,800 Sikh soldiers deserted the Army. Some were punished, but the vast majority was rehabilitated and reinstated. Despite this, the Punjab government decided to honor them by deeming them “dharmi faujis” and paying them an allowance of Rs 3,000, which was over and above what they were getting as pensions or salaries.
On Thursday, the Punjab cabinet decided to double the monthly allowance to the deserters and their dependents, and announced fee grant for their wards in schools and medical colleges. The cabinet approved the proposal to enhance the monthly maintenance grant of “Operation Blue Star-affected soldiers” from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000. It cleared increase in allowance for their widows and dependents from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
During World War II, as many as 23,266 Indian Army prisoners of war heeded the call of Subhas Chandra Bose and joined the Azad Hind Fauz or Indian National Army. The INA units fought alongside the Imperial Japanese Army and marched as far as Moirang in Manipur, where they hoisted the tricolor. But after the defeat of the Japanese, most of the INA officers and men were rounded up and treated as deserters. They were repatriated to India and screened by the Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre at the Red Fort in Delhi.
Despite enjoying a huge popular support, the INA soldiers were not taken back in the army by the British. After Independence, there was a demand that they be reinstated into the Indian Army.
Protecting its ethos
But the Indian Army declined to do so as it would affect its discipline and ethos. Deferring to the public outcry the Indian government rehabilitated them by inducting them in the central and state police forces. Ever since the subject of how to deal with deserters and those who turn against their brother soldiers and repudiate their oath has been the subject of frequent debates.
The next major collective desertion was in the wake of Operation Blue Star to retake the Golden Temple complex from Pakistan-supported Sikh extremists. An estimated 2,800 soldiers deserted and many began to proceed towards Delhi. They were all intercepted well short of the capital, often by units with Sikh troopers, and dealt with severely. As many as 47 of the deserters were killed in the skirmishes while the rest were apprehended.
Soon after these events the Indian Army began a process of screening the deserters and most of them were sentenced to light prison terms. After serving their sentences, as many as 2,300 were taken back into the army where they served till retirement, many winning honours for commendable service. After retirement they enjoyed all the pension and privileges due to an ex-serviceman.
The Badal government has now decided to further reward the men who betrayed their oath. What is the message this will convey?
The facts of this are as follows: On June 10, 1984, Sikh soldiers of the Sikh regimental centre at Ramgarh camp in the erstwhile Bihar state rebelled and murdered their commander, Brigadier RS Puri. The mutiny was sparked by an army assault the previous week on the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, the Golden Temple. Incidentally, the two top generals in the chain of command, Lt Gen RS Dayal MVC and Maj Gen KS Brar were Sikhs with distinguished records for service and gallantry.
An ill-conceived attack
More than 450 people were killed in the attack ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Two other senior officers and a number of soldiers were seriously wounded in heavy shooting at the camp that began before noon and continued until 4 pm. The soldiers joined other angry Sikhs in hijacking private buses and trucks at gunpoint. They set out in at least 35 seized vehicles toward New Delhi before reinforcements from the 24th Mountain Regiment arrived to stop them. Sikh soldiers remaining behind at the camp raised a white flag of surrender when the reinforcements arrived.
It is true that Blue Star was misconceived and the government of the day was largely responsible for it. Many senior officers deplored Blue Star. For instance General Roychowdhury, former Chief of Army Staff, when asked in April 2000 whether right steps had been taken to tackle the problem of militancy in Punjab, replied; “No, certainly not. I don’t think that right steps were taken. Operation Blue Star was totally unwarranted and a mistaken step. The party in power at Delhi at that time had taken the step more on political consideration.”
Despite their misgivings, many senior commanders wanted desertions to be severely punished. Lt-Gen TS Oberoi, General Officer Commanding -in-Chief of the Southern Command, took a dim view of the mutiny. On June 13, after he quelled the deserters under his command, he said: "The mutineers will be tried and, if found guilty, will be hanged. No one dares revolt in the Indian Army." The deserters not only escaped hanging, most of the deserters were taken back into service.
Rehabilitation measures
The units involved in incidents of collective insubordination and desertion after Operation Bluestar were Sikh Regimental Centre, 3 Sikh, 8 Sikh, 9 Sikh, 18 Sikh, 14 Punjab, 166 Mountain Regiment, 171 Field Regiment, and 196 Field Regiment. The initial reaction of the authorities was one of alarm. But later, recognising that the desertions were mainly a heat-of-the-moment decision, the government toned down the harsh measures planned.
Army Headquarters itself took the most far-reaching rehabilitation measure when it decided to retain about 2,300 of the deserters in the army, after a spell in military prisons. Of the 450 discharged or dismissed from service, 277 were put in civil jails. Of these 234 were released within a few years, either on completion of their sentences or after grant of remission. After the VP Singh government took over in 1989, the cases of the remaining 43 deserters were reviewed and 28 more released. Only 15 who remained in jail who have been convicted of murder or attempt to murder and sentenced to more than eight years rigorous imprisonment.
But the question that still lingers is : is it for the soldier not to reason why, but to do and die. Or are those days gone? What about military discipline? And is not rewarding treason in this manner akin to rubbing salt in the wounds, causing them never to heal? The prime minster and the defence minister must make themselves heard on this. Patriotism involves more than just proclaiming it from the rooftops and waving flags. And it concerns all of us.
We welcome your comments at
letters@scroll.in.
On Thursday, the Punjab cabinet decided to double the monthly allowance to the deserters and their dependents, and announced fee grant for their wards in schools and medical colleges. The cabinet approved the proposal to enhance the monthly maintenance grant of “Operation Blue Star-affected soldiers” from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000. It cleared increase in allowance for their widows and dependents from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
During World War II, as many as 23,266 Indian Army prisoners of war heeded the call of Subhas Chandra Bose and joined the Azad Hind Fauz or Indian National Army. The INA units fought alongside the Imperial Japanese Army and marched as far as Moirang in Manipur, where they hoisted the tricolor. But after the defeat of the Japanese, most of the INA officers and men were rounded up and treated as deserters. They were repatriated to India and screened by the Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre at the Red Fort in Delhi.
Despite enjoying a huge popular support, the INA soldiers were not taken back in the army by the British. After Independence, there was a demand that they be reinstated into the Indian Army.
Protecting its ethos
But the Indian Army declined to do so as it would affect its discipline and ethos. Deferring to the public outcry the Indian government rehabilitated them by inducting them in the central and state police forces. Ever since the subject of how to deal with deserters and those who turn against their brother soldiers and repudiate their oath has been the subject of frequent debates.
The next major collective desertion was in the wake of Operation Blue Star to retake the Golden Temple complex from Pakistan-supported Sikh extremists. An estimated 2,800 soldiers deserted and many began to proceed towards Delhi. They were all intercepted well short of the capital, often by units with Sikh troopers, and dealt with severely. As many as 47 of the deserters were killed in the skirmishes while the rest were apprehended.
Soon after these events the Indian Army began a process of screening the deserters and most of them were sentenced to light prison terms. After serving their sentences, as many as 2,300 were taken back into the army where they served till retirement, many winning honours for commendable service. After retirement they enjoyed all the pension and privileges due to an ex-serviceman.
The Badal government has now decided to further reward the men who betrayed their oath. What is the message this will convey?
The facts of this are as follows: On June 10, 1984, Sikh soldiers of the Sikh regimental centre at Ramgarh camp in the erstwhile Bihar state rebelled and murdered their commander, Brigadier RS Puri. The mutiny was sparked by an army assault the previous week on the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, the Golden Temple. Incidentally, the two top generals in the chain of command, Lt Gen RS Dayal MVC and Maj Gen KS Brar were Sikhs with distinguished records for service and gallantry.
An ill-conceived attack
More than 450 people were killed in the attack ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Two other senior officers and a number of soldiers were seriously wounded in heavy shooting at the camp that began before noon and continued until 4 pm. The soldiers joined other angry Sikhs in hijacking private buses and trucks at gunpoint. They set out in at least 35 seized vehicles toward New Delhi before reinforcements from the 24th Mountain Regiment arrived to stop them. Sikh soldiers remaining behind at the camp raised a white flag of surrender when the reinforcements arrived.
It is true that Blue Star was misconceived and the government of the day was largely responsible for it. Many senior officers deplored Blue Star. For instance General Roychowdhury, former Chief of Army Staff, when asked in April 2000 whether right steps had been taken to tackle the problem of militancy in Punjab, replied; “No, certainly not. I don’t think that right steps were taken. Operation Blue Star was totally unwarranted and a mistaken step. The party in power at Delhi at that time had taken the step more on political consideration.”
Despite their misgivings, many senior commanders wanted desertions to be severely punished. Lt-Gen TS Oberoi, General Officer Commanding -in-Chief of the Southern Command, took a dim view of the mutiny. On June 13, after he quelled the deserters under his command, he said: "The mutineers will be tried and, if found guilty, will be hanged. No one dares revolt in the Indian Army." The deserters not only escaped hanging, most of the deserters were taken back into service.
Rehabilitation measures
The units involved in incidents of collective insubordination and desertion after Operation Bluestar were Sikh Regimental Centre, 3 Sikh, 8 Sikh, 9 Sikh, 18 Sikh, 14 Punjab, 166 Mountain Regiment, 171 Field Regiment, and 196 Field Regiment. The initial reaction of the authorities was one of alarm. But later, recognising that the desertions were mainly a heat-of-the-moment decision, the government toned down the harsh measures planned.
Army Headquarters itself took the most far-reaching rehabilitation measure when it decided to retain about 2,300 of the deserters in the army, after a spell in military prisons. Of the 450 discharged or dismissed from service, 277 were put in civil jails. Of these 234 were released within a few years, either on completion of their sentences or after grant of remission. After the VP Singh government took over in 1989, the cases of the remaining 43 deserters were reviewed and 28 more released. Only 15 who remained in jail who have been convicted of murder or attempt to murder and sentenced to more than eight years rigorous imprisonment.
But the question that still lingers is : is it for the soldier not to reason why, but to do and die. Or are those days gone? What about military discipline? And is not rewarding treason in this manner akin to rubbing salt in the wounds, causing them never to heal? The prime minster and the defence minister must make themselves heard on this. Patriotism involves more than just proclaiming it from the rooftops and waving flags. And it concerns all of us.