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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Sahayaks : Is the concept prevalent only in the Indian sub-continent ?

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A lot has been said about abolition of the system of orderlies or ‘sahayaks’ in the Indian Army in the recent days. Many have pointed out the colonial and feudal slant of the concept and have also stated that such system exists only in the Indian sub-continent, that is, in the armies of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh primarily.

This thought (of the system being of this sub-continent alone) is not correct in its entirety since the system is very much in place in other countries too, albeit in a different format.

While talking about the US Army, Lt Col P Crocker (Retired) in his book “Army Officers’ Guide” says, and I quote :

“In the past, some soldiers in addition to their regular duties could also work, if willing to do so, as personal servants to officers and their families. In the Army the custom has always been that such work was entirely voluntary, with the officer compensating the soldier for his work. Historically, these men were known as orderlies or strikers. Some soldiers desired such jobs to supplement their service pay, just as some soldiers of this period take off-duty jobs called “moonlighting”. By custom and official restrictions, the use of soldiers as servants of officers and their families in garrison assignments has terminated except for some senior officers and for special reasons in each case. However, for units in the field, in training or combat, an officer may be assigned a soldier orderly for personal services so the officer can devote maximum time to the responsibilities of command. Many times it is the driver of the vehicle assigned to the officer who performs such personal services. "


Contrary to popular perception, the recommendations of Parliamentary Committees are not binding on the govt or the cabinet. Why isn't anyone talking of those recommendations which were out & out pro-defence personnel but are simply resting on paper without being implemented ?. The issue of Sahayaks (and Suraksha Sahayaks in the CPOs) in my humble opinion is not as pertinent as is being made to look. In fact, it was surprising that it became a part of the pay commission report while dealing with the CPOs. Of course combatants should not be employed on menial tasks but if misuse of manpower is to be addressed, it should be addressed in every govt service and not just the uniformed services.


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61 comments:

Anonymous said...

just to put authorisation of sahayaks in correct perspective-batman/orderly was auth only in FIELD AREAS and not in peace stns.Even Generals in peace employed civilians as servants.It is only in the late sixties that the so called misuse i. e. use in domestic households started.I know for sure as my dad was commissioned in 1952 and dad in law in 1955.Incorrect use in houses was a result of non availabiliy of civ staff & eco problems of offrs

Anonymous said...

@ANNONY...

MY DEAR U HAVE QUOTED UR DAD AND DAD IN LAW SO NOW LET ME CORRECT U ...MISUSE WAS NEVER AND IS NEVER OFFICIAL..STILL THERE IS A CLEAR CUT ARMY ORDER WHICH DOESNT TALK OF FD PEACE IT ONLY TALKS OF A SAHAYAK TO HELP AN OFFICER SO THAT HE CONCENTRATES ON MORE IMP JOBS..THIS WAY FIRST U REMOVE ALL ADC'S AS THEY DO THE SAME TO PRESIDENT AND BELOW..ASK ALL THOSE SO'S OF MINISTERS JI TO GO AND ALOS THOSE PA'S WHO HELP OUT THEIR SENIOR'S WITH LOT OF WORK WHICH THEY R NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.. ..SO GET UR FUNDA
STRAIGHT..

@ NAVDEEP SIR MAY I REQUEST U TO REMOVE YOUR THIS POST..

AS I M CONFIDENT..THIS WILL HARM OFFR -MEN RELATIONSHIP..AS FUNNY PEOPLE WILL COME AND WITHOUT KNOWING FACTS BASED ON CERTAIN ASUMPTIONS WILL WRITE UNACCEPTABLE COMMENTS..U MAY CONSIDER MY REQUEST THATS IT...

THE MOST FRAGILE RELATIONSHIP IS OFFR MEN RELATIONSHIP...

I WONDER HOW STRESS COMMITTEE ..READ PAGE 41-42..OF REPORT HAS DARED TO SAY IT IS A SHAMEFUL ACT..R THEY TRYING TO SAY WE HANDLE R MEN LIKE SLAVES..HAD V BEEN DOING THIS THEN WE COULD NOT HAVE LED THEM IN WAR..BECAUSE THERE ONE OFFR LEADS 100S AND 1000S OF MEN AND NO RULE CAN FORCE THEM FIGHT. THEY CAN SIMPLY REFUSE TAKING ORDERS FROM OFFRS..WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF INDIAN ARMY..

NAVDEEP SIR I REQUEST AGAIN CONSIDER REMOVING THIS POST..

Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh said...

@Anony at 8.07 PM

Hey Anony relax, this is nothing earth shattering. I've added another paragraph to bring in more clarity. Just go through it.

Anonymous said...

Shame full that u justify such an act. I have seen an orderly carrying in his arms an infant and the young officer couple walking in front of him. As for the U S army, any work is respected and earning a little extra is a consideration.It is not the case in India , it is nothing but slavery. Helpless that soldier who does it.

Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh said...

@Anony at 8.30

Please read the complete post before commenting.

Nobody condones any menial task to a combatant. In fact, there have been orders by the top brass many times to curb the practice of unsoldierly tasks to personnel. The Army fully realizes the situation.

Anonymous said...

@NAVDEEP SIR..

i fully understand ur point of view and u ve also understood mine..

though u ve added another para..but i still tell u the posts here will definately not be pleasing..

the people out side army have no knowledge of offr - men relationship....as a result they will post comments which r not even worth answering...THEY DONT UNDERSTAND THAT ARMED FORCES LIVE LIKE A FAMILY...A REAL GOOD FAMILY..

rest i leave it to u...

Anonymous said...

This is for Maj Gen Raj Mehta(retd)
(Pragmatic is deliberately blocking my comments on his blog hence I am putting it here hoping that you must be following Navdeep's blog)
Dear Genral,
Its a pity that this guy is either editing or deleting my comments altogether thus depriving me my right to defend what I say.
Notwithstanding,my intent was not to hurt the sentiments of an accomplished soldier like you.
I was just wondering who from the uniformed faternity can agree with this gentleman who's intent of running this blog is purely to malign the Forces.
If this guy tells me that sun rises from east I will think ten times before nodding my head in agreement.
My apologies if I have hurt your sentiments sir.
(Though not related to the post,I would like to request Navdeep to bear with me)

Anonymous said...

maj navdeep - with due respects to ask ur blog sir - I request all these a**ho*es who dare to talk about sahayaks to just spend a few days (not months or years) at any field army unit - no need to go to dras, siachen or any fancy place and let me dare to ASK the chaps who talk so much if the army or the services is so glamorous plz send your kids there - if u don't have the guts to send ur children to the forces stop lecturing us here - u have woken up a disciplined sleeping elephant - i only hope for the good of mother india the GOM realises that the forces have always risen to the challenge and DELIVERED.....HAVE THE OTHERS????????????????









pects t

Anonymous said...

i've been an avid reader of this blog. i just wanted to comment on only one thing that for about last ten years i dont keep a sahayak only bcause that i spend so much time on his welfare and administration more than myself ,that i have stopped keeping a sahayak...i dont worry about my pay or my food more than my sahayak.Jai Hind!!!I follow chetwood motto 'to the last word!!!' thank you!!!

Anonymous said...

Navdeep:

I am certain about the Bangladesh army that they do not have combatants or professional soldiers as helpers. And the Pakistan army also did away with the practice in early 2000s. Civilian orderlies, not, professional soldiers is the norm where such facilities exist in third world armies today.

The vintage of the book (from which you quote the extract) might amplify till when the US army followed this practice in field. A whole chapter in "Follow Me" is about orderlies in the US army during the second world war. When did women get voting rights in the US, or blacks got equal rights for that matter? The US has always adopted the modern social concepts (of equality etc.) much later than other societies and the concept of equality was not prevalent there for a long time.

The British army, whom we seem to emulate, stopped the practice of employing batmen immediately after the Second world war. The French never had the concept since the French revolution.

Now that you raise the issue of parliamentary defence committee, why were all the seven reports on suicides and fratricide not made available to the commitee by the army? Why were the two reports that were made available to the committee also marked secret? You must have seen the DIPR report and its extracts that appeared in the papers last year. Is that the reason these reports are not in public domain? One thus tends to assume that there is something to hide.

It is not about the misuse or curbing the misuse but the concept itself. It is totally inconsistent with the moorings of any modern democratic society. Rape and plunder was de riguer after war three centuries ago, today it is a war crime. Societies evolve and their principles change with time. Many things that were acceptable 60 years ago are not acceptable today and vice versa.

You may also like to check out Paragraph 2.18 of the report. The ministry states in a written note that --
“Sahayaks are authorized to Officers and Junior Commissioned Officers in the Army when serving with units or Headquarters functioning on War Establishment.

How come there are policy letters and even an Army Order specifying the authorisation of Sahayaks to officers posted to Army headquarters, Command headquarters and training establishments? I am certain that they do not run on War establishment but on Peace establishment. Friends tell me that there is a complete unit called Army headquarters camp, which exists for keeping the helpers stationed at Delhi. There is a huge dichotomy somewhere there.

...but if misuse of manpower is to be addressed, it should be addressed in every govt service and not just the uniformed services.

This argument is not correct and you know the flaw in the logic well, as a lawyer, and it doesn't need to be repeated here. Two wrongs never make a right, Sir.

I also believe that there is a substantive difference between a professional soldier in a modern arrmy and a peon in a revenue office.

Knowing your penchant for getting into details, and stating an honest and forthright opinion based on facts, IMHO that you'd include these issues also into the debate.

Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh said...

@Pragmatic

Firstly let me start by saying that this is not a pro-batmen post but a simple statement of facts that the use of Batmen is still prevalent in the US contrary to what certain members of intelligentsia had to say when the issue came in public domain.

Now with this :

“Knowing your penchant for getting into details, and stating an honest and forthright opinion based on facts, IMHO that you'd include these issues also into the debate. “

Well now with your post, the debate is on, let’s see how others react to points and counter-points.


” I am certain about the Bangladesh army that they do not have combatants or professional soldiers as helpers. And the Pakistan army also did away with the practice in early 2000s.”

Bangladesh is still on with soldier sahayaks. Pakistan theoretically tried to introduce NCsE but the practical situation is different. Bhutanese Army also has a concept of batmen.

“The US has always adopted the modern social concepts (of equality etc.) much later than other societies and the concept of equality was not prevalent there for a long time.”

Yes, the US has always been a later riser. Orderlies are however being used still in Mid-east conflict and the practice is very much prevalent in War and field for the US Army till date. Col Crocker’s book from which I quote is 1994 ed and is widely popularly known as the Bible for US military officers. A latest edition may also be available in the US market, I’ll check.


“Why were the two reports that were made available to the committee also marked secret? You must have seen the DIPR report and its extracts that appeared in the papers last year. Is that the reason these reports are not in public domain? One thus tends to assume that there is something to hide.”

I have always maintained that there practically should be freedom of information. In the age of RTI, nothing should be hidden and state documents should be open to public debate since veiling reports leads to assumptions as if there is something wrong somewhere.

Of course, I am totally against the misuse of manpower – but I also personally feel that benign duties such as looking after the uniform or security or administrative set up of a military officer cannot be stated to be undignified. Beyond that (which usually happens I agree) is of course not justified. We in India have a tendency of misusing every single facility provided by any organization – whether it is the govt or the private sector or the corporate world or PSUs. To single out just one aspect in one single organization may lead to over-interpretation of the actual situation.

Anonymous said...

Arre yeh Pragmatic yahan bhi aa gaya?

Anonymous said...

Maj navdeep please for God sake do not justify a wrong thing on thepretextof what is happening worldwide.The argument is very simple a)do we need this or not?b)can our country afford it?c)how many sahayak depending on rank should be given?d)Can we put somebody else for this purpose? A number of other question can be rased The sahayak system must be abolished with immediate effect

Anonymous said...

Pragmatic has got one retd Maj Gen to compliment his "complete staff work"(sic) on his post on Blue Ribbon Commission.
Does someone know Maj Gen(Retd)Raj Mehta or its the creation of Pragmatic?
He is quite capable of stooping so low.

Anonymous said...

Turning a mole into a mountain is what this whole issue of Sahayak should be refered to as. Mr Pragmatic; you certainly do not appear to be one, wearing blinkers and seeing everything related to armed forces with malice, you do not deserve to be answered, to say the least. It amuses me that you should pick up a subject that finds a mention among the complete report "stress management in the armed forces" and ignore everything else with a convenience that is in consonance with your malice.

Just by quoting huge phrases and books; i do not know if you have actually read and understood them, does not make you omniscient on matters of armed forces. You have to feel the experience to be able to comment on it.

It is funny that you should talk about "moorings of a democratic society" and keep on harping about things concerning armed forces instead of talking about these moorings. What about your views on what threatens to undo these moorings the most? What about the efficacy of parliament itself? What about the governing body that calls itself "The steel Frame" and behave like "The Steal Frame"?

Your myopic view of organisational shortcomings in defence forces only makes YOU a loser and no body else. If you want to cure these shortcomings, be constructive rather than cynical and wannabe omniscient. You quote big books but you haggle like a roadside vendor about issues you do not understand at all. Do not haggle about something you do not sell.

I had visited your so called "national interest" site earlier and tried leaving comments. But I found, rather than a pragmatic, you are a scissors holding censor maniac. You lost a reader in me. Not that it should make any difference to your self inflated omniscient ego, just saying that by pouring vitriol and not allowing debate on it, you are worse than a paki who is hell bent on spreading "Problematic Cacophony".

Anonymous said...

maj navdeep,well done you can justify any wrong thing but think of a nco who works as sahayak he feels like killing himself or his boss when mamsahab ask to clean lingries.God bless you and your army

Anonymous said...

dear kaps Army people can not hear truth and critisism.you must remember if you want to improve you must hear your critics Also remember you can not say look other not me as i am holy cow

Anonymous said...

My Dear Navdeep,

It is the "functional and operational necessity" that a military leaders from company commander up to the brigade commander (the so called Field officers) need help to be "in the operational situation" all the time. Or the government will have to allow civilian "Camp Followers" till the most forward lines with grave attendant problems to cater for the help.

I wish to narrate a true story in this regard.

During the sudden Kargil War, lots of troops and battalions were on far front necessitating employment of large number of Labor leading to great scarcity of civilians as labor.

One day when I was on my way up to Zozila and we were halting at road side for a smoke, I saw one man approaching me. He was absolutely in rag tags, torn tea shirt coved with an old, torn, unwashed soiled Army Parka coat and dirty pairs of Lee yee jeans. He had not shaved for many days. His thick and broad spectacle were unclean and I doubt he could see throw those. His long hairs were disheveled. One could smell through the air that he had not washed and had a shower for many days.

He asked me in accented English "Tell me officer, how to reach Delhi the fastest way and early?". I was a little taken aback and amazed. After some sympathetic words and chat, he stated crying. The story he narrated was thus.

He had come from Delhi to Sonamarg with two other friends. The two friends left for Delhi but he decided to spend a few more days there. One day when he was in a tea stall, one soldier asked him to accompany him satating the soldier's battalion required Civilian labor. He protested but the soldier gave him a danda saying " Ghani Angreji bole se Chhora". He then along with ten more was huddled into an Army truck and taken to Mushkow valley.
He was employed there as Vivilian labor ferrying ammunition boxes to the forward lines. He passed through and under bombs, blasts and Pakistanis delivering at them all what ever they could. He was set free when he met an officer and cried in front of him. He requested the officer to be let free for his IAS exams.

He was still scared, shaken and repeatedly asking as to how best he could reach Delhi for his "IAS Exams".
It took me sometime to calm him down and assuage his feelings. I convinced him he was a battle hardened man by then and that only a very few lucky men would had his experiences. He then gave me a broad smile but still did not believe he was alive.

He had enough money and said even the fauzies had paid him for his fifteen days labor. I mad him siyt in a returning truck. I then proceeded toward Zola but not before having given a big hug to the young IAS aspirant.

I would never forget that event when every one seen around Sonamarg had to taken up for the National Duty..

Well, if you do not allow batman to the fighting Major, many young IAS aspirants will find themselves as Camp followers in Siachin taken from Leh.

So choice is not much..

Anonymous said...

Yes major if you keep sahayak at home you need other people to do your job .shame on indian army if storey is true

Anonymous said...

Dear major If you can not survive without sahayak,how sahayak can survive without any body under him.we are democratic country we can not accept this

Anonymous said...

@Anony
October 29, 2008 1:02 PM
In some cases the Sahayaks are forced to clean clothes including undergarments of memsahibs and in the bargain the Sahayak undertsands that if he has to be under Major Sahib for doing menial jobs beyond the charter of his duties then why not to have someone under him whose undergarments he has to wash quite often. Such sahayaks eventually travel with Sahib to all stations.What a degradation in the duties of Shayaks and resulting life of sahibs? Princely privilege having a sayahak needs to be abolished immedately as blatant misuse is much more than bonafide duties assigend to sahayaks.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anony at 12:28PM

Obviously you have not read my comment with "ears wide open". This is the attitude that people like you and problematic display when dealing with armed forces.

You must understand that armed forces are a much more rigid organisation structure and steeped in tradition that has helped India stay in her present form. Criticism is always welcome, but constructive criticism is what is required. Making sweeping statements without fully understanding the cause and effect does not help the issue.

The above two anonymous who have commented on the story told by Major, obviously do not see the bitter truth behind the whole saga. They would rather give sagacious statements like "India is a democratic country". Is it now? If you are enjoying your cozy nights of freedom, please ponder on why it exists. Rather than blithering like a child who has not been given the same toy as the neighbour's kid, please read the whole report presented by GOM and call every one who is responsible for today's mess to account. How convenient to leave out bunch of chair hogging babooze from the entire episode and target armed forces knowing they wouldn't react.

Anonymous said...

Dear Navdeep,
Well there is always pros & cons of each issue,and in this case it happens to be somebody who helps the officer to put his time and energy in his prime work.The availability of trained soldier helps the officer on one hand and act on morale of the soldier on other hand, and it will be very difficult to teach young and many young at heart about right/wrong use of sahayaks.
To my opinion ,the answer is in recommendation of 5th pay commission, which recommended RS 1500/- for Attendant to all officers,however the same was not agreed by the Govt.The issue can be still reconsidered .

Anonymous said...

My Dear Navdeep and others,

Employment of soldiers as sahayak is being discussed as above without context and only as an emotional or so called moralistic ground. Besides these, there many other connected issues.

It needs to be looked into holistically.

First issue is for the moralists or humanitarians or democattic as the parliamentarians appers to think. I wish to ask them that when it comes to paying a soldier, why is his status counted as a semi skilled labor. Is not his stsus and payment democratic issue?

From "After the War Committee Report" till the sixth CPC, he is being officialy desribed as and paid as " Semi skilled worker.

Where as the 5th CPC had greatly debated that issue and brought up the status of Infantry soldier from group E to C and D, the present CPC still describes him as "semi skilled Labor"... atking his status equivalant to preindepence.

Have these votaries and those making noises including Parliamentary Committee ever questioned why very well trained , constantly upgraded and gradely military skilled is "semi skilled labor"? He is he equated with a constable. If so what is the need to have Army? No dearth of semo skilled Labor and Constables in Indai. let them fight the war.

Todays Infantry soldier is a missile pilot, a mortar number, skilled signaler, a skilled driver, a snipper, Commando qualified Ghataka, a trained pioneer, a ranger, mountaineer, an adept store keeper, logistical quartermaster.

Is he semiskilled??? Does he need to be paid equivalent to a peon. All those who perform duties of Sahayak are noy ahayak by trade and posses these or some of these skills. But he has no status because his skills are not recognized and paid for. Union of India is realiant up on the defence provided by Semi skilled labour. Its Armed Forces Citizenary is not, for which the nation should be gratefull.

In spite of UNESCO's Comprehensive Guidelines on improving skills of the people, as accepted by our Govt, what has this Govt's HRD Ministry done to at least recognize those skills. The booms in thousands of diploma are only for market and not for the defence of the Country? Recognition of diploma in material management, Cookery, Bakery Skills, Electricians and Artificers ets is all right because these are all civilian skills hirable in the market being availabe. But the basic skills of soldiering and Core Competency of Armed Forces are the real skills and not hirable in the market. One may hire a Pilot but not a "combat pilot". All civilians who are like combat pilots and fly deep inside Africa to smuggle diamonds, do Arms droppings, drug trafficking for or against the Govts, are paid 100 times more than their civilian counter parts. Such is the value of those skills.

The cost of a trained infantry snipper could be thousand fold in D company, R&AW or Private Protectors. But look what the Union Govtpays him. He is Semi Skilled Labor as per Mrs Nath od CPC. Why this question is not asked by the Honorable Parliamentary Committee to IAS dominated bodies.

Those who are the loudest on the board here, except my CPO brothers who are only barking for nothing, may try and like answering that.

Todays soldier is not only failed by the antagonastic not knowing Babus sitting on Pay Commissions, by Parliamentarian knowing nothing but also by their own leaders inside. We have three trainig Commands and may I ask them what have they done for the skills of their soldiers being formalluy classified and recogmised by the Universaties and UGC ? HRD Ministeries. It is not difficult.

How many times the Service HQ, failing which the Civilian General MoD has ever taken up cases with Ministry of HRD and Universities that innate and specific to war skills be analysed, recognized and graded.

The only thing some of them have done is to get MCTE or MCEME and some trades skills training in Army training recognized. Why cannot The Platoon Commanders Course be at par with some management diploma which are so freely available in UGC and Minstery of HRD Course.

Shame ! Shame...Cookery and Catering is recognized but not Gunnery, Field Craft, Battle Craft, Missilery, mountaineering. Who stops the NMI. HMI, HAWS course to be awarded diplomas by some university ?


So the Political Bhashan here is not good enough. Work one does is directly equivalant to economic status and social standing. A man who is ranked as Khalsi in the railways will be employed for carrying the box of Railway bagaus and inspector. There is no stopping that. Khalasi of Railway is paid better than soldiers and his Compansation package including medical free passes, TA DA, Accomodation, libral pensions is better than a soldier.

Soldiers will continue to be employed as Sahayak till his status increases as per his skills.

Secondly, Help or Sahayk or batman it is absolutely unavoidable and part of operational necessity in all Armies in the world for Combat Arms in Field. If a Major is required to go to a Naullah three Kks away and fill water for himself for a bath while he is deployed on LC, then he will only be able to give only Two hours worth of productive military work. Let is not be theoretical but practcle. Is there is no help or shayak a Captain may not be able to proceed on another patrol just six hour after returning from one. Today all know that unlike CPOs, Army and Combat arm are short by more than 13000 officers, therby frced to perform on more than three appointmnets. Are they duty bound to do that. I think not. So you are paying a man for three other equally paid jobs. When it comes to his"help" you show rules..

Come off it Leders and Gentemen !you are not the only logicians..and rule book are not only in your hand..

Employment of Domestic help, home servants, and menial job in civil Society is accepted by all. they are doing it and doing it at amssibe scale..including by employing government servants..

The only answer is raise status of soldiers to a level where his employment as batman would not be possible. Raise status of an officer to such level that he can employ help.

Then you have got to allow Camp followers, contactors and large hired labor as US Army is doing in Iraq and Afghanistan where large numbers of Indians work as Sahayaks or much below.. and so also accept thier war laibilities..

By the way in railway even today, Khalsies, gangmen, Bungalow Orderlies and many more other official categories exist without Scrutiny of Parliamentary Committees. Railway is not the only one..all Public works departments and manpower intensive departments...

Thousands of CPO constables work on Bungalows for menial jobs in the name of Security.

Getting after Army has no meaning. It is a "National Problem"...In Army pay they well, raise their status and the problem wil be resolved. In order to meet operational requirement of batmen and Ordelies, create another Cobatised categories like NCES..pay them less but increase their manpower...

This yet another buggers muddle..

Good luck...solution to the problem is communication and readiness of all to try and understand each others view..

Thanks and regards..

Anonymous said...

Dear all,

Tha ano above is the same guy (Maj) who witness the Zozila Saga as descibed above..advocating Skll recognitin...balamn is also a grat military skill...those who ahd good people know it well..

No one can ever understand the bond and Comradrie the officers and his buddy, the batmen hve between the. I have seen offrs og Gorka Rgiment Visteing the village and homes og their batmen in Nepal as permitted by the Govt. I have deeplu seen the bond btween a commando officer and his buddy who doubles as his help being of incredible order.
I have seen Battalions detailling PT ustads and Commando trained guys datailling thenm as batmen of young officers who would not even allow him a wing during morning. I have seen batmen pouring cold water over their young officer if he was late for morning PT. I have seen officers going for the marriages of their batmen.

Those who are offering below standard comments like"undie washing" etc do noy realsie how much those comments reflect on theselves. If they have such wives...who can help..

My Children shiver if front of my Sahayak but take me for granted.. For a commanding officer , he is most cofident source of inforamtion as for other officers..He is a sepoy adivsor, informer, friend and well wisher..

There are thousand of stories abound around a character known as Shayak in the Army and life in Combat is rigourous Ars without will be lonely, unconcerned, psychologically highly scarry and frightfull..

Who will go for night sentry duty checkpus on LC without him...who will be witnes of breach of siscipline and protect him as a buddy if the scolding officer on brach of diciplne is pointed a gun at by a tred soldier..

Those who es job it is not, should do their jobs rather than poke their noses into others affairs..

Anonymous said...

Lt Gen Yuvraj Mehta does exist. he was from the negineers and i i am not mistaken retired as Commandant IMA.
the issue is simple. an we do without sahayaks? is the system in conformity with the present day thiking and social setup?
jatin.

Anonymous said...

Why is everyone digressing from the original issue of Payband-4 for Lt Cols. Also this issue of sahayaks is not relevant to Airforce and Navy. Any news of when the PB 4 for Lt Cols is going to be announced?

Anonymous said...

Dear BP Sing Ji..

The batman is Combat and operational require nets for Combat Arms..

For peace posting yes..but for fields and operational postings servant allowance has no meaning. Officers require "soldierly help".

Yes, for those which are not Combat Arms like infantry etc there is no question of Sahayak even in fd..He needs be given servant allowance..

If I am not wrong, I heard that Army HQ is ceased with this issue and is ruthlessly cutting on authorization of Sahayak or other than Combat Arms Sahayaks.

Other Arms and services also can never develop such human bond due their frequent transfers and changes of different units. There is requirement of monetary Compensation for those. Mechanized units which has a large peace profile should be given monetary compensation. But their officers posted on combat duties can not be denied military help.

Our is inhospitable, inaccessible and sparsely populated border ares. Even if govt give Rs 10,000 a month, will there be a servant available in those places.

Let us not be theoretical but a little practical..

In Army generally no one refuses to be Shayak because contrary to allegation, he is not mistreated, misutilised, gains trust of officers and performs a little less military rigorous duties throughly he is always roped in for those duties due to paucity of manpower.

Good officers never allow a soldier to be helper for more than six mots or so. So that he is exposed to maximum number of soldiers and he knows ins and outs maximum soldiers. As per the traditions frequent changes of Shayaks of good infantry units, by the time one is senior Company Commander, an officer would have had min 40 to 50 soldiers performing with him as Sahayak. With the Company Commander knowing half of the strength of the Company so closely and all soldiers having bonds with him, will that Company ever fail in war under his leadership.??? Will he ever dare leting down his soldiers..

Leadership, and specially Military leadership, is that Art which very many pontificate upon but very less practice.. and suceed.. Wherever human are involved only human bondage work well..

Jai Hind..

Anonymous said...

@BP singh ji...

pl take a rebirth and join armed forces to learn about them and their way of life..

ur comments only reflects ur depleted knowledge base..

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

BAKI SAB MOH MAYA HAI...

@navdeep sir,

i told u that people other than armed forces have myopic view..they ve no idea what a sahayak means to an offr..A PAL..A BUDDY..AN INFORMER..A GUIDE ..A FRIEND..SOUL AND SHADOW RELATIONSHIP...

these people will keep harping on something that they ve seen in movies or otherwise once in there life time..

Anonymous said...

Maj Navdeep, perhaps Saikat Datta, that man (sorry, what else can I can call him remembering your averment about decent language) who quotes the Parliamentary Standing Committees would answer this better.

I would also request him to let us all know how many of the Parliamentary Standing Committee recommendations have been heeded, let alone implemented.

Finally, all those "pleadings". No one is forced to be a sahayak. It suits them (escape rigorous duties and get closer to the power that be)and that is why.

Anyway, what happened to all those who work in the houses of DCs, SSPs and others? Condoned by Saikat??

Anonymous said...

Hey anon, you forgot that fraud Pragmatic Euphony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is a pseudo posing as a armed forces person.

Onl what is written agreeing with him/her/it is permitted

Anonymous said...

We have kept a sahayak for only 5 years out of 19 years of service.that too in unit tenures when he would be out in field with me. A batman or battleman was invariably the 'buddy pair' of the officer responsible for his weapon,mapcase,binoculars etc.He was always on the bayonet strength of the unit and not an additional 'burden' to the govt/taxpayer.He was a burden only to the egos of jealous and insecure 'civil(?)' servants(??) who happen to be a bigger burden on the taxpayer.Just ask the people who experience this during govt-public dealing.

sangbhardwaj

Anonymous said...

Thanks ano above..

Of Course, in Inf units shayak is not a trade but a skilled soldier and a bayonet ready to charge along with his officer till death..

For an officer his soldiers are not "peasantry" and "serfs" but for our elite IAS class who starts his career from the district, his contempt and distaste for the "peasantry" and the "serf" is legendary. He functions and is appointed boss of "peasantry", as "Collector". It never goes out of his brahminical (not brahmin a caste but attitude of elitist exclusivity is meant by use of that term) attitude and character till he dies. It is ingrinded in his character that he is new Democratic Land lord and lord of peasantry. He is meant o destroy Zamindaar and repalce him.

I know many and have been associated with many IAS pseudos. Leftist oriented or most of the times ex communists and naxalite Nehruvian IAS becomes the most fundamentalist, reactionaries and fascist elitist men after joining the IAS. Even social enginnering attempts to democratize elitism by almost 50 percent reservation has turned negative and counterproductive. The more reserved lower caste an IAS is, the more reactionary and anti social he becomes. His social focus becomes his caste and caste politics. He just forgets the cause, duties and responsibilities for the entire socity and nation for which he has been made IAS.

IAS claim that they have better national focus and perspective is but untrue. They have better national appointments and good plum posts all over the country and nothing else. National Focus and Perspective no where there.

They have deliberately waged a war against the Armed Forces and replaced them as State symbols. The irony is that even after 61 years of Independence a soldier for them continues to be "serfs" they lord over in the districts and their "officers" are the "landlords", the Nehruvian elites must destroy or subjugate. Forces officers for them continue be "maharajahs and Zaminafdars" whom these Naxalites must show down and "show their place". They need to be cut to size. That is why one always sees them playing as "Collectors" of soldier "serfs" against their Zamindaar officers. IAS least realise that the Armed Forces officer cadre is not "Zamnidars" but much more braod based, democratic middle class and national based where there are officers of the reserved social categories but without reservation. meritocracy is a big threat to IAS exclusivity.

Hence, till the time the IAS dominated CPCs will be there, the soldier will continue to be tratede as a serf and batman, a "semi skilled Labor" and officers as an undesirable Zamindaar. They deliberately ignore the Forces pay-commissions of western democracies and other nations for comparison and comparisio with their approach. Armed Forces is an enigma for them. The only method they resort to cover their lack of knowledge and expertise to resort to chichis like "semi skilled labour"... "broad equivallance with class A services but in perticular IPS:...

The basic approach to the whole issue is faulty, lacks expertise and familiarity. The Communist or Naxalite pseudo IAS Babus treats the Army like nehru as "reactionary elements" capable of saying No to their perceived "dictatorship of Nehruvian IAS Proleteriats"... Armed Forces are not elements of National strength and Power but Feudal elements elimination of which is the responsibility of Communist IAS...

Ha Ha Ha Ha...

IAS / IPS symbolises failure of elitism as also failure socially engineered elites in the name of social justice in this Country. It is a hoch-poach, neither this nor that. It is total mess and reign of poltical opportunism. They are thoroughly corrupt and politicised. There end is but very near in history.

Armed Forces is their target because, they are perceived as "majority", and "a larger Number" as against their own "minority" and "Small Number". They are alaso viewed as success where they are an abject failures. They are perceived as "majority" ever ready to swallow their minority as also Nationalist broad based elites as ahinst they being narrow based reservationist gate vrashing elites. They are now suggesting to reduce this majority by adocating murder of short service commission.

May be then they will grant some second class status to the insignificant left over minority NDA Generals like they did with foreign service. What a long term planning.. Cahanakya is good for goveranace never good for Natin Building. That is why Magadh empire did not survive long in history..

Waht Armed Forces fault??...they simply do not know how the majority elites can claim the pie and becomes dominant..They are fragamented like a Majority and have no unity od appraoch and objective... Well if they could have, IAS would not survive even a day..that is the Coup and mutiny they fear...Generals...not the mutiny and Coup aginst the Country but for decimating their dominant minority...must know that. Al hullah bulloh, press leaks, propaganda is to stop that... Will you be cowed down or intensify efforts to show your strenght and amjority...

It is Politics Vihru....politics of "Competitive Elites"... mano na mano ..you are elites ..must as well conduct your battle like one and behave like one with chins up...


Hurray.....

Anonymous said...

please read my response on Maj gen Mehta here ... http://pragmatic.nationalinterest.in/2008/10/27/blue-ribbon-commission-faq/#comments
:-

cs
October 29th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
@ Maj Gen Raj Mehta (Retd)

Dear sir, It is very easy to speak after your retirement a lot of thigns which you wanted to do but you could not do while serving.I had the opportunity to serve in your command and dont want to dwelll much on what ever u expressed in your views above…and did on ground…………it would have been better had you expressed your views on occassions where you did not like the bloggers veiws or where you think that bloger is doing an exercise of defaming the armed forces.

Anonymous said...

How much more the military persons want from their countrymen in return for their promise of security of the national borders ?????

No one in the establishment of governemnt of India is so well compensated as an army officer and its equivalent in Navy and airforce. The package if worked out in terms of CTC (Cost to Company) will put the CTC of even some of the best paid MNC salaries in the country in the awe.
Compare this-
Social Living - Best lifestyle among all govt deptts. Housing plots/flats at subsidised cost at best locations
security - safest living within their own cantonements for the military officers. Very high gratuity and pension in case of deaths on job.Their children have assured quota in best colleges. They even have their own engg, medical, management, fashion colleges. ( parallel government)
Working environment - Extremely light working condtions for militry officers when in peace stations. Even in fields duty, the royal living style of officers could be envy of CEOs like Vijay Mallya.
In comparison think of a police officer slogging it amidst the criminals 24×7, 365 days or a BSF person patrolling the borders day/night.

Leaves - Military officers entitled for 3 months vacations even when working in the peace postings.
Free - Housing, free ration, free transport, freee uniforms,
Subsidised groceries and liquor from CSD Canteen ( at the taxpayers costs)

Medical - High-quality hospital care available to miltary men. A govt officer of any other deptt has to bear with the insensitive and ill-equipped government hospitals
Amenities - Luxurious amenities and facilities inside their cantonements, unthinkable for any other cadre of the Govt of India.
Add the salaries of the multiple betmen available at the back and call of the military officers and inside their house and you have the elite class of countrymen being maintained by taxpayers at very very high price.

This has been the fact always even before the 6th pay commission.

The 6th pay commission only has further doled out too much liberal allowances to these previledged lot of our poor nation. And that too has been resented by the Services in a fashion reminiscent of Trade Union activism…. by none other than the Services Chiefs!!!!!….

In contrast, the officials of other govt organizations are the ones without any patrons. Hence their plight is miserable yet unheeded. Worse, the paramilitary forces and civilians engaged in defence establishments in the similar environments do not get even a fraction of what previledges, amenities, allowances, safety and security is enjoyed by these military officers.

How much more will satisfy these organised band of brothers??? The answer is not even the the sky will satisfy them. The reason is simple. These people are no more proud of their uniforms and service to the nation. They are busy comparing ranks and begging for more and more and if begging is’nt enough they are are ready to flex their muscles.

Beware !! it’s a dangerous time not because we have corrupt politicians and inefficient bureaucrats but because we are faced with a greedy and nearly indiscipined and uncontrolled armed forces…. Pakistan is paying through its nose due to misdemeanor of its armed forces. …. Pray…. we don’t reach that stage due to the hegemony and overambitions of a mighty military establishment.

Anonymous said...

@Reethesh raghupati
Which utopia you are in. Almost 100% what you said is not factual. If this is the kind of life, why so many are leaving? In Navy so many people are waiting for their release for years including me. Have some sense! Are you leaving in this country? don't come out with this kind of utterly false propaganda.

Anonymous said...

@Reethesh raghupati
Man, are you one of those 50% reservation quota type who has this inferiority complex? Were you rejected in SSB for NDA? Why is no one from IAS\CPO\PMF\MES putting in their papers like the Armed Forces Officers?

Anonymous said...

Dear Navdeep @Oct 29 8:32 AM,

Some questions which have been raised in your blogpost and comments and no one has dared to answer in their comments---

1. helpers should only be used in field, that too in a limited benign manner.

2. no helpers should be allowed in peace locations.

3. the reports on stress, suicides and fratricide should be made public by the Army.

4. there should be no institutionalised mechanism of helpers -- authorisations as per AO, policy letters etc.

Let me add a couple of my own. Is a professional soldier fit to be used as a personal servant? The dignity and izzat that one talks about soldier from politicians and bureaucrats should very well start from the inside. A soldier is not a civilian peon. If the system officially treats him like one, this nation will have an army of peons.

Why does the Army Order specify helpers for officers at Delhi, Command headquarters and training schools? Even when it is against the government policy of helpers for units at Peace establishment. More importantly, when an IAF or IN officer can do without a helper at a joint-service establishment (with the same salary and perks) or at Delhi, why do army officers need them even there? Is there a difference that people like me have missed out on. I'd love to hear from more learned friends here on this subject.

[PS: As Navdeep said, "...don't worry about the personal abuses and attacks. The debate might improve qualitatively". Let's see.]

raj said...

hi all again

this is for @Reethesh raghupati

supposing all that u said is true, why dont u join the services?!!! we can reduce our deficit by one!! also u could recommend your brothers, brother-in-laws etc also to join. the army is soon going to accept married men also due to the shortages. you could join us?!!!
WHAT SAY U?!!
do comment coz i want to see if u really have some spunk to join or u r one of the anonymous babus masquerading with an alternate net id to malign the armed forces

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

@ prag..

i knew u will come here..afterall a topic so close to your heart is here...

by the way when r u going to start the democratic way of functioning on ur blog...


ANS 1. sahayak's r there in WE units.The role of sahayak is that of buddy..a pal..do u know that he is looked after by an offr just like his own son or younger brother..its a mutual relationship of confidence..so dont dare to demean it.

ans2. Pl define peace loc?
where r they i want to get posted to One such peace location.
when i am not on border i spend on an avg 4-5 months on the name of trg in op area and remaining time i m the the nearby trg area outside the cantt or on trg courses..PLEASE TELL ME WHERE R THESE PEACE AREAS..U MAY BE AWARE OLDMAN AND PL GET ME POSTED I BEG UUUUUUUU.

ans3. yes all stress related cases to be made public this will benefit ARMY ONLY..PLEASE TELL MR ANTONY TO DO IT IMDTLY..Y THE GOVT IS NOT DOING IT I WONDER..PL USE UR AUTH IF U HAVE ANY TO MAKE THESE CASES PUBLIC..THE REASONS WILL BE A SURPRISE TO U.


ans4. WHY...? OTHERS CAN DO ANYTHING WITHOUT RULES U HAVE NO PROBLEMS..I WONT SAY ANYTHING MORE THAN THIS AS I DONT WANT TO COMMENT ON OTHER SERVICES...

NOW UR OTHER COMMENTS...

PLEASE REMOVE THEM FROM SO CALLED PEACE HQs AT THE SAME TIME MAKE THE OFFICE WKG HR 9-5 THATS IT; NOTHING ELSE EVEN IF WAR BREAKS OUT...I WILL LOVE TO WK IN THIS CONDITION...pl dont quote army hqs..because as i see ur vision ends there only.

LOOKING FWD FOR A GOOD DISCUSSION..

BY THE WAY SINCE WHEN U HAVE STARTED GIVING SOLUTIONS..I ASKED U LAST TIME CERTAIN QUESTIONS AND U BEHAVED OTHERWISE...PERHAPS U HAD NO ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTION OLD WISEMAN...

Anonymous said...

Dear Pragmatic and Reetesh Raghupati,

For Pragmatic,

IN and IAF officers to have Stewards and NCs (E)respectively as helpers.

There aren't many peace areas in India - insurgency and naxalites have made all of them near war zones.

No one is reducing any combatant to servant status. By the way Pragmatic are there peons in armed forces units? and other Gp D staff?

For Reetesh Raghupati
The so-called XLRI study ignored facts. Service Accn is so scarce in many places that there is a 2 to 3 year waiting list.

85% of the married officers and PBOR stay in flats. 15% are allotted bungalows commensurate with their rank and designations - mostly Brig and above and a few COs too.

Flats and plots are not provided at subsidised costs. Land is paid for at the Govt assessed cost by the Army Welfare Hosuing Organisation and Air Force Naval Housing Board. Tenders are floated in the market for contractors who bid to build the flats for which the AWHO and AFNHB charges officers and PBOR at a 'no profit no loss basis" calculated with a certain percent of escalation in costs. The allottees register the flats with prescribed State Govt authority as per the amount they have paid (not some fake amount)by paying the stamp duty and registration charges.

Reetesh pl allow me the pleasure of taking you around and showing you that what I write is plain truth. Just put your mobile number and/or where you will like to see what will disabuse you of your misconceptions.

Anonymous said...

all?What for this blog is?To justify wrong deed of army pointed out by parliament?We hate our politician,but are we ready to replace them or find an alternative.noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
so what ever has been pointed by them we must respect and modify our system .now the mans are educated and they are not happy doing sahayak job.The sahayak system should stop in all HQ.so that units have adequate strenth

Anonymous said...

@ANNONY...10.38...

R U FROM ARMY?

Anonymous said...

sorry at 10:48...

Anonymous said...

Why does not any one answer my basic question?

Why is a soldier "Semi Skilled " labour...written in every CPC?? nd Then paid accordingly.. Izzat and ststus flows from there..

Why these advocates are skirting the fundamantal issue?

These Babu types are playing soldiers "Generals" talk off the cuff.

They should reply only one question and every thing will fall in place.

Anonymous said...

Most of the debate on these blogs have started primarily due to 4 core anomalies which has come up due to implementation of sixth pay commission. i feel core issues are getting lost in the fog of these discussions.

There appears to be some elements who wants to divert attention of armed forces from core issues to non issues. Please understand it, don't loose the focus. Otherwise none of ur anomalies will be sorted out even by 2018 i.e. seventh pay commission.

May I request Maj Navdeep to plese focus on the core issues especially the downgrading of status of armed forces officers and lowering of pensions of PBOR.

GOM was suppose to give its recommendation by Diwali.This year's Diwali is alredy over. The pay slips with anomalies have been issued to all. Is this an indication of acceptance of anomalies even by our chiefs?

May I request somebody (keeping track) to update us on the recommendation of GOM. Are Lt Cols moving in to pb4 with a minimum grade pay of 8300?

Anonymous said...

I also agree that the core issue about sixth pay commission amomalies is being sidetracked and all sorts of debates are going on.
Are Lt Cols going to get Pay Band 4(PB 4) and the PBORs their proper pension? When? Diwali is already is over and it looks like this core issue is being forgotten.

Unknown said...

anony @10:42. you re wrong about IAF and IN officers using stewards as help. stewards are only in IN and is available at place of work. retinue staff is av only maj gen upwards. all other officers have servants in the servant's quarter well paid for by the officer and all this only if you have a house in the first place else you are on your own. i have nothing against sahayaks as long as in joint service estb. they are made to stay and work at home. i have seen quite unpleasant things as far their behaviour with officers from other services is concerned.

Anonymous said...

@loverboy says...there are no stewards for personal use of In officers: he is absolutely right

@Anonymous claims NCEs work for IAF oficers: he is absolutely wrong

it would do everyone justice to provide true fact to [progress the argument, rahter than to create dissatidafction where none exists

so please: no red herrings

offers only substantiated and authenticated facts

thank you all

Anonymous said...

anony @1208

Pay panel: Three Member Committee yet to decide Lt Colonel pay
The three-member ministerial committee to look into grievances of the Armed Forces met for a round of discussions on Wednesday afternoon, but the matter remained inconclusive even as the deadline for a final report on the issue is approaching fast.

Sources said several permutations and combinations are being worked out, but more meetings would be required before a final decision can be taken on the matter. The committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, met on Wednesday even as hectic rounds of consultations are on with the Armed Forces and other services.

The committee, set up by the Prime Minister, was given a deadline to prepare a final report for the Cabinet by the end of this month. The last round of consultations with the armed forces took place on Monday when the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, Admiral Sureesh Mehta met the ministers.

While the committee is leant to have agreed to the demand for restoring the pension given to Personnel Below Officers Rank (PBOR), discussions were on to resolve the other three issues put forward by the Armed Forces.

On the demand of moving Lt Gen and equivalent officers to the HAG plus pay band, solutions being worked out included a further categorisation of the officers to accommodate a proportion of them in the highest pay band.

The most contentious issue remains the demand to move Lieutenant Colonel level officers to Pay Band 4 in order to give them parity with their civilian counterparts. While the Armed Forces have dug in tight with the demand of moving Lieutenant Colonels and their equivalents be placed in Pay Band 4 (Rs 37,400-67,000) instead of the present Pay Band 3 (Rs 15,600-39,100), paramilitary forces and the MEA are insisting that changes will result in administrative problems. A solution under discussion is the creation of a new category in the Pay Band 4 to accommodate Lt Cols and give them parity with civilian counterparts without altering the monetary edge of non-defence services officers.

Source: The Indian Express (30-10-08)

Anonymous said...

@ Annony 624

Thanks for updating.

There is a certain consipracy to divert the attention of all the officers from the core issues and create an infighting. Shortly issues of pay anomalies of sixth pay commission will fade away and die its natural death.

We all have officially been made a class II service in this pay commission.

I would like to ask Maj Navdeep and other leagal experts that, is there any way to represent in the court of law if GOM fails to address our problem. We may all contribute collectively for the court expenses.

soldier said...

Dear All!!! At leat give a number to your anonymous status. So many ANNOS are so confusing. Anno1- Anno2 will be better. No??And @ Reetesh Raghupati. Your view on perks in the forces is just wonderful. What have you been doing outside the Army till now. Rush in with all your frieds and relatives. It is waiting for you. These days there are 10 to 13 officers in many units where 24 are required. You will be able to do some service to the motherland. So when do we see you around Sir?? You want some forms to be sent to you. If you are not a graduate you can enlist too.

Anonymous said...

@Navdeep

Until the present CPC, the armed forces officer recieved a higher starting basic pay than those joining any of the other civil services. Also, the pay at the highest rank was equal to that of the highest placed civil servant both having put in 40 years of service.

In view of the above, an innocent observer/ bystander will be correct in assuming that the salary for the armed forces should stay higher at any point of service.

In case the govt had earlier been providing higher starting basic pay just as an invitation to lure the officer for military service, this should be an example of entrapment and hence there is bound to be a law against that.

Hence, IMHO, the govt can fix any salary and equivalance for the officers joining post 6 CPC, but should be legally bound to maintain the status and salary of existing officers vis a vis equally placed civilian services.

Can this issue of entrapment of existing officers be taken to the appropriate court of law and a STAY ORDER obtained on the 6CPC, till the Lt Col anomaly is sorted out.

The counterparty may argue, that the govt being the employer, is within its rights to compensate any person as it deems fit. However, logic would sustain that it is not possible that in one organisation of the government, only 25-30% are found fit and in other almost 100%.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely agree with loverboy @2.53PM that the behaviour of sahayaks in joint service organisations has been well below the service standards and in lot of cases they do not pay respect to the IN/IAF officers.And the responsibility for this certainly rests with the army officers to whom these sahayaks are assigned. Army bretheren, please note!!

Anonymous said...

Hi All!
I fully agree with Reethesh Raghupati.Infact Service personnel can not swallow the truth.Following story will help them in understanding as to why they are planning to leave Army/AF/IN becuase service training at the expense of Tax payers have made them something from nothing.

Appraisal Story
There was once a washer man who had a donkey and a dog. One night when
the whole world was sleeping, a thief broke into the house, the washer
man was fast asleep but the donkey and the dog were awake. The dog
decided not to bark since the master did not take good care of him and
wanted to teach him a lesson. The donkey got worried and said to the
dog that if he doesn't bark, the donkey will have to do something
himself. The dog did not change his mind and the donkey started
braying loudly Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away, the master
woke up and started beating the donkey for braying in the middle of
the night for no reason.

Moral of the story 'One must not engage in duties other than his own'



Now take a new look at the same story…

The washer man was a well educated man from a premier management
institute. He had the fundas of looking at the bigger picture and
thinking out of the box. He was convinced that there must be some
reason for the donkey to bray in the night. He walked outside a little
and did some fact finding, applied a bottom up approach, figured out
from the ground realities that there was a thief who broke in and the
donkey only wanted to alert him about it. Looking at the donkey's
extra initiative and going beyond the call of the duty, he rewarded
him with lot of hay and other perks and became his favorite pet. The
dog's life didn't change much, except that now the donkey was more
motivated in doing the dogs duties as well. In the annual appraisal
the dog managed 'ME' (Met Expectations) . Soon the dog realized that
the donkey is taking care of his duties and he can enjoy his life
sleeping and lazing around. The donkey was rated as 'star performer'.
The donkey had to live up to his already high performance standards.
Soon he was over burdened with work and always under pressure and now is looking for a job rotation…

Anonymous said...

Annonymous @3.04PM

Well how do we know that your education has been paid for? May be you are one of the reservation quota or may be your dad is bussinessman who never paid taxes or evaded taxes? Don't fool yourself ? What about the promotions that u got without doing nothing? What about bribes?

Anonymous said...

Every one is beating around the Bush including MoD and Parliamntary Committee.

I repat my question.

"Why does not any one answer my basic question?

Why is a soldier "Semi Skilled " labour...written in every CPC?? nd Then paid accordingly.. Izzat and ststus flows from there..

Why these advocates are skirting the fundamantal issue?

These Babu types are playing soldiers "Generals" talk off the cuff.

They should reply only one question and every thing will fall in place.""

Any answer..??? Including by MoD...

Phaedrus said...

I have been a part of the UN Mission in Kosovo. I have seen the functioning of Army of the Nato countries. No where there is a concept of Sahayak even some armies were having same messing facility for all ranks. This is a colonial vestige. the sahayaks are now indispensable for the memsabs rather the Officers. Indian airforce is a good example

Anonymous said...

@Phaedrus above..

You are not the only one having seen so called UN Msn...thousands in the Armed Forces are well exposed to the other major Armed Forces and Police in the world.. I do admit that we are far better in all respect..

Well, please answer the basic question above. Do those countries treat and pay their soldiers as "semi skilled labor"?? At the scale of the peon.. or a police constable?? as is the case in this Country..

Honorable Def Minister, Shree Antony also made some moralistic noises in the Naval Commanders Conference. Parliamentary Committee also made some noises. But my poser is, "is making a noise the answer to the problem" ??

By making such noises you are only painting the officers as "black sheep" and projecting oneself as Massiha of the Soldiers. That is plain politics. Is not it? By doing that the leaders, so called othe humanists and other commentators are damaging the officers Jawan - Harmony. Are not they ?

The answer to the problem is that one must give a feel to the Jawans and Officers in the Army alike that a soldier is not a "Semi Skilled Industrial Labor" (in other words a peasantry or a Surf)equivalent to another Surf called "peon", orderly, Khalasi, bunglow boy, attandant or gang man etc.

Not only all successive pay commissions have termed and equatted a soldier with that category but that also seems to be a general attitude.Kindly go through the comments of one of the CCS Babu on the benefits on retirement to soldiers who has suggested that some posts of the peons be reserved for ex servicemen. This is the attitude of the establishment. A 20 years trained and skilled man will be taken in as a peon in the govt offices..???? Or at best a security guard whereas an unskilled BA pass is good enough to be an IAS.. 12th class to be an assitant.... 12th class pass soldier is castigated as "semi silled labor"... as if he is doing some thing not required and not recognised by the society.. Well, that is the root cause..

On this serious biog, I suggest, one should leave aside ones service or individual prejudices and realise that the soldiering skills and status of the soldier in our Country and society needs to be formally recognized and upgraded. Toward that the Govt and Army must do the following:

1. The skills acquired by the soldiers during his training must be categorized, Classified and recognized. The Certification and classification must be equivalent to or in consonance with HRD policies of the Country.

2. Proper Job evaluations and job analysis of each and every category be carried out and then Jobs graded accordingly. Then the scaling for each categories be determined.

3. Every up-gradation of skills must result in up-gradation in scale and Category. Say any person who has qualified in Junior Leaders Course, Sec Commanders or PC Curse attains higher skills. he needs to be graded and scaled accordingly.

4. Post recruitment training, the soldiers of Arty, Inf or AC etc the so called group D, is no longer a "semi skilled worker" but a skilled worker. After one passes through a Lance Naik Cadre , a soldier is equivalent to highly skilled industrial worker.

The pride of being a soldier comes from his status and place in the society and organization rather than from "Political Bhashan". If a soldier is treated and paid equivalent to Group C employ and upward as per his skills, he will not feel like doing any job as shayak nor will officers employ him for menial jobs. For absence of this practice in IAF and Navy, this is one of the contributing factor.

It is so simple. One does not employ a plumber, a mason or tenth class pass trained typists in his house for domestic help in the armed Forces. That degradation is the preserve of Civilian Services so far...

Army, in particular needs to be seriously think about it so that the shayak is skilled and upgraded to personal assistant buddy as it is well recognized that it is a functional and operational necessity. Give him a place every soldier to vie for...

It good to inquire into the cases of low morale, fragging, fratricide and casulties in tha Armed Forces but it is not good to highlight wrong cause and supress the right ones.

I am afraid with such an inceased gangstrism, terrorism, rise in urban criminality, Naxalism, political use of Police, there are going to be thousands of such cases in the Police Forces...those have statrted manifesting... it is just the begining.. Alas , in spite of absence of "sahayaks".


Kindly treat this biog to be serious issue and avoid your personal hatred. I further request not to indulge in moral lectures and "Now I have Got You SOB" attitude.... those are not solutions..

arpit said...

army personnels are assigned sahayaks so they can devote their mind into the well being and security of the nation . The civilians comment on it because they don't get one . They get a sahayak because they are ready to give their lives any second for the nation and giving them a sahayak is not a very big deal. They are worthy of these things. And they are pretty capable.! So there should not be any issues regarding this.