The tiny and pointless - but repeatedly successful - terrorist incursions both from Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Pakistan itself over the last few months primarily show the discomfort in anti-India quarters in Pakistan over their realisation that peace between the two nations is inevitable in the not too distant future. At the same time, these events also show the poor morale in the Indian armed forces and other security establishments.
This poor morale arises primarily from the repeated and visible downgrading of the armed forces relative to other departments of the government establishment over the past 66 years. While demands such as one-rank one-pension are clearly unrealistic, one hopes that the government of India does realise that this morale issue must be addressed at the earliest if a situation like 1962 is to be avoided.
The simplest way of doing this would be an adequate representation of the Indian armed forces in the coming Seventh Pay Commission, so that justice to the Indian armed forces is not only done, but is also seen to be done.
Alok Sarkar Kolkata
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