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{






Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD

The profession of arms is all about management of violence, destruction and death.
As it is not easy to muster courage and nerve to kill other human beings, soldiers are trained
to acquire a streak of raw ruthlessness and brutality. Consequently, according to common perception,
soldiers are supposed to be cold-hearted and unsentimental fighters, totally impervious to emotional
weaknesses. It is just not µsoldierly¶ to cry and shed tears like other mortals. But then as Voltaire said,  

³Tears are the silent language of grief´. Grief is a fundamental sentiment. It spares no one and soldiers
are no exception. Soldiers by nature are highly sensitive to the environment and its responses.
However,
soldiers do not grieve through wailing, howling, weeping and even sobbing. Their grief finds
expression
not through tears but through their silent anguish. Here are five triggers that overwhelm soldiers¶ hearts
and make them cringe with pain.

{


  

Soldiering is not a profession. It is a commitment that every soldier undertakes

with missionary zeal to defend his country. It stretches much beyond the normal
call of duty as is commonly understood. It is a matter of honour for a soldier
to fight and win, whatever be the challenges and cost. It is a trait that
becomes an inalienable part of every soldier¶s character and provides
motivational sustenance. Soldiers see themselves as the sole guardians of
national security. Being the last bastion of the state, the military is fully
aware of the fact that it cannot fail the nation, whatever may be the odds.
Memories of reverses suffered during the Chinese aggression of 1962 still cause
immense pain. Despite the fact that the soldiers were ill-equipped and
ill-clothed to fight in snow-bound areas, their devotion and valour were in the
highest traditions of the services. Soldiers were not to blame for the failure,
yet they felt that they had let the nation down. Scars of retreat in the face
of the Chinese onslaught continue to haunt to date. Inability to dominate and
crush forces inimical to national interests makes soldiers miserable. They
become restless for an opportunity to redeem their lost honour.

{




Self preservation is a strong natural instinct and subordination of personal

interests to group interests is against normal human psyche. However, military
life is all about camaraderie and group cohesion. Indian military thrives on
shared commitment among soldiers to achieving the assigned goal. Shared
commitment flows from cohesion developed through rigorous training, caring and
emotional bonding. It is not uncommon to see soldiers risk their lives for their
colleagues. Soldiers are neither reckless nor impulsive. They are fully aware of
the trauma and privations their families would have to suffer should they die
in the call of duty. Their inexplicable behavior is purely due to intense
attachment and loyalty to their colleagues and the group.

The worst thing for a soldier is to lose a µbuddy¶. Poignant notes of the µLast
Post¶ send shivers down the toughest of soldiers¶ backs. Tears shed in the
memory of a fallen comrade are invariably accompanied by a sense of guilt and
helplessness. Many tend to blame themselves for their failure to save their
colleague¶s life. This is the reasons why arms are reversed while bidding final
farewell to a friend.

{
 



 

Military as an institution sustains itself on the trust-loyalty equation

existing between the leadership and the rank and file. To be trusted is the
greatest compliment that a leader can earn. Trust is the expectancy that the
followers can rely on a leader¶s immaculate personal conduct and professional
competence. It flourishes on the credibility that a leader enjoys in his
command. Soldiers willingly repose faith in a leader in the belief that he would
remain incorruptible and morally upright.
When military leaders indulge in land grabbing, sale of liquor or fake
encounters, soldiers start wondering whether such leaders deserve their trust
and confidence. They get disillusioned as their faith in the uprightness and
integrity of the leadership gets shaken. They feel let down by the leadership
that they had trusted unquestioningly. Worse, loss of credibility makes
soldiers doubt their military competence and worthiness. They cry out in anguish
as they find that their icons of morality are unworthy of their trust.

{


 

 

Soldiers¶ dedication to duty, loyalty to the nation and willingness for the
supreme sacrifice are driven less by material considerations and more by an
overwhelming urge to earn love and respect of their countrymen. As the soldiers
know that their image in the society is dependent on media projections, they
tend to be very sensitive to adverse publicity and undue criticism. They feel
betrayed that their national media ignores their contribution and highlights a
few aberrations.

Soldiers do not question subjecting the military to public scrutiny. However,

they want it to be done in an objective and balanced manner. For example, quite
unfairly, in the recent case pertaining to Adarsh Housing Society, the media has
twisted the facts so blatantly to make it appear to be a scam perpetrated
exclusively by the service officers. Worse, Army¶s prompt action against
transgressing officers is never recognized. Further, it is most demoralizing
when a few self-proclaimed chair-bound activists make their living through
regular military-bashing. According to them, anti-national crowds can throw
stones at uniformed persons and maim them, but return fire in self-defence is
not acceptable.

It is unfair to expect that there would be no aberrations in a 1.3 million

strong force. However, it must be appreciated that 90 percent of the troops are
deployed on borders or in counter-insurgency operations. Soldiers doing duty in
remote and uncongenial areas feel terribly pained when a few acts of misdemeanour
and indiscretion are cited to paint a negative picture of the services as a
whole. They wonder if the countrymen understand their trials and tribulations.
They cry for the nation¶s empathy and recognition.
 {




  

A supportive government¶s compassion acts as a major motivator for the soldiers.

It is not a question of financial remunerations alone. It is the way a
government treats and values its soldiers that matter.Except for token inanities
on Independence Day, the Government has singularly failed to appreciate the
intensity of sense of hurt of the soldiers at their continued neglect. Frequent
degradation of their status through manipulated pay commission awards has made
them sceptical about government¶s intent.

In the recent past, India was witness to the most unfortunate sight of numerous
military veterans returning their medals to the President to register their
protest against Government¶s indifference to their pleas. Medals earned during
active service are the proudest possession of soldiers and their being driven to
surrender them should have made the Government sit up and take note. But true
to its wont, the Government remained totally unconcerned and unmoved. This
episode will certainly go down as a dark chapter in the history of Independent
India.

When the government expresses its inability to spare a small piece of suitable
land for a war memorial in the capital to honour independent India ¶s martyrs,
it hurts every soldier. They consider it to be an affront to the memory of those
who made the supreme sacrifice. When a senior member of the ruling party
declares that commemoration of Kargil war is not warranted as the war took
place due to an intelligence failure of the earlier government, soldiers are
left aghast at the brazenness of the logic. When the government adopts a
negative attitude and makes no effort to redress their genuine grievances, the
soldiers are left a disillusioned lot with no one to provide solace.

 

Military is a social organization, albeit highly structured and disciplined. It

consists of living human beings with their normal share of sentiments and
idiosyncrasies. Soldiers also emote and go through phases of elation and sorrow.
It is just that they are trained to keep their emotions under control lest it
affects their performance in crisis situations. Their anguish remains muted due to their strong
sense of loyalty to the country and to uphold military honour. For that reason, soldiers need

to be handled with sensitivity and compassion.



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