Veterans and their Obligations

Veterans and their Obligations

(SAMMAAN January 2018)

Maj Gen Mrinal Suman

‘Once a soldier, always a soldier’ is an old adage. Nostalgia is an integral trait of every veteran’s personality. We live and relive memories of the raw courage of the troops we commanded, bonding of colleagues and esprit de corps of our units. Memories of bygone events, departed friends, old associations and  organisational bonding provide immense solace, even when age takes its toll on the body and mental faculties. That is the reason that our morale always remains high and our spirits continue to soar. We lead a dignified and contented life even with limited resources at our disposal. That has been the hallmark of our character.

Unfortunately, of late, some veterans have developed some sort of persecution complex. They have convinced themselves that they are not getting a fair deal from the country. Resultantly, considerable discontentment has crept into their thinking. There may be some justification for our disappointment with the environment, but why let it make us despondent and unhappy. With considerably enhanced pensions and ever-improving ECHS, we have reasons to look forward to a blissful old age.

Over the last few years, veteran have been concentrating only on their demands. What about our obligations? Many veterans feel that after rendering long service in uniform, they owe nothing more to the country; and that it is now for the country to reciprocate by looking after them. Even if there is some merit in such an expectation, it cannot be one-way traffic. We do have certain obligations to the services and the society.

Our Moral Obligations

Intimacy and intensity of the relationship that ex-servicemen enjoy with the serving soldiers is an umbilical cord that binds the two into an everlasting bond. Not only are the veterans treated as repositories of unit traditions but also considered as conscience-keepers of the regiments. In no other organisation are the retired personnel treated with so much of respect and deference. Serving troops look up to us for inspiration. Therefore, nothing should be done to breach their faith. We owe it to them.

Veterans act as ambassadors of the services. Citizens have little contact with the serving soldiers who are mostly deployed on the borders. Public forms its impression and opinion about the services after watching the conduct of the veterans and judging their value-system. For that reason, the conduct of veterans has to be above board and worthy of military officers. Being the emissaries of the services, we cannot let them down through unbecoming conduct.

Unfortunately, some veterans pay no heed to their obligations to the services. All arms and services start celebrations of their raising days by paying homage to their martyrs by laying wreaths at the war memorials. Though invited, only a handful of veterans attend such solemn ceremonies whereas they are present in hundreds at evening social functions for a gala evening of drinks and dinner. Such behaviour reflects poorly on their disposition.

Many veterans proudly display the sticker ‘army’ on their vehicles. But when such a vehicle jumps a red light or flouts parking norms, public wonders whether the soldiers are any different than the normal undisciplined citizenry. Similarly, driving without helmet or seat belt is seen as total disregard for the rules in vogue. Some veterans behave in a highly noisy and unruly manner while travelling in trains, causing much discomfort to fellow passengers.

Clothing has a huge influence on others’ perceptions. People judge and respond to others by the way they look and dress. Many veterans stop taking pride in their appearance. Under the garb of wearing casual clothes, they dress shabbily. It is distressing to see them visiting canteens and other facilities unshaven and wearing sloppy footwear. ‘Shabby turnout produces shabby behaviour’ is an old military dictum.

Some veterans brusquely declare that they are no more under the Army Act. At the same time, they are ever ready to announce their rank to demand due courtesies. An untidily dressed and unkempt veteran was rudely told by a municipality clerk, “Sorry, but you hardly look like an officer”. Such veterans bring a bad name to the services.

Visit any services welfare housing society and see the infighting, petty bickering and squabbles amongst the resident officers. All the sheen of their gentlemanly behaviour disappears the day they hang their uniforms. Some go to the extent of complaining against each other to municipal and state authorities on trivial matters, much to the embarrassment of the civic authorities who are reluctant to intervene. Petty jealousies make some veterans conduct themselves in an appalling manner. Their behaviour reveals a psyche of intolerance and unconcern for others. Strangely, many veterans seem to suffer from the syndrome – ‘I am unhappy because my neighbour is happy’. 

It is shameful to see some veterans indulging in parochial behaviour by forming religion/region based groupings. Apparently, the veneer of secular thinking and nationalist outlook that they displayed in service was only skin deep. Retirement exposes their true colours as communal and narrow-minded individuals.

Many veterans find it difficult to forego service privileges. Unabashedly, they hang on to their helpers (Sahayaks) for years together by pressurizing the officers who had served under them. They brazenly invoke regimental spirit for selfish gains. Such blatant misuse of soldiers is an obnoxious sight that does immense damage to the standing of the services and projects a poor image of the officer cadre amongst the civilians.

Our Social Obligations

Most social scientists consider the military to be an agent of social change and a major modernizing force. We, the veterans, retire at a comparatively young age and enjoy good health. We possess huge untapped potential to undertake socially beneficial  programmes for the betterment of the society at large. Rather than wasting our post-retirement years in petulance and complaining, we can impart a noble meaning to our lives by contributing to the society.

There are numerous fields in which we can make a difference. The choice is entirely ours, as per our proclivity and area of interest. For those well-meaning veterans who keep wondering as to what community activity should they participate in; here is a suggestion. Veterans can spearhead a social revolution in the fields of eye and body donation, thereby bringing about a change in the thinking of our countrymen. Facts show the magnitude of the challenge the country faces.

India is home to over 1.2 crore blind people and nearly half of them suffer due to corneal disorders. Of them, 26 percent are children and 25 percent live below the poverty line. India needs at least one lakh donated eyes annually for corneal transplantation to restore vision in people with corneal blindness. However, there is an acute shortage of donated eyes. It is a matter of shame that India has to look up to Sri Lanka for donated eyes. 

Each donation results in imparting vision to two disadvantaged recipients. Lakhs of people pledge their eyes but only 1 percent result in actual donation. As the eyes must be recovered within 4 to 6 hours of the death of the donor, support of the family members is critical. Their indifference results in the wastage of eyes and non-fulfilment of the wish of the deceased.

Eye removal takes only 10-15 minutes and does not cause any disfigurement. Either the entire eye (called the globe) may be surgically removed, or only the cornea may be excised and placed in storage media. The donated corneas are transplanted to the patients on the waiting list. Donated eyes which cannot be used for corneal transplantation are used for research and education purposes.

As regards body donation, it is not only a very noble gesture but also a big boon for medical research as cadavers (dead bodies) are needed in medical colleges for studying anatomy and various diseases. Cadavers are also essential for practicing and developing new surgical techniques.

There are over 140 medical colleges in India and all are facing an acute shortage of cadavers. Some are forced to make do by sourcing unclaimed dead bodies from the police. Due to legally mandated time-lag for their disposal, such dead bodies are received in a rotten and decayed state. Resultantly, they are of very limited value.

A person can express his will to donate his body after death. However, he must convince his next of kin to fulfil his wishes. Although no religion debars body donation, there is a strong mindset against it. Even if a person pledges his body, his family members decline to donate it. They prefer to waste the body by burying or burning rather than offering it for a noble cause. Therefore, education of the family members is of critical importance.

Finally

We, the veterans, are blessed to belong to a unique organisation. One marvels at the love and respect that the serving soldiers shower on the veterans. Yes, it is pure selfless love as the veterans can do no favour to the serving. Therefore, it is incumbent on us not to let them down.

As regards our public demeanour, the issue is very simple. If a veteran wants to be treated with due deference by the society at large, he must behave like a gentleman-officer. A veteran’s place in the society is determined by the way the  society views him. Respect cannot be demanded; it has to be earned. The other option is much simpler, do not reveal your identity and behave as you like.

We belong to the most progressive segment of the society. The society has an image of an army officer which is that of an earnest, compassionate and motivated nationalist. Veterans have a latent and manifest responsibility in the process of nation building, more so as most of us see ourselves as the sole guardian of national rectitude. It is for us to contribute to the national cause by spreading awareness about eye and body donation. We can indeed usher in a social revolution in the country.

To gift sight to two blind persons is by far the most virtuous act a human being can undertake; that too without any discomfort, sacrifice or cost. Lakhs of blind persons continue to remain on the waiting list for years, hoping one day their turn would come to receive cornea donated by some noble soul. They suffer their sightless lives in the hope of seeing this beautiful world one day. Let us, the blessed veterans, not be so self-absorbed that we prefer to burn our eyes rather than gift vision to the needy. Similarly, body donation is the ultimate service to the humanity. An inscription on a grave dedicated to a body-donor reads – ‘Even in death do we serve life’. It cannot get nobler! *****

Veterans and the Social Media: Civility is not a Sign of Weakness

Veterans and the Social Media: Civility is not a Sign of Weakness

(SAMMAAN January 2018)

Major General Mrinal Suman

Internet and social media have become the most popular means of communication; both for acquiring knowledge and disseminating information. We, the veterans, have been using this facility quite extensively. Most of us are members of more than one yahoo groups. A single click of a key connects us to a vast circle of friends for informed discussion and exchange of viewpoints.

We claim to be a distinct segment of the society and take pride in the fact that we belong to the noblest profession in the world – the profession of arms that ensures security of our country. We consider ourselves to be the conscience-keeper of the highest values of societal rectitude and probity. However, it begs the question – has our conduct been befitting of the high pedestal that we seek for ourselves?

Most disappointingly, general standard of exchanges over the social media has been highly abysmal. Whereas a handful of veterans are working assiduously to disseminate useful information to the environment, most veterans are using the social media either to fault the current dispensation or to voice their personal grievances or to settle old scores. For them, the social media is a convenient tool to give vent to their pent-up frustrations. Some stoop down to calling names and using foul adjectives. 

Faulting the Current Dispensation

Some veterans are convinced that the current army leadership lacks moral courage to stand up to the civilian hierarchy, thereby compromising the soldiers’ dignity and interests. They are ever ready to pronounce the senior brass guilty of every act of omission and commission (whether real or perceived) and have assigned themselves the responsibility of safeguarding the Izzat of the uniform. Without knowing full facts, and with limited information available in the public domain, they base their conclusions on conjectures and unsubstantiated news to deride the serving brass.

Three incidents are recalled here to flag the above malaise. One, at the first official observation of the World Yoga Day on 21 June 2015, a total of 35,985 participants from 84 nationalities had gathered to perform asanas. The whole country was proud of the momentous occasion, with India’s priceless legacy becoming world’s legacy.

As is the wont of some veterans, they appeared to be more obsessed with the spreading of yoga mats rather than the import of the occasion. Deviously, a social-media campaign was started by them, accusing the army leadership of demeaning the soldiers by asking them to lay mats. However, as the truth emerged later on, the mats were laid by civilian workers and the army had provided a few Havildars to oversee the layout and alignment.

Two, when the government allowed construction of a Kruppman bridge over Yamuna for a cultural event, sceptical veterans were quick to condemn it. The Chief and the top brass were censured for allowing the army to be misused and using scarce military equipment for a non-official function. It was forgotten that the military does not exist in a vacuum. It is an instrument of the state and owes its creation to it. It is for the state to employ its resources, as deemed fit. It is for the government to decide whether such support should be provided to a cultural event or not. It is not military’s prerogative to determine its justification. Incidentally, Kruppman equipment is not scarce. It is manufactured in India and every Kumbh Mala sees such bridges.

Three and more recently, government’s advice to the army to oversee cleanliness drive in the remote high altitude areas was intentionally misinterpreted to imply that the trash left by the tourists was to be collected and disposed off by the soldiers. At no stage did the government ask the soldiers to do that. It simply wanted the army, the only agency present in such areas, to keep an eye on the drive. Casually paid local labour was to be employed to carry out the actual cleanliness work. Unfortunately, some hyper-active veterans were quick to condemn the military hierarchy for accepting such a demeaning task.

Most reprehensibly, even the Chief is not spared. Worse, the criticism is becoming more detestable, caustic and unseemly. In some cases, the comments have crossed all limits of propriety – ‘Chief lacks spine’, ‘he is a big letdown’, ‘he is toeing the government line for ambassadorship and gubernatorial assignments’, ‘he has become a sycophant and is neglecting army’s interests’ and so on. Some have stooped down to the level of calling the Chief a dancing girl. It is simply deplorable.

India is a democracy where the real power rests with the political leadership and, rightly or wrongly, it is exercised through the bureaucracy. The top brass has to establish rapport with the political leadership and the bureaucracy; personal equations with give-and-take approach always prove more beneficial in such an environment. An adversarial and threatening deportment achieves nothing.

Further, the Chiefs are bound by the norms of service. They cannot share with the environment the enormity of their struggle to get the soldiers their due and the success achieved by them. One does not know how much we owe to the Chiefs for the grant of OROP, notwithstanding our dissatisfaction with its provisions.

It appears that some veterans want the army top brass to carry their resignation letters in their pockets at all times. As per their expectations, resignations should be tendered whenever the bureaucracy declines to accept any request. A bit of heart-searching is always desirable before condemning others. We all came across challenging situations in our professional lives which we considered to be grossly unfair and unwarranted. How many of us resigned in protest when still rising in career? Most of us become ‘tigers’ after supersession/superannuation, in full knowledge of the fact that we had nothing at stake and that no harm could come our way. That is no chivalry. In fact, it is delinquency of the worst order.

It was sad to see a senior veteran warning the Chiefs that the troops would obey their orders only if ‘the orders are legitimate and legal and not to please your bosses or others’. Ominous words indeed: it implied that it was for the troops to determine whether the orders given by the Chiefs were legitimate and legal before obeying them. What a shame!

The institution of the senior army leadership needs to be protected. It is suffering incalculable damage. By calling them names, we the veterans, most unwittingly, are lowering their status; not only in the eyes of the serving soldiers but also the general public. How can the country hold the services in high esteem if we keep deriding our own leadership?

Use of Discourteous Language

As  army officers, we were seen as paragons of gentlemanly behaviour. While in uniform, we were always gracious in our demeanour, sociable in our speech and courteous in our conduct. It is a mystery as to why retirement negates all the traits imbibed during long military service, causing a major change in our attitude, manners and deportment. All that sheen of being a gentleman-officer disappears with the hanging of the uniform.

A glance at the correspondence amongst veterans on social media reveals darker (and hitherto hidden) side of our character. Exchanges stand out for a total lack of basic courtesies that we normally extend to others. Some emails are so unsavoury  that they degenerate into abusive and vituperative language. It is difficult to believe that veterans can stoop down to such shocking depths.

It appears that the veterans have forgotten how to debate issues in a mature and cultured manner : it is a technique of interactive argument wherein an issue of common interest is discussed by various participants by taking a stand either in favour of or against a stated perspective. It is not necessary to be in agreement with the opposing viewpoint in a debate. Dissent is a healthy and desirable reaction. Dissent improves the quality of debate and helps arrive at well-evolved conclusions. Unfortunately, dissent often degenerates into a slanging match or street-urchin type squabble amongst some veterans.

Whereas a healthy debate should be built on logical consistency, factual accuracy and persuasive presentation of arguments and counter-arguments; many veterans resort to personal attacks by questioning the credentials of other participants. A debate must remain confined to issues under discussion as issues are important, not individuals. Counter arguments should be presented in a convivial and courteous manner, duly supported by cogent reasoning. Resort to harsh and foul language shows impoverishment of cogent rationale and lack of basic intellect to argue intelligently.

Surprisingly, many veterans do not try to understand the opponent’s point of view. Their mindset is so psyched that the very mention of an issue arouses their opinionated reaction. Deposition of medals, role of veterans, addressing of letters to the civilian authorities, lack of facilities at ECHS and many other issues have generated unnecessary bad blood.

Finally

The countrymen admire soldiers’ dedication to the cause of national defence. Even after their retirement, we continue to enjoy public adulation for the services rendered. In fact, we are seen as an extension of the serving soldiers and treated with due deference. Unfortunately, many veterans fail to realise that their conduct impacts the standing of the serving soldiers. Due to their unbecoming demeanour, they let the services and the countrymen down. We have countless complaints and suggestions as regards our own welfare but are totally indifferent towards our obligations.

Regular introspection is the key to continued good health of an organisation. When an issue that affects the well being of the forces is raised, it should not be construed to be condemnatory or anti-organisation, but considered as a reformative initiative and discussed accordingly. Veterans can help create an environment wherein issues of common interest are discussed in a frank, mature, logical and coherent manner. Even dissent should be well-argued and dignified. Civility is not a sign of weakness.

Social media is a double-edged weapon and has unprecedented reach. It can be cleverly manipulated to tweak the truth to present a distorted version of the facts. As denigration sells, negative projection hogs limelight for days. Worse, Indian print and electronic media thrives on sensationalism. Whatever we write on social media gets known to the non-service environment as well. In the hands of inimical elements, it can be a lethal tool.

Veterans should be careful of their conduct on the social media. We should not be seen by the environment as a bunch of disgruntled, uncouth and ill-mannered individuals. As counselled by author Laurence Sterne, “Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners.” We should not forget basic courtesies and manners in our exchanges, lest people lose faith in us. Credibility is a meta-virtue; once lost, it is difficult to be regained. Therefore, we, the veterans, should do nothing to forfeit the respect of our countrymen.*****

Ratan Tata Officers Holiday Home: A Tryst with Heritage

Ratan Tata Officers Holiday Home: A Tryst with Heritage

(FAUJI January 2018)

Major General Mrinal Suman

Located in the Nilgiri Hills (literally ‘mountains with blue haze’), Ooty (variously referred to as Ootacamund and Udagamandalam) is a popular hill station. The area was originally inhabited by the Toda tribe who were famous for raising water buffalo. Various dynasties ruled Nligiris till it was captured by Tipu Sultan in the 18^th century, only to be ceded to the East India Company in 1799. It was in the early 19^th century that Collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan decided to open the area by constructing a road. Development of the area got a major boost in 1908 with the construction of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, the only rack railway in India.

Over a period of time, Ooty became a popular summer resort. Convalescing soldiers were regularly sent to nearby Wellington for recuperation. ‘Stone House’, built by John Sullivan in April 1822, was the first house in Ooty. Many Europeans followed suit and soon there was a fair sprinkling of bungalows and farm houses.

In 1870, an impressive building called ‘Harrow-on-the-Hill’ was built on a hillock overlooking the town of Ooty in an area of 8.05 acres. A number of quarters for the attendants and the serving staff were also constructed. Due to its unique location, the property soon acquired prominence in the city.

Although exact details about the original owner of ‘Harrow-on-the-Hill’ are shrouded in obscurity, old inhabitants of the area vaguely recall the name of a James Saheb, a tall friendly Britisher with goatee beard. It is quite possible that he belonged to Harrow-on-the-Hill, an area north west of London, and named the building thus.

He was a keen rider and possessed a number of good steeds. He got the area around the house cleared and planted select trees and plants. He was proud of his garden and was often seen working with a shovel in hand.

Some old servants claim that they had heard their elders telling them about James Saheb’s  happy family, a loving wife and two sons. However, the property was sold to Tatas in 1900. Precise reasons for the sale are not known. Some say that James Saheb migrated to Australia while others believe that he was recalled to England as he had fallen in love with a local girl, the pretty daughter of the house gardener.

Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata business house, had two sons – Dorabji Tata (born in August 1859) and Ratanji Tata (born in January 1871). Ratanji Tata married Navazbai in 1893. The couple made ‘Harrow-on-the-Hill’ their residence. Ratanji was  a great philanthropist and an ardent horse-riding enthusiast. His wife also learnt riding to give him company. By all accounts, they were exceedingly happy in the sylvan environment of Ooty.

Unfortunately, Ratanji Tata fell ill and had to sail to England for treatment in 1915. Even while undergoing treatment, he continued with his philanthropic activities and willed a major part of his assets for charitable purposes. He was knighted in 1916 for his humanitarian services. He died in September 1918 at Cornwall, England and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery, by the side of his father (Jamsetji Tata).

After her husband’s death, Lady Tata decided to make Bombay her residence. With an initial corpus of Rs 8 million, ‘Sir Ratan Tata Trust’ was established in 1919  with Lady Tata as the chairperson. She continued to head the trust till her death in August 1965.

As ‘Harrow-on-the-Hill’ had been lying unoccupied for long, the wife of the then Governor of Madras Lady Willington requested Lady Tata to let the bungalow be used as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers. Acceding to the request, the trust donated the property to the defence services through an indenture in December 1922, with the following main conditions:-

(a) The property was to be used as ‘Convalescent Home’ for all officers holding His Majesty’s Commission in the Regular Army, Royal Navy, Royal Indian Marine, Indian Medical Service and Royal Air Force.

(b)His Excellency, the Viceroy of India was to make rules and regulations for the management of the institution.

(c) The property was to bear the name ‘The Ratan Tata Convalescent Home for Officers’. 

To accommodate more soldiers, the Britishers added a wing with two floors having eight rooms on each floor with attached bathrooms. The expanded home has a total of 19 double-bedded rooms with two drawing rooms, a large dining hall, cook house, a pantry with store rooms and 43 servant quarters.

After Independence, Field Marshal Cariappa approached Lady Navazbai Tata with a request to allow the property to be used by the officers of the Indian defence services as a holiday home. The magnanimous lady readily gave her consent.

Renamed as ‘Ratan Tata Officers Holiday Home’, the property is under the control of Headquarters ATNK & K Area, Chennai whereas the administration is managed by  Madras Regimental Centre, Wellington. Tariff has been kept at a very reasonable level.

It is to the credit of the army that the property continues to retain its old world charm with well maintained building, manicured lawns, rows of flower beds and lush green forest. Magnificent portraits of Sir Ratanji Tata and Lady Navazbai Tata adorn the walls of the drawing room. A sketch of the original building is displayed in the main foyer.

The morning coffee room has a unique piano made by the famous EF Gruss of Germany. The brass plaque reads, ‘E F Gruss Frankfurt Oder (Nilgiri Model)’, indicating that it is a custom-made piano and perhaps the only one of its type. Heavily built with brass rods in the keys for extra strength, it is an upright travelling piano normally used on board cruise liners, capable of withstanding rigours of turbulent seas. There are two folding candle holders mounted on the piano for surreal effect. Although vintage of the piano is not known, it is in perfect working condition, well polished and duly tuned. 

Presently, Colonel S K Singh of 2 KUMAON is the officer-in-charge of the holiday home. He deserves credit for immaculate maintenance of the property; well trained, caring and polite staff; delicious cuisine; and, above all, warm hospitality.

Stay at Ratan Tata Officers Home is indeed a tryst with heritage, a nostalgic journey into history that resonates with the laughter of an English family, sound of hooves of the horses ridden by a young Parsee couple and fervent prayers of the  convalescing soldiers. The tranquil surroundings of the home provide an ideal getaway for those service officers who love to spend a few days in the idyllic lap of the nature.*****   

Frontier Areas of the North East Merit Focused Attention

Frontier Areas of the North East Merit Focused Attention

(Published in Geopolitics January 2018)

Major General Mrinal Suman

In the movie ‘Chak de India’, in a highly telling scene, the team manager is shown reproving a probable from the North East that only Indian girls were eligible for selection. With obvious hurt, she retorts that she too is an Indian. Apparently, the manager had been misled by her mongoloid features. A few years back, a Naga girl studying in a Delhi college went to the Railway Station to book a seat on student concession. The booking clerk curtly told her that only Indian students were eligible for the said concession. She felt humiliated – to be treated as an alien in one’s own country is the worst affront. Sadly, it is a trauma that the citizens from the North East often face.

Due to the remoteness of the North East, there is considerable lack of appreciation of India’s cultural and ethnic diversity amongst most countrymen. Because of their distinct features, North Eastern Indians are often mistaken by many to be foreigners from the East Asian countries. It will be incorrect to apportion the whole blame to the team manager or the booking clerk. The failure is of the nation as a whole. Even after seven decades of Independence, India has not been able to integrate its frontier areas physically and emotionally. Indian leadership has let the people of the North East down.

India is guilty of deliberate neglect of the development of the North East under misplaced security concerns. The backwardness of these areas becomes more pronounced in view of enormous  infra-structural development achieved on the other side of the Indo-China border. As a result, there is an acute sense of neglect and alienation among the local population. During the Dalai Lama’s last visit to Tawang, the weather became inclement and he had to travel by road.  As the road was in an appalling  state, it took him hours of bumpy travel to reach Tawang, thereby exposing the pitiable state of surface communications.

Although Arunachal Pradesh is India’s largest frontier state in the North East with international border with Bhutan, China and Myanmar, average road density is mere 25.74 km per every 100 square km of area against the national average of 142.68 km. This is despite the fact that roads are the sole means of communication in the mountainous terrain. There are four district headquarters which do not have all-weather roads. Worse, 34 administrative centres and 2453 villages are yet to be connected by road. Railways have a token presence and the state does not have an airport for its capital. It has one of the poorest health conditions in the country, with life expectancy of 54.05 years being the lowest among the major states.

Frontier Areas

It is not possible to define frontier areas in absolute terms. However, during the early period of settlements and colonization, the term indicated a region at the edge of a settled area. Over a period of time, frontier areas have broadly come to be accepted as borderland or areas close to inter-country boundary. It is an expedient way of differentiating between the heartland-hinterland and the areas on the fringe. Heartland refers to a region that is the economic centre of a country while hinterland is the region that provides the resources for the heartland. Thus, a frontier area is generally a region that is well away from the heartland-hinterland of a country and hence far removed from the mainstream of a nation.

Frontier areas also suffer from comparative geographic isolation due to long distance from the population centers. Some areas may even remain cut-off for prolonged periods due to seasonal reasons. Due to the lack of adequate infrastructure and industry, such areas are generally identified with lesser development and the economy is usually based on a few specific resources or activities. Further, they are normally inhabited by tribal and ethnic minorities, resulting in a cultural divide.

Neglect of outlying areas has been a part of Indian psyche for ages. Rulers cared little for the distant areas. They took to battle only when the invaders reached the doorsteps of their capitals. Every battle of Panipat was fought when Delhi got threatened. Otherwise, the rulers at Delhi cared little for the outlying areas. Non-use of the air power (though India was favourably placed) during Indo-China War of 1962 was due to a fear in the minds of the rulers that the use of the air force might bring the war closer to the heartland. According to their perception, it did not make sense to risk the heartland for the sake of remote and frontier areas.  

Unfortunately, such an attitude pervades even today. Every issue closer to Delhi gets immediate attention whereas the problems of areas far removed from the heartland continue to suffer neglect. Being sparsely populated, frontier areas send very few representatives to the parliament. As they count for little in determining majority, they carry little political clout. No main stream party considers it worth the effort to traverse undeveloped areas for the sake of a handful of parliamentary seats. Regional parties with highly localised agenda proliferate to occupy the vacant political space and the central leadership remains ignorant of the issues faced by these people.

Worse, most of the bureaucrats who rise to occupy top posts at the centre are those who manage their careers well by staying closer to Delhi. Without any tenure in the remote areas, they lack firsthand knowledge of the ground conditions. As a result, their involvement remains limited to the allotment of funds to the state governments for development projects. Thereafter, it is left to the state governments to expend them without any oversight. Local leaders exploit centre’s abdication of responsibility and lackadaisical attitude to misappropriate funds. A few families prosper and there is little visible improvement in infrastructure. Common man feels disillusioned as his life continues to be a struggle for survival as hitherto fore.  

For socio-economic development of an area, extensive surface communications is a prerequisite. Due to rugged, inaccessible and inhospitable terrain, extension of rail and road network poses a huge challenge. To expedite road construction in the remote areas, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was raised on 07 May 1960. It was assigned the challenging task of road construction in unexplored areas where no other agency dared to venture. Through sheer dedication, commitment and drive, BRO has amply proved its mettle.   

However, over a period of time, certain distortions in the role definition of BRO crept in. Instead of confining itself to its primary task of constructing and maintaining surface communications in frontier areas, it was asked to undertake tasks in the hinterland as well. This ill-advised role expansion made BRO lose its focus. As a result, its work in the frontier areas suffered. Numerous roads are lying incomplete and a large number of critical bridges have got mired in design infirmities. Bureaucratic impediments posed by non-issuance of timely environmental clearances and non-acquisition of land by the civil authorities have added to the woes of BRO.

The Way Forward

China has been laying claims on large tracts of Arunachal Pradesh. For decades, the Indian leadership feared that road connectivity up to the international border would help an aggressor to develop a line of communication for his advance into the plains of India. Therefore, a deliberate decision was taken to keep the border areas devoid of road network. However, Indo-Chinese War of 1962 demolished the delusion of impregnability of the Himalayas. Thus, India achieved nothing except depriving the area of fruits of development.

Further, fearing ingress of elements inimical to national interests, the government decided to keep the border areas out of bounds to visitors. ‘Inner Line Permit’ scheme has effectively kept these areas isolated. By closing border areas to visitors, India not only deprived the area of immense economic benefits but also stalled social and emotional integration. Worse, instead of showcasing the region as an integral part of the country through free movement of foreign visitors, India harmed its own interests by imposing ban on their entry. Therefore, as a first step, ‘Inner Line Permit’ system should be totally abolished.

It is a well understood fact that hilly areas do not lend themselves to rapid infrastructural development, especially with respect to the construction of airfields, railways and highways. However, such areas possess immense potential in many other aspects. It is for the government to exploit them. Here are three suggestions.

One, tourism is considered to be one of the most potent catalysts for economic development. Nature has bestowed India’s frontier areas with exceptional scenic beauty and varied terrain. Adventure tourism can be developed with minimal investment and considerable returns. Existence of one of world's twelve hot spots (biosphere reserves) can be used to promote bio-tourism. In addition to immense economic benefits, domestic tourism will  expedite social and emotional integration of the areas with the rest of the country. However, while framing policies, due attention must be paid to the preservation of ethnic, cultural and physiographical heritage of the areas.

Two, due to availability of ample land, sparse population, congenial climate and unique terrain, frontier areas are ideally suited for academic activities. Although Guwahati has an Indian Institute of Technology and Shillong has an Indian Institute of Management, much more can be done. The central government should formulate a long-term plan to develop the seven states of the East as the academic hub of the country. A large number of institutions of excellence should be established in the state capitals. Private educational trusts should also be encouraged through land allotments and subsidies in the initial stages. Such an initiative will cost little but offer huge returns. Arrival of students from the hinterland will give a boost to the local economy and promote better understanding with the local population.

Three, it is generally estimated that the frontier areas possess close to 100,000 MW of hydropower potential. When fully exploited, it can provide effective stimulus for local industrial activity. Considerable revenue can be earned by supplying surplus power to the neighboring states. Similarly, the areas have huge confirmed mineral deposits of crude oil, natural gas, coal, iron, limestone, dolomite, graphite, granite and many precious and semi-precious stones. However, their exploitation depends on the development of surface communication network.

For the success of India’s ambitious ‘Act East Policy’, Northeast India has to be developed. It is the gateway to the countries of Southeast Asia through Myanmar. It also shares borders with China and Bangladesh. As trade and economic development are inter-dependent, cross-border trade with neighboring countries would help generate profitable activities, especially as the area suffers disadvantages of a long transport lead from the heartland and consequent heavy transport costs.

Finally, every country strives to assimilate its frontier areas into the heartland through expeditious economic progress and deeper integration, thereby expanding the hinterland to the borders. Isolation and deprivation of vast frontier areas do not augur well for national unity and well-being. More importantly, India’s security interests would be best served by assimilating the frontier areas into the mainstream through extensive infrastructural development and emotional integration.*****