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! *****