A young Indian Army soldier R. Narendra committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle while on duty in South Kashmir’s Anantnag. He is the latest of hundreds of Armed Forces personnel who have committed suicide. Ministry of Defense (MoD) statistics reveals that at least one serviceman from the three defense wings commits suicide every three days. Meanwhile, the parents of deceased soldier R. Narendra, have contested the Indian Army’s version of their son’s death. His mother said her son sounded normal, not depressed, in a video call on October 8. “If my son committed suicide let the Army officials show us the evidence”. We will seek legal help to ascertain the exact cause of my son’s death. According to MoD data tabled in parliament shows that between 2011 and 2018, there were 891 deaths by suicide of members of the Indian Armed Forces (Army, Air Force and Navy). Suicides were highest in the Army, which reported that 707 personnel took their own lives between 2011 and 2018. The Air Force reported nearly 5 times fewer suicides at 148 over the eight years. The Navy has the lowest number of suicides, with 36 deaths reported over the same period. Of these, 707 soldiers were from the Army, particularly those deployed over long periods in J&K.

Discipline in Army is extremely important. However, some Army officers are treating the Jawans with no affection at all. Even for very tiny or no fault, the Army officers treat them badly beyond anybody’s imagination. So, the jawans get angry. The soldiers work under tremendous pressure and that “very little work is done in post-conflict psychosomatic disorders” in the Army. They are separated from their families for long periods and often denied leave during tough counter-insurgency operations, if suicides are happening and soldiers are killing each other, it is a manifestation of a lack of discipline which goes straight to the leadership – unit level and above. Former Indian Army officers have blamed “a lack of discipline” and “poor leadership” in the forces for more than 1,300 suicides by soldiers since 2001. A research commissioned by IDSA “Building Army’s Human Resources for Sub-Conventional Warfare”: K C Dixit; page 32; Pentagon Security International; 2102: http://www.idsa.in/system/files/book/book_dixit_intro.pdf lends support to the above but from an altogether different perspective. The author a serving officer undertook a survey of 1085 personnel (60 officers and 1025 PBOR) and posed 38 questions. All of them were deployed in Jammu & Kashmir. Questions 19 and 20 bring out the simmering discontent within the Ranks. To the question (#19) if disciplinary cases were being disposed off promptly, ninety four per cent of the respondents said they were “unhappy” with the pace of disposal. To the next question (#20) ‘why cases of indiscipline take long to dispose off?’ again 94 % blamed it on “excessive commitment and shortage of officers”.

Government does not care about brave soldiers who are fighting in most difficult situations for the Nation, on the other hand politicians and senior officers are making merry money. Main reason is bad Behavior of some Armed Forces Officers to Soldiers, these Officers still live in colonial era. If Government really wants to investigate about sucide cases in Armed Force or solution of this problem, then they have go through on the given reasons, when training parts are almost same and no much difference of educations then why too much privileges and difference in salary and other facilities between Officers and Jawan/JCOs. Quantity of Ofiicer”s kins recruited as a Officers is more then others, Officers, do not take care of their Jawans/JCOs. Our bureaucrat always supports Armed Forces Officers, but never below Officers ranks. It’s our request to Defence minister please suddenly go to any Battalion without any intimation and listen to Jawans/JCOs. Perhaps, if juniors tells something, some cruel officers treat them very badly. Poor and pathetic condition of living, low pay, hight of indiscrimnation, hangover of officers as british, excessive stress, domestic pressures, and extreme curruption etc are the main reason of detiorating condition of Jawans/JCOs. In the name of discpiline soldiers are now and then being harrased fiercly. This is serious as our Jawans/JCOs must have proper leaves to the stress themselves with their families.

Despite large number of death in Defence Forces Government and Armed Forces sources resorting to cheap practise of blaming soldiers for not coping up with domestic problem. Working enviorment in Armed Forces had gone to all time low there is not professionalism. Officers are going to any extent to suppress voice of Jawans/JCOs. Govt should look after their genuine grievances and appropriate action should be taken on time. Soldiers need to be kept on cool terms. There should be dedicated councelling sessions for every soldier to address their issues. Professional and personal life is tied together, problem in one causes problem in other too. The Armed Forces needs to address this mental imbalance of their Jawans/JCOs by providing adequate work-life balance and motivational stress busting programs. They are most important to the Nation than the Politicians and Bureaucrats. Everybody in Armed Forces is equally important. It’s all team work. Single non performer harm Forces equally. Appeasement of any type is dangerous whether it is pay, perks, ranks, authorisation etc. Constitution also confirm it, but all have its own mean as per their convenient. A real change is required in the thinking of the commanding officers of every regiment, where it is seen that, an officer is required two to three soilders at his home,just to do his house hold works.