'Indian soldier costs minimum, delivers maximum'

'We're hitting at the core strength of our armed forces.'

The Agnipath recruitment of soldiers scheme predominantly for a four-year contractual basis has come under scrutiny since its announcement on June 14.

There have wide ranging concerns raised by military veterans who feel that the system strikes at the ethos of the Indian armed forces.

"I will give my life for my buddy without thinking. This feeling of camaraderie and trust comes after years of training in the unit," says Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), a proud officer from the Parachute Regiment, India's special forces. The general served the Indian Army for four decades and held command assignments on both the Pakistan and China borders.

"The unit is as strong as the weakest link. This new system, I'm afraid, will not only create a weak link, but a weak chain," General Bhatia tells Rediff.com.

The strength of Indian Armed Forces are its soldiers, sailors and air warriors. Technology does not pay dividends like a soldier does. We have the examples of Afghanistan, Russia and the People's Liberation Army on the Line of Actual Control that show what happens when soldiers are not invested in their armies in a conflict or war.

Forty per cent PLA soldiers are conscripts who serve a two-year tour of duty -- every six months 10% of the men are rotated and hence there is no role definition.

These soldiers are always looking over their shoulder and want to return home as soon as possible. We certainly do not want our army to be like that.

People are quick to draw example with the military recruitment in other countries, but we cannot compare with other nations like Israel which has a population of 9 million, which is half the population of Delhi!

The Indian soldier costs the minimum and delivers the maximum. He has stood the test of time from 1947 onwards. Even in the 1962 War Time magazine carried a caption 'Indian Army lacks everything except courage', but now we are hitting at the core strength of our armed forces to save pennies (the Agnipath scheme is intended to reduce the Indian military's pension burden).

Secondly, the feeling of loyalty to the unit -- naam, namak, nishan [honor, loyalty, identity] will be missing. Experience matters in soldiering and a contractual soldier may not have the stomach to take risks.

I will give my life for my buddy without thinking. 'Mere peeche move' is the command that soldiers understand. They know that their officer will move ahead and they behind him. The officer knows that his men will never let him down.

This feeling of camaraderie and trust comes after years of training in the unit.

The unit is as strong as the weakest link. This new system, I'm afraid, will not only create a weak link, but a weak chain.

Thirdly, this will lead to the militarisation of society. 75% Agniveers will return to society every four years. 34,500 trained, semi-trained, soldiers without the motivation, satisfaction and dedication that retired soldiers return home with after putting in 20 years of dedicated service.

These young men will feel rejected, dejected and frustrated that they were not good enough to be retained by the army.

Our soldiers come from villages. Do we need a militarised society in our country? I don't think there will be enough jobs for them after four years.

No one will benefit -- the nation least of all.