The Tainted Uniform...

The Indian Armed forces are one of the most respected organizations in the country. Especially the Army, which gets the most honor amongst them all. The code of discipline and courage is legendary. Their passion devoid of all fervor, other than for service towards the motherland. Once a soldier, is always regarded as a soldier. People respectfully give titles to men who have served in the army. Such is the respect given to the soldiers of the country.

Yet recent revelations on the Malegaon incident, have greatly tarnished the army's secular image. Never would i have imagined that men in the army would be involved in such forms of treason. That too amongst high ranked officers. Soldiers who had fought off terrorism, had become one of them. Yes, these of course are the actions of a few, and should in now way brand all the soldiers similarly. Yet the reputation of the army has taken quite a beating.

Why this scares most, is because of the sort of training they undergo, and the amount of expertise they posses. This means that they are highly skilled in whatever they do. One can't imagine the worst, if such a thing were to happen again.

The armed force have mostly stayed clear of internal politics and strictly remain in control of the leaders of the nation. Such a discipline is almost remarkable in an army that ranks 3rd in the world, with respect to size. That too in spite of so many diversities amongst those who serve in them. They are a true picture of how we all can get along well and accomplish so much as a unit.

But, there have been minor problems. The armed forces in India have always been amidst some sort of controversies from time to time. Such as weapon procurement, bribes, harassment, fratricide, espionage, inefficiency, unpreparedness, aging hardware etc etc. But those were issues concerned within the army. They by in large did not affect the common man in any significant way. But being involved in such terrorist activities has been the first of its kind. Who else can we look for protection if not the men in uniform. They are there to help at times of chaos -  man-made or natural. Their selfless service and courage gives reassurance to the entire country that things will be fine and under control.

Whatever it may be, i still have high regard for the armed forces. They are a remarkable group of ladies and gentlemen, and hope that collaborating with such misguided forces wont ever happen again.

Jai Hind