On 4 December, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat was in Gorakhpur as the chief guest for the inaugural programme of the week-long 88th Foundation Day celebrations of Maharana Pratap Siksha Parishad at Maharana Pratap Inter College. The event was presided over by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, who is also the chief priest or mahant of the Gorakhnath Math that manages the Gorakhnath temple and the parishad.
General Rawat gave an inspiring speech to the students wherein he urged them to rediscover Indian culture diluted by centuries of foreign rule. He also unveiled life-size statues of ‘Hindu Surya’ Maharana Pratap, and the previous two mahants of the math — Brahammleen Mahant Digvijay Nath and Brahammleen Mahant Avaidyanath. Earlier, on 3 December after landing at the Gorakhpur airfield in his official aircraft, General Rawat had paid obeisance at the Gorakhnath Temple in company of its mahant, Yogi Adityanath.
But 4 December is also celebrated as the Indian Navy Day, commemorating its attack on Karachi harbour in India-Pakistan War of 1971. It is traditional for the Service chiefs to together lay wreaths at the National War Memorial (earlier done at Amar Jawan Jyoti) on ‘Service days’. Since 1 January, the CDS as numero ono of the armed forces and responsible for tri-Service integration leads the ceremony. However, such was the importance given to the Gorakhnath Math event that the CDS gave the Indian Navy Day a miss.
What does the conduct of the CDS — due to ignorance or indiscretion — tell us about the state of affairs of our armed forces? First, well-established traditions, particularly with respect to tri-service integration are being given short shrift. Second, it is a violation of rules, regulations and law of the armed forces. And third, it compromises the secular and apolitical status of the armed forces.
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Protocol and traditions: tri-Service integration
Lack of tri-Service integration has been the bane of our armed forces and a major impediment in developing their full potential. In absence of a CDS and theatre commands, tradition and protocol were the main instruments to promote tri-Service cooperation. One such tradition was for the Service chiefs to symbolically stand with each other on respective ‘Service Days’ to lay wreaths at the National War Memorial. General Rawat has himself done this on nine occasions as the Chief of Army Staff.
Now that he is the first CDS of India with the primary charter of integrating the three Services, it was all the more important that he should have been present for the wreath laying at the National War Memorial on the occasion of the Indian Navy Day. The 88th Annual Day celebrations at a Gorakhnath Math education institution were spread over one week. Indian Navy Day is an annual event. Thus, it is inexplicable how it could not have been coordinated for him to be present. If he had the will and inclination, he could have been with his Chiefs at the National War Museum, and then flown to Gorakhpur in his official aircraft to be present there by mid-day. If that was not enough, his symbolic greetings to the Indian Navy were conveyed at 2134 hours via ANI on Twitter, almost as an afterthought after the adverse comments over his absence on social media.
One wonders whether the reason for his absence were his ongoing differences with the Chief of Naval Staff over the need of a third aircraft carrier, which the former considers as unaffordable and advocates priority for more submarines. It is a matter of naval strategy fleet composition, best left to the Chief of Naval Staff who is of the view that India needs both, the third aircraft carrier and more submarines. Did the CDS consider the Gorakhnath Math event more important? Whatever the reason, his absence from Indian Navy Day — the first after he was appointed the CDS — formal event does not augur well for tri-Services integration. Three photographs in The Telegraph e-paper with the caption — “Guess where Chief of Defence Staff was on Navy Day?”— say it all.
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Violation of rules, regulations and law
On the face of it, there seems to be nothing wrong with the CDS’ visit to Maharana Pratap Inter College on its annual day as the chief guest and address to the students. But the college is run by the Maharana Pratap Siksha Parishad, which in turn, is run by the Gorakhnath Math and which happens to be a quasi-political and religious organisation. Mahant Digvijay Nath had headed the Hindu Mahasabha in erstwhile United Provinces and was jailed for nine months for inflaming passions against Mahatma Gandhi that led to his assassination. For the last three decades, the math is actively associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mahant Yogi Adityanath, with whom the CDS shared the stage, is also the founder of the Hindu Yuva Vahini — the organisation faces allegations and police cases for its involvement in communal riots.
Military Intelligence regularly issues directions forbidding all ranks not to associate with or visit quasi political/religious organisations. This is distinct from the visit to a religious place purely for worship. One is not privy of the latest list of such organisations but the Gorakhnath Math and its affiliate organisations as distinct from the Gorakhnath Temple, which can be visited to pay obeisance, would qualify for such a ban.
Under Article 33 of the constitution, Army Act Section 21 and Army Rules 19 and 20 make a person liable to be charged under Army Act Section 63 for violations of rules/regulations made from time to time with respect to association or participation in activities of banned organisations. I have no doubt that the CDS must have carried out necessary checks before his visit. If organisations/institutions functioning under Gorakhnath Math are not part of the military’s restricted list, then I am sure neither would be institutions run by Darul Uloom Deoband or Damdami Taksal, Mehta Chowk in Amritsar. In tune with secular traditions of the armed forces, the CDS may like to consider visiting them if invited.
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A giant leap towards politicisation of the military?
Very often I have been asked the question about whether the Indian military is politicised. I have maintained, and still do, that the armed forces, by and large, remain apolitical and secular, but are being exploited by the political class. And the hierarchy for vested interests related to promotions and post-retirement benefits was facilitating this exploitation. One hoped that the hierarchy would course correct and set an example for the rank and file, which is being seduced by neo-nationalism through social media.
General Rawat is the senior-most military officer of India. His presence at an institution run by a religious/political organisation and paying obeisance at a religious place in company of the mahant who is also a controversial political leader, does not augur well for the military and the nation. In similar circumstance, the Chairman of the United States’ Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley in June 2020, after being present with President Donald Trump for a photo op outside a church had publicly regretted, “I should not have been there. My presence in that moment, and in that environment, created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.” The CDS may also consider a course correction.
Be that as it may, I would still consider it as an error of judgement, and not crossing of the Rubicon on way to politicisation. I keep my fingers crossed.
Lt Gen H S Panag PVSM, AVSM (R) served in the Indian Army for 40 years. He was GOC in C Northern Command and Central Command. Post retirement, he was Member of Armed Forces Tribunal. Views are personal.