Army raises the bar

IN the times of #MeToo, the Army has stolen a march over its civilian counterparts, setting a fine example of trying, and swiftly wrapping up, a case of moral turpitude by going ahead with the dismissal of a Major General found guilty of conduct unbecoming of an officer. The General Court Martial verdict is subject to confirmation by the Army Chief, and the officer has the right to appeal. Charged under Section 69 of the Army Act read with Section 354, IPC, the senior officer was facing disciplinary proceedings for misbehaving with a woman officer. The Army has sent out a strong warning that it will not brook any departure from what is at the core of its ethos: Officer Like Qualities (OLQs) and discipline. 

At a time when the issue of combat roles for women is being debated in the Army, such a reprehensible act is bound to rattle the confidence of many a young woman with aspirations to join the force. Hundreds of such women have undergone daunting training to earn the coveted ‘stars’, donning them with singular pride. They have willingly taken on the challenges of a tough career and have distinguished themselves as responsible officers, capable of leading. In what is largely a man’s preserve — women officer strength being around 1,500 — it is obligatory for the Army to keep high the confidence of its women officers. An officer leads by example; who better understands it than the force? The qualities of a ‘gentleman’ are ingrained early on in a cadet, who is addressed as ‘Gentleman Cadet’.

The Army has epitomised institutional integrity and is held in high honour by a civilian population grateful for guarding our borders and launching massive rescue operations in times of natural calamities. We sleep safely in the knowledge that our borders are manned by valiant soldiers. The Army ‘brotherhood’ now also has a ‘sisterhood’. Our armed forces need to watch out for the safety of their women officers too, who chose ‘to live a life less ordinary’. Here too, we know there will be no white flag. Our men in uniform will rise to the occasion.