Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) Dr BD Mishra has underscored the need for good civil-military relations, which encompasses numerous issues related to the country’s security and peace.
It enables development of the nation and leads to the welfare of the people, which is the ultimate goal of a democratic welfare state like India, the Governor said while addressing the officers of 72 Infantry Brigade at Gwalior Military Station in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.
He had commanded a contingent of the brigade as a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka during 1987-88.
The governor was speaking on the importance of good civil-military relations.
Sharing his experience as a military officer and as constitutional head of the state, the governor said civil-military relations should be based on confidence building, mutual trust, mutual knowledge of civil-military affairs, and transparent interface between the civil and military leadership.
He said the military officers on their part must be fearless and forthright. They should be professionally competent to the extent that political leaders are convinced that whatever is being suggested by military officers is in the best interest of the country. The military leaders must remain cent percent focused on national development, he added.
Mishra said with every passing day, the global politico-economic and military contexts are becoming more and more involved, complex and intrusive. On account of these developments, civil-military relations are now undergoing a sea change.
“New challenges are widening the scope of civil-military relations day by day. Now, civil-military relations are transforming into synergy in all configurations viz. on land, in air, at sea and in space. Time has now come for India to upgrade and graduate civil-military relations into civil-military fusion,” he said.
The Governor also commented that on May 26, 2014, civil-military relations in the country entered a new phase when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India. This marked a watershed in the history of civil-military relations in India.
“It was on that day that the new civilian leadership overcame the age-old politico-bureaucratic phobia of the military ghost in India. Modi believes that the generals have as much of respect for democracy as he himself has. This new era of civil-military relations in India has flagged ‘cent percent’ confidence of the political leadership in the Indian Armed Forces,” he said.
The Governor, who recently inaugurated the General Bipin Rawat Military Garrison at Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, said the appointment of the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff is the best example of the apex civil authority’s confidence in the Armed Forces.
Mishra, who is a former commander of the counter hijack force of the National Security Guard (NSG), popularly known as Black Cats, also said, “The optimisation of civil-military relations has now become an integral part of our National Defence Policy. At national level, the optimisation of this relation encompasses all components which come into play in making our armed forces ‘Atma Nirbhar’ and making our country a ‘Shreshtha Bharat’,” he added.
The Governor, who is on a five-day official tour to MP, later addressed a Sainik Sammelan at the Gwalior Military Station. He emphasised on insulating discipline, probity and ‘Nation First’ spirit among the officers and troops. He said every individual in his unit is a stakeholder of the prestige and honour of the unit.
