In the perception of most people, not just in India but also in other countries, the armed forces are put on a pedestal. There are very good reasons for this. Collectively, the armed forces represent a body of people who have chosen to dedicate their lives to the service of the country. This dedication is somewhat different from the same pledge of dedication taken by a bureaucrat or a career politician. Men and women in the armed forces, when they choose their careers, know that they may have to die defending their country. This is not true of bureaucrats and politicians although some politicians have been assassinated. For the soldier, the pilot and the navy-man, death in combat is always a looming reality. There is another reason why members of the armed forces are accorded an elevated status. In no other career is an individual so thoroughly disciplined and regimented. A soldier’s life is regulated by the morning reveille and the last post. He is taught how to stand, how to march, how to show respect and how to behave. One consequence of this is that when a member of the armed forces behaves badly there is a state of shock. A military scandal seems to most people to be a betrayal. This is entirely justified and most defence personnel are actually proud of this association with rectitude and integrity.

In this context, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General does not make for very inspiring reading. The report reveals that the Indian army has been buying sub-standard stuff which not only cost money, but could also cost the army dearly in terms of “operational preparedness’’. The words within inverted commas are an euphemism for the loss of lives during war, which could result in defeat. The army has bought helicopters that can only fly up to 5,000 metres when the requirement is that they should fly at least up to 6,500 metres to service soldiers stationed in Siachen and Arunachal Pradesh. The stretchers purchased by the Northern Command of the Indian army do not meet specifications. Ammunition meant for the Bofors howitzers has proved to be duds and golf carts have been bought as recce vehicles. These acts of commission and omission by a handful of people in the higher echelons of the army only serve to lower confidence in the military establishment.

There is every possibility that those who are implicated in these shenanigans will face proper investigation and then court martial. But like most things in the armed forces, these proceedings will be shrouded in secrecy. Yet, the armed forces are paid for by the taxpayers’ money. The Union budget for 2009-10 allocated Rs 1,41, 703 crore for defence; this is an amount more than the combined allocation for education and health. The message of financial transparency has not reached those who defend India’s borders. The Indian military establishment owes itself and the nation a review of its own rectitude and ethics.