Chankya’s wise words for the King of Magadha:
“The soldier only and merely ensures that the tax, tribute and revenue collectors travel forth and return safely; that the farmer tills, harvests, stores and markets his produce unafraid of pillage; that the trader, merchant and financier function and travel across the length and breadth of the realm unmolested; that the savant, sculptor, maestro and mentor create works of art, literature, philosophy and astrology in quietitude; that the architect designs and builds his Vaastus without tension; that the tutor and the priest teach and preach in peace; that the rishis meditate in wordless silence; that the doctor invents cures and medicines undisturbed; that the mason and bricklayer work unhindered; that the mother and the wife go about their chores and bring up children in harmony and tranquility; that the cattle graze freely without being lifted or stolen.
Pataliputra reposes each night in peaceful comfort, O King, secure in the belief that the distant borders of Magadha are inviolate and the interiors are safe and secure, thanks only to the Mauryan Army standing vigil with naked swords and eyes peeled for action, day and night, in weather fair and foul, all eight praharas (round the clock), quite unmindful of personal discomfort and hardship, all through the year, year after year.
“While the citizenry of the State contributes to see that the State prospers and flourishes, the soldier guarantees it continues to EXIST as a State! To this man, O Rajadhiraja, you owe a debt: please, therefore, see to it, on your own, that the soldier continuously gets his dues in every form and respect, be they his needs or his wants, for he is not likely to ask for them himself."
Pataliputra reposes each night in peaceful comfort, O King, secure in the belief that the distant borders of Magadha are inviolate and the interiors are safe and secure, thanks only to the Mauryan Army standing vigil with naked swords and eyes peeled for action, day and night, in weather fair and foul, all eight praharas (round the clock), quite unmindful of personal discomfort and hardship, all through the year, year after year.
“While the citizenry of the State contributes to see that the State prospers and flourishes, the soldier guarantees it continues to EXIST as a State! To this man, O Rajadhiraja, you owe a debt: please, therefore, see to it, on your own, that the soldier continuously gets his dues in every form and respect, be they his needs or his wants, for he is not likely to ask for them himself."
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Such words of Kautilya ring true in this age as well, albeit the changes around us and increasing awareness of people. The media, no doubt, has brought to light many incidents and worthy information to the public; created awareness regarding many sensitive issues which have made the public feel that they are in the loop and not being blind to their surroundings. The media, while revealing information sometimes tends to forget the implications of their actions or might be ignorant of them.
In the recent events concerning the Armed Forces, I would say that the media has in fact forgotten that part. Their reports on the incidents have been made without the correct facts and quite frankly have gone overboard while making a story out of nothing, trying to link the various events. The Armed Forces are quite disgruntled with these reports, especially when it seems that the media is more concerned with boosting TRP’s and sensationalism instead of investigative journalism. It also appears that media is playing into lobbies with vested interests.
This inaccurate portrayal of information from the media and the reaction generated thus, only affects the personnel working in the Armed Forces. The public will read, listen but eventually forget but in the Armed Forces where the morale of the personnel is extremely important, it will subdue their spirit, which in turn could turn disastrous for the nation’s security.
The Defence Forces are about taking risks and coming out unscathed. The information they possess, by and large relates to the National security. Relevant information is circulated within the hierarchy on need to know basis. Strategies are planned and information flow is regulated accordingly. The strength and capabilities of the Armed forces are either overplayed or downplayed intentionally for strategic reasons, but the true capabilities are never revealed since it is sensitive information and plays an important role in the security of the nation. The defence personnel thus due to the very nature of their work cannot execute their freedom of expression in public.
Armed Forces personnel cannot even publish an article or talk about any issues without the approval of their superiors. In this information age, any information left behind intentionally or unintentionally can be pieced together to create a larger picture which can jeopardize the security of our nation. The media should respect these restrictions of the Armed Forces and see the bigger picture; irresponsible behavior will indirectly affects the national security and we can’t have that, can we?
The message to the media would be that uniform services whether military or paramilitary are different. The same transparency and right to information isn’t applicable in certain cases, especially where it concerns the nation. Don’t use the Armed Forces as a means to increase circulation; for increasing TRP ratings. Also, the negative incidents are focused upon more than any of the accomplishments. Every time there is an article published related to Armed Forces tends to be negative, whether it’s about someone who is killed or if there’s been an accident. I’m not saying that publishing these reports is wrong; but then where are the positive reports? The ones which talk about, say, a new housing society built for the families of the personnel or the various facilities provided, the new schools, the courage of the men on field, etc?
For the people staying in villages or the defence personnel posted in remote areas for their duties, media is the only source of information. If the media focuses more in the negative incidents, with incorrect facts, it would only demoralize these people thus leading to reluctance to join the Armed forces resulting in extreme shortage of man power hindering the safety of the Nation.
It is true that our military doesn’t have the wherewithal or the capabilities of that of the developed nations a nd that our country hosts a third of the world’s poor people; expecting the moon from them under these situations and magnifying every little incident is being unreasonable. I don’t think that our Defence Forces need any more discouragement. Instead I think they deserve acknowledgment in all aspects with accurate facts and support of the media. We should send out our gratitude and respect for all those soldiers, for braving the harsh weather in Siachen, patrolling the remote borders and for keeping our air space and coasts safe. Or the least, leave them alone!
The Defence Forces are about taking risks and coming out unscathed. The information they possess, by and large relates to the National security. Relevant information is circulated within the hierarchy on need to know basis. Strategies are planned and information flow is regulated accordingly. The strength and capabilities of the Armed forces are either overplayed or downplayed intentionally for strategic reasons, but the true capabilities are never revealed since it is sensitive information and plays an important role in the security of the nation. The defence personnel thus due to the very nature of their work cannot execute their freedom of expression in public.
Armed Forces personnel cannot even publish an article or talk about any issues without the approval of their superiors. In this information age, any information left behind intentionally or unintentionally can be pieced together to create a larger picture which can jeopardize the security of our nation. The media should respect these restrictions of the Armed Forces and see the bigger picture; irresponsible behavior will indirectly affects the national security and we can’t have that, can we?
The message to the media would be that uniform services whether military or paramilitary are different. The same transparency and right to information isn’t applicable in certain cases, especially where it concerns the nation. Don’t use the Armed Forces as a means to increase circulation; for increasing TRP ratings. Also, the negative incidents are focused upon more than any of the accomplishments. Every time there is an article published related to Armed Forces tends to be negative, whether it’s about someone who is killed or if there’s been an accident. I’m not saying that publishing these reports is wrong; but then where are the positive reports? The ones which talk about, say, a new housing society built for the families of the personnel or the various facilities provided, the new schools, the courage of the men on field, etc?
For the people staying in villages or the defence personnel posted in remote areas for their duties, media is the only source of information. If the media focuses more in the negative incidents, with incorrect facts, it would only demoralize these people thus leading to reluctance to join the Armed forces resulting in extreme shortage of man power hindering the safety of the Nation.
It is true that our military doesn’t have the wherewithal or the capabilities of that of the developed nations a nd that our country hosts a third of the world’s poor people; expecting the moon from them under these situations and magnifying every little incident is being unreasonable. I don’t think that our Defence Forces need any more discouragement. Instead I think they deserve acknowledgment in all aspects with accurate facts and support of the media. We should send out our gratitude and respect for all those soldiers, for braving the harsh weather in Siachen, patrolling the remote borders and for keeping our air space and coasts safe. Or the least, leave them alone!
"…then Kautilya, known also as Chanakya gave his king this blunt warning: “The day the soldier has to demand his dues will be a sad day for Magadha for then, on that day, you will have lost all moral sanction to be King!”
-Nihalika Chaudhari, Guest Writer.