Page 16 - Leadership in the Indian Army

Preface

In times of yore, history was often nothing more than a record of battles
between kings and warlords. The effects of wars on human civilisation were
more profound than that of any other activity of Man or God. Wars, and
those who directed them, decided the fates of people. Military leaders were

revered and feared, and tales of their valour were passed on from generation
to generation, forming the bedrock on which histories were written. The
growth of science and technology, trade, industry and economy has begun
to overshadow the importance of wars and of those who fight them. Such
thoughts and ideas were propounded after the Industrial Revolution two
centuries ago and the Technological and Economic Revolutions which are

of more recent vintage. However, the world witnessed two great wars in the
last century, which together lasted 10 years. Even today, the threat of war
has not receded. And as long as there are wars, there will be soldiers to fight
them. In the ultimate analysis, it is the soldier and those who lead him who
will decide the fate of peoples and of nations.
The Indian Army is over 250 years old. However, it was only 50 years
ago that it began to be led by Indians and became truly and completely

Indian. Fifty years is not a long time in the history of a nation or an army.
But nations and armies have had shorter life spans and 50 years equal two
human generations. Today, because of the growing distance between the
soldier and the common man, there is a lack of awareness in the general
public about military leaders and their contribution towards maintaining the
integrity of the country. It is well to remember that military leaders serve

the nation not only during war but also in times of peace, by helping to
maintain stability and harmony. Indians have only to look in their
neighbourhood to realise that soldiers cannot only be protectors, but also
the plunderers of democracy. The record of the Indian Army in this regard
has been impeccable and the credit for this must go to leaders like Cariappa,
who kept the Army away from politics and welded it into a force that