The Indian Navy. Sailing On...

with reference to speculation that there exists a possibility of a suicidial sabotage angle driven by dissatisfaction over pay & contidions of work; is uninformed & casts aspersions on the loyalty & integrity of the Nation's sons & daughters in uniform. Dramatic as it may sound in the context of hollow materialism prevelant in the very society which they defend, often at a tragic cost, it must be understood without a fragment of doubt, that the Armed Forces in general & elite, specialist forces as submariners in particular; are bound by unspoken, undramatised & unyielding vows of professional brotherhood to one's comrade & unflinching loyalty to the Unit, Ship, Service & Country. It it this holy pact that drives soldiers, sailors & airmen to daily & undocumented acts of service & sacrifice. This spirit is a matter of routine in the armed forces. It is the bedrock upon which India & her interests have been defended in cauldrons of conflict, the hellish reality of which can never ever be fathomed, leave alone truly acknowledged.It is upon this edifice that bonds of brotherhood are forged, unbroken in the face & company of even certain death. Indeed, it is only of late that the greviances of the Armed Forces have made news beyond the usual obituaries at the corner of an inner page. Notwithstanding this fact, the Armed Forces have held their mandate & delivered with accountability, come what may, unperturbed in the performance of their duty by matters that routinely even cause unrest & distruption in all other facets of Indian public service. This is a bar set so high that no government or public institution comes even close. Matters of "Pay, Conditions of work etc", whilst important, would never be allowed to compromise the principles of duty that guide the Armed Forces. To even remotely suggest that such professionals would risk their comrades' & own lives for petty issues as outlined in a recent editorial is to belittle the memory of those who perished in the episode. To even remotely suggest that such professionals would risk their comrades' & own lives for petty issues such as pay is to belittle the memory of those who perished in the episode. In any case, the system of redressals & hearing out the problems of the rank & file is very very sound in the Armed Forces. By all accounts, the incident be analysed for lessons learnt. The spirit of public enquiry is the cornerstone of democracy which the Armed Forces are bound to uphold & defend.