UTOPIA

While surfing, I got some reports of how the US of A is facing acute shortage of military manpower, after the run-ups at Iraq, and earlier in Afghanistan.Lot of casualties have come and the armed force is depleting day by day, as the new recruits are hard to find.This has actually prompted a debate in US Senate to draft a resolution to find solution to this problem. And one of the things been discussed is to make the army service mandatory for all men. This would surely raise a lot of hue and cry, but globally this is not a new phenomenon. Even US has implemented this in times of War, or even during the Cold War era. A country like Israel who has always been under siege by the Arab insurgents has put in place a policy which requires three years of service for all Jewish and Druze men, two for all women–between age 17 and 50.Israel divides the type of service in three parts: military (compulsory for men, except orthodox women and Jewish or Druze theology students or teachers), security (police, fire, border, anti- terror units), and community service. All students may defer enlistment, but must complete a month of training each year. There are exemptions only for the ultra-Orthodox religious scholars, mentally or physically impaired, and criminals. Women who are pregnant or married with children may also be deferred.

Now, this is the pretext on which I am going to build this post.
India is a country long marked by insurgency. We have been regular targets of Islamic militants, and now even the Homeland security is coming under threat, with lot of Indian nationals being accomplices to the heinous crimes committed on their own fellow nationals.Indian armed forces, like US ones, are in acute shortage of skilled manpower to fight this menace.So, what I am suggesting is to bring a similar kind of draft in India to make such a service compulsory for all graduates or volunteers.I would go one step ahead and would like to introduce a resolution that would make the students of elite institutions in India to work in Indian PSU’s after passing out.

To elaborate on the last suggestion: All men and women who pass out from institutes of higher studies(and that includes elite institutes like IIT’s and IIM’s) should be subject to choose one of these services for a short period of time(say 2-3 yrs.).For all the engineering and management graduates, I would suggest them to serve for a couple of years at Indian PSU’s. There may be a problem of aplenty as there might not be so many vacancies to absorb so many ppl. The solution to this can be recruiting people from institutes in the order of their ranking in India. Like firstly the IIT’s and IIM’s passouts should be absorbed at these places, and so forth.

The whole idea would require massive effort on the govt. front.It will demand that all young people be registered in a massive data base that details their skills and strengths, their weaknesses and dalliances. It will know who are linguists and who are likely good at combat.It should include all relevant data about their training, skills, health and legal records, and then choose those with needed skills for specific urgent tasks–whether military, homeland security, or “other national interest.” .A voluntary option can always be given as a starting point, but to make the optimum utilization, people should be allocated one of the above services based on the competency matrix made as part of the data gathering.

The selection at PSU’s can be carried out as is done normally at campuses. The placement season should only involve PSU’s to participate.Preferably, the students of higher technical education should be subject to only PSU jobs, unless they voluntarily wish to choose one among the military,security or the community service.Otherwise also, girls should be given preference to go for community service unless they feel more comfortably working for the armed forces.

The timeframe I am looking for serving is till 2-3 yrs after passing out, or say after 19-20 yrs. of age, whichever is later.Though this timeframe can be put to moot.
Also, people should be given a chance to choose an option to continue in their work even after completion of this timeframe, if they so desire.

Let’s find out wht can be pros that can result out of this idea.

1. The acute shortage of manpower of Indian armed forces would be solved to an extent.

2. The homeland security would receive a boost, and would have more ppl to serve.It would help in stregthening the information network required to abort many such military attacks, that happen with the internal accomplices.

3. A ‘citizen’ army–that is one drawn from among all citizens–is less likely to fight wars of empire or wars for corporate interest, and more likely to recognize unjust wars and human rights atrocities.This much needed internal force of people would help not only prepare for war on battlefields, but would act as a deterrent to any anti-social elements present in the society.

4. Community service as a full time employment would be a harbinger in bringing changes in the social mores in the society.These dayz, there r ppl who r involved in such services, but the percentage of tht kind of ppl is pretty low. When the govt. perforces ppl to choose it as a full time occupation, ppl wud b left with no option. This wud not only put more ppl at such work, but would actually make ppl perform tasks which they wud never go forth, though by force.

5. Community service would try to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-not, and would try to make the haves understand the real plight of India’s poor.With the booming economy, there are plenty of today’s generation who have born with a golden spoon.They are not even aware of the true India, wht Gandhiji once referred saying “India lives in its villages”. The sharing of actual plight of the poor would make the haves empathize with the have-nots and hopefully try to usher in a changed attitude among the youths.

6. The sense of patriotism would find place in today’s youth. I was really surprised to watch on TV the other day, that many people don’t even know why they are enjoying a holiday on 2nd of October.Working at the grass-root levels and serving for the country is very differnt than working in MNC’s.The former lets one being attached with the soil.

7. It would also provide a force that has the language and computer skills so lacking in the current force.Most of today’s wars are fought with technology.The coming of new, fresh and educated minds in such services would lend the much needed skilled manpower required to handle the new technological advancements.

Now, comes the pros of the suggestion to make the students of higher education work at PSU’s. I feel if this sort of thing is implemented, it would go a mile to bring a lot of changes in society.

1. First of all, with the introduction of such a clause, such education would become swht unglamorous, esp the MBA’s. The rat race which poor students are forced to at school level would receive a jolt, as parents would start thinking in terms of getting their kids to other occupation which suit their skillset and frame of mind. As of today, even if a person is good at a thing like sports, arts; parents push them to go for an MBA, as tht is where the moolah is.

2. These elite students on which govt. also spends a lot of money subsidising their studies, will get a chance to serve for the nation.

3. The so-called brain drain concept will take backseat for some time.

4. The flexibility of letting the students look for jobs after their stint in PSU’s shud also serve them good.

5. The ‘Babu Culture’ in Indian PSU’s will be turned upside down, with the students with fresh minds coming to donn the mantle, thus introducing fresh as well as innovtive ideas to implement solutions.

Now, the kind of clauses which some other countries have for such a draft is still debatable for Indian conditions, like in Israel all Jewish and Druze men remain on call until age 42, women until 24. In practice, men are now required to train for one month only until age 35, and women not at all, but all former enlistees may be called up at any time, especially if they have unique skills not satisfied by existing recruits.This can be a serious bottleneck with the implementation of such a resolution, coz it binds the person to serve. He/She may/may not be called to serve for the country at any point during his career which might not be acceptable to all n sundry.

Also, force, compulsion, conscription, involuntary servitude–for any role–whether as linguist or border guard or officer or foot soldier or in PSU’s– undermines a basic human right for people of all races and classes: free choice, especially over one’s work and one’s life. Furthermore–like the death penalty–conscription gives any state a power that is liable to be misused, and that is dangerous in the hands of those who see themselves as the embodiment of some ill-defined national interest.

Overlooking the shortfalls, I feel this idea needs to be debated in India at various public forums, and a final draft shud b prepared taking into consideration satisfaction of all concerned, and weeding out all clauses that can be possibly adjested to suit Indian conditions.

I feel, if implemented, this idea will go a long way in changing the labyrinth of the Indian society, and the country as a whole.

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