IAF, know yourself

Sometimes seemingly innocuous events can trigger major changes - burglars breaking into the Watergate hotel...

Sometimes seemingly innocuous events can trigger major changes 8211; burglars breaking into the Watergate hotel, Swedish radio breaking the news about kickbacks in the Bofors deal, among others. A relationship between a woman officer and a male sergeant in the Indian Air Force should not, ordinarily, fall into that category. But it yet might 8212; and that should be welcomed. This episode could force the armed forces to reform its archaic manpower policies. It also throws up questions about the conflict between democratic aspirations, societal change and organisational imperatives, that need to be debated and addressed 8212; not just by senior military officials but also by the wider civil society.

Other than the obvious professional conflicts of interest, there are questions about social propriety, unique to a military society, like Officer Mess interaction, and the 8216;calling on8217; tradition. Faced with such questions, the air force has reportedly decided to undertake a survey to capture the perceptions of all woman officers. But IAF and the armed forces in general should be faulted for not thinking through the consequences of inducting women into their organisations.

If it allows marriage between officers of different ranks 8212; as it currently does 8212; has it created adequate firewalls to prevent professional and social conflicts of interest? And how does it reconcile that with the personal, and legitimate, needs of a service couple to live together? As the number of woman officers8217; increase, these are issues that are bound to come up and require the formulation of clear, and just, policies. The experience of other countries should be examined.

One of the problems with creating a policy to deal with the issue of women in the armed forces is the lack of data. The military, besides being infamously insular, is averse to critical self-examination. It has yet to work out ways to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths 8212; that sexism exists within the military, for instance, and that there are still deep pockets of opposition to the idea of women in the military. These attitudes should not be surprising, as the Indian military is born out of a society where, at least in some parts of rural north India, 8216;honour-killings8217; find social sanction.

But the military, as a forward-looking organisation, must push the envelope. It must change perceptions via military education, increasing awareness about sexual harassment etc. Admittedly, this is not an easy task, as even the US Air Force Academy and Marine Corps have faced allegations of widespread sexual exploitation; it requires an enlightened and forceful leadership.

One other way to deal with this is to develop military sociology in India. This will allow scholars, journalists and the wider civil society an opportunity to understand the problems faced by the Indian military. One of the ideal places to conduct the debate is the three service think tanks that have just been established. They can also deal with subjects like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, alcohol and substance abuse, rising divorce rates and ex-combatant reintegration. But first, the military will have to be honest about its problems.

Finally, a potential implication of this issue is the tension between democratic ambitions and organisational functioning. It is an open secret that the idea of women officers in the Indian military, and its biggest proponents, have come from the political class, with its rightful ideas of female empowerment, equal opportunity and justice. The democratic ideal does not easily fit into the military sphere, with its unique and difficult field conditions, operating culture and hierarchical structure. For instance, there could be considerable difficulties if a woman officer has to share a tent with her enlisted colleagues 8212; as could be required in the fighting arms. Moreover, the divide between the officer and enlisted men is an essential 8212; though seemingly class-based and hence anti-democratic 8212; operating code.

Story continues below this ad

There is also a latent fear within the military that if it allows politicians to interfere with its internal functioning then it8217;s a matter of time before more invasive demands are made. Reconciling these fears with the legitimate, and justified, demands of women officers is the challenge for this generation of policy makers.

The writer, formerly in the army, is a PhD candidate at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, Washington D.C