In elders146; court

The military in essence is a social organisation, though with clearly defined goals and objectives that every member is expected to work for.

The military in essence is a social organisation, though with clearly defined goals and objectives that every member is expected to work for. At the same time, by the very nature of its role and functioning, it has to be a hierarchical institution, though with its own characteristics of egalitarianism. It is important that we judge specific incidents within this broader framework. As a social organisation, the military would inevitably reflect changes happening in society at large 8212; but it creates its own norms to deal with those changes.

The wider society in India is affected by divergent and often contradictory trends 8212; one set in motion by the urban, educated well-to-do segment, and the other rooted in the traditional rural culture. If the latter segment of our society today invests caste with a greater salience, for instance, surely the armed forces would also reflect a similar tendency. In a hierarchical military institution with a proven record of ethnic pluralism, the rank structure has assumed the value and importance of the caste system within the larger 8216;service family8217;, besides being seen as the symbol of authority and responsibility in functional terms.

In spite of Indian society having moved a long distance on the road to egalitarianism, easy acceptance of inter-caste marital arrangements, especially those not endorsed by family and community, is rare. But even in the most enlightened community, it would be strange to see society cast the onus only on women. A proposed inter-caste marriage would probably be discussed among the elders 8212; not just of the concerned family. The final decision could go against humanitarian concerns or the constitutional rights of the persons involved. But the effort to sustain social norms is likely to dominate.

From this perspective, it appears to me that the case of the young lady officer and the sergeant wanting to marry is not a gender issue, and certainly not an issue that has only to do with women officers. It is not clear, therefore, whether a survey of the opinions of women officers would provide the air force the necessary guidance. A survey on such an issue 8212; among men or women 8212; is more likely to produce emotional responses. This is squarely an issue that concerns the social norms and customs of a hierarchical system like the IAF. The commanders must acknowledge that responsibility.

At the same time, we must recognise that the issue has brought into the open the apparent tension, and even conflict, between the human and constitutional rights of individuals on the one side and the service needs of maintaining organisational customs and culture on the other. Most commanders have faced aspects of such a tension. Surely every man and woman must be free to marry a person of his/her choice. But when you live and function in a social group that also has to be hierarchical not to talk of a profession invested with the responsibility of assuring the nation8217;s security, then some of that liberty may be curtailed. The legitimacy of that curtailment lies in how it is achieved, justified and understood.

One answer is to simply follow the traditional norms and customs of the services. The other is to weigh the rights and wrongs and evolve a policy that caters for the freedom of the individual as well as the needs of a combat force. Of course, such a balancing act would come at a price. For example, the two individuals could be allowed to marry, but one of them would have to resign.

We must pay closer attention to the pressures of changes taking place in society outside the force and see how best to harmonise them with the fundamental needs of the service. Since many of these issues would concern the social cohesion as well the command structure, there is a crucial element that should be brought into greater play: the 8216;elders8217;, which in the case of the personnel below officer rank are the JCOs and warrant officers. Every unit and station would normally have a senior warrant officer and he is the strongest link between the air warriors below and the officer rank.

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The issues raised by the proposed marriage of the lady flight lieutenant and the sergeant are complex. In dealing with them professionally, the force would benefit from the guidance of our serving senior warrant officers.

The writer, a retired air commodore, is director of the Centre for Air Power Studies