The CDS !

 

The CDS – What is it about !

                               Dinesh K Kapila 

The previous CDS sadly passed away in the helicopter crash in early December 2021. Now what could be the reasons for the position to be unfilled,  this is a mystery. A major mystery as the position was created with much fanfare and a lot of debate. What could be the reasons –

1.     The Powers to be just did not like the badges of rank and other accoutrements connected with the uniform of the CDS. Come to think of it, it did seem a bit theatrical, so maybe that is the main reason as they debate any changes.  Just maybe.      

2.     The lack of talent, maybe they are looking for a senior officer who combines the talent of Porus, Eisenhower, Patton, Montgomery, Satyaki, Bhishma, Karna, Zukhov etc. Please add Manekshaw too. Now this could be an eternal quest but then maybe worth it.  Just maybe.

3.     Logically Two above leads to the obvious conclusion – the senior most Army Commanders and Fleet Commanders or Air Commanders lack the necessary talent or professional acumen. They just made it as the ones they superseded were even lower ranked in professional acumen ! if so, God Bless Us !

4.     Well, it’s different, a CDS ! But is it. It’s apparently a rollover ongoing assignment, you take over, do your bit and contribute, then the tenure over you move on into the Golden Years. But maybe the Indian CDS has to be very different though we don’t know the details how it is so. We wait to be enlightened. Eagerly.  

5.     Its just a structure we created but don’t know what to do about it. That is what could be a honest confession. Just maybe. No crucial position, if truly so, could be kept vacant in full public gaze so long otherwise. So why not say it ! But that would equally apply to many senior positions of the elite services yet they get filled up and the incumbents change and move on too. Conclusion, no one at the top wants it.

6.     The journalists and observors have given up ! They don’t even comment anymore. Earlier, the Northern Army Commander was to retire, them someone else, now its all gone quiet. They have reconciled to the status quo. Conclusion, not required, just a thought.

7.     A fresh rumour has it someone may just be asked to pull out his old uniform (maybe white but would he  wear a green one) from the mothballs and take over ! Well, that only implies that point three above applies. An older person comes with his baggage, but then let us see or it will be just that, a rumour. But if so, then why not all these months. Meanwhile we await the news, four months on.

8.     Why not just list out the list of qualities required and we can all join in on the guessing game by names, loyal, agreeing to implement a certain charter on restructuring, professional competence and their definition of professional competence, fluency in Hindi or whatever.      

9.     We have the NSA, Doval ! Period. Maybe just maybe. Then why have the CDS, After all we are the only nation where Police or Foreign Service Officers can only aspire to the NSA or Deputy NSA. So maybe here too !

Now that I am running out of ideas, I am giving up ! Bye.            

PS. Just to add and to further refine the issue – after talking to a multitude of friends -

1.     The CDS is a theoretical exercise in India. Most friends conveyed this to me. When a friend did his HDMC say around 12-14 years ago, they had a seminar on the CDS with all its tentacles. He says believe me, nothing much has changed from then till now.

2.     Nobody really in the know misses the Gen Rawat as CDS. That is the sad truth I am facing when I started asking around on this issue. I have been told about certain unpalatable stories when He was in office but then I don’t know the factual accuracy but it does cloud the issue. As per a multitude of friends he reportedly had a difference of opinion on most matters with the chiefs and with his commanders as COAS. How do somany sy this, they only know.  

3.     In the  fauji set up very few talk good about him is a fact I now realise and sadly so. Do people realise the pressures upon him, I don’t think so. His statement of 'Air Force is an extension of support services in Army' showed to the IAF fraternity in their view his flawed understanding of each service. In fact this only added to the prejudices but it is a fact that in maybe listening a bit too honestly to the other viewpoint (Civilian / political) he caused disquiet in the Military. Maybe the Government found his being a bridge useful but it came at the cost as most of my friends say of trust in the Military. Maybe he could have conveyed it better.

4.     That apart, the main opposition for the way he designed the Theatre Commands comes from the IAF. They state they would need three times the existing resources to be able to meet all requirements. How can it be ensured when in a Theatre Command the resources are within the command.

5.     Besides, for an Army or Navy theatre commanders to run other services in operations needs a tremendous amount of understanding and good relationship and trust on officers of other services. You need training and postings from very early stages in service. The fact is this still does not explain why we are without a CDS. Or is a single service again voicing more opinions and the past experience has also clouded opinion.

6.     Forget operations, to date, the three services have not been able to standardise the service writing and filing system. In all joint course each service normally followed its own system as per my friends though this requires to be checked as per me

7.     In any case as per my fauji friends , to put it straight, on paper, it is not necessary to have a chief as CDS. According to the existing rules, any Lt Gen or equivalent can be made CDS. No other QRs are specified. But then why the delay. That is the essence.

8.     My understanding after all this time I spent on it is that the politicians and bureaucrats are still assessing who would fit their own requirements. The amount of opposition the previous CDS had has caused disquiet about the position itself.

9.     The CDS and theatre commands may need to be reviewed before they even come into existence as per some very knowledgeable friends. Incidentally, many suggested I should  study why some countries reverted from theatre commands to individual services. The reasons for the revision are far more convincing. But does this lead to assuming we don’t need a CDS.

10.  Views change with time and exposure. As per a friend who worked and argued the case of CDS and theatre commands in a seminar. The Higher Defence setup on paper existed since independence. Its his view Nehru was unable to grasp its essentials and so did his successors. As per what I understood that in an interaction in Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS for a nuclear capsule) with K Subhramaniyam and Jasjeet Singh, my friend had raised the necessity of new higher Defence setup. The reply he got was startling.

11.  K Subhramaniyam (the architect and think tank of Kargil comittee which recommend CDS and theatre commands) said we don't need a new setup. But, the old one has never worked because of trust deficit. Hopefully, the new one may work because people will take time to understand.

12.  I found this feedback very strange. In any case a single point reference ought to be there but thee CDS has to be very mindful that he is there as a professional military officer and any reforms or changes are not proposed as a bean counter and to save costs at the cost of future problems in a conflict.

13.  I posted as the process never takes this much time. The Government is apparently looking for a CDS who is yet to pass muster with its own criteria and is therefore diluting the very effectiveness of a future CDS by this delay even if he is not so pliable. This is a fact.

14.  Lastly any nation which deliberates on matters military chiefly from the viewpoint of an accountant will cause problems for itself.

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