Modi govt is risking India's security by telling Army to rebuild Elphinstone bridge
Since the announcement by the defence and railway ministers that the Army is being tasked with the construction of foot overbridges (FOBs) at Elphinstone railway station in Mumbai and two other spots, a flurry of criticism has been directed at the government over the decision. The Elphinstone FOB is being constructed where a recent stampede claimed more than 23 lives and left scores injured. As usual, the Army would not fail the local Mumbaikar and ensure the FOB is completed before time — and is of the promised quality and specifications. There are always different views when the Army is allocated tasks that do not fall in its immediate charter.
The army aid to civil authority rules, laid down in 1970, have a section stating that it can be employed for other miscellaneous tasks, apart from emergencies.
Thus, legally, there is nothing wrong in this task being given. However, the same rules state that the Army is the instrument of last resort. This rule has been regularly flouted by this government, be it during the Panchkula violence, Sri Sri Ravishankar's World Culture Festival, for clearing litter near hill stations — or the construction of the foot overbridge in Mumbai.
It would always remain a matter of conjecture whether the concurrence of the army hierarchy was obtained, the impact on the employment of scarce army resources evaluated or the army was merely directed.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah, along with multitude of veterans have criticised the government action, quoting incidents from 1962 when moving the Army away from its primary tasks proved to be a blunder.
Nehru had tasked the Army with the construction of houses in Ambala — the 4 Infantry Division of the forces was engaged in building the accommodation, ignoring the personnel's training.
General Kaul, a favourite of Nehru's, had approved the task while the army chief had objected. The formation was, post the Chinese aggression, rushed into operation, unprepared and untrained. It suffered heavy casualties. However, 2017 and 1962 are different. The Army has changed, its deployment along the border is all year round and it remains well prepared, as Doklam proved. Hence this comparison holds no ground.
This is not the first instance that the Army has been so tasked in recent times. It was tasked with constructing a near similar structure during the 2010 Commonwealth Games, when a structure built by the civil agencies collapsed — it completed the exercise in four days. There have been no reports of anyone being taken to task for failure on part of the civil administration or to suggest that the issue was brushed under the carpet.
It was a national face-saving task, as the games were days away and the Army proved its mettle. It has traditionally been constructing Pontoon bridges for the Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh Mela’s in Allahabad. However, the frequency of its employment in such activities has increased under the present government.
It had built a Pontoon bridge for the Sri Sri mega event on the Yamuna floodplains in 2016, as also a Bailey bridge in Kerala this year once the state realised that the PWD would take time to repair the existing bridge.
In recent days, the defence minister had directed the Army to clear garbage left behind by tourists in remote areas. While the Army completes all its assigned tasks without a murmur, as is tradition, questions are being raised over the present case. Clarification from relevant authorities would complete the picture.
The responsibility of constructing a new FOB, as per the rules, lies with the railways and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). They compulsorily need to follow government norms of tendering, which takes time. While the bridge was sanctioned two years ago, the tender process has not been completed. Thus, instead of pulling up those responsible for the delay, the government adopted the easiest route — of tasking the Army.
Further, it appears that there is lack of faith in the ability of the railways and the BMC to deliver, despite the former having its own engineers and even engineering colleges dedicated to bridge building.
Possibly considering the political importance of Maharashtra, the new railway minister, along with the defence minister, chose the easiest possible solution. This move has sidelined the railways, which has refrained from taking a position as any future accident on these bridges would absolve it of the blame it has received for past tragedies.
The Army would not let railway authorities supervise, post obtaining the basic requirements and specifications. However, what has been ignored is that this decision has proved that government organisations, including its key arms like the railways, are incapable of performing their own tasks.
The ideal option would have been to employ a contractor and nominate the Army to oversee the operation — which it has done before — and ensure quality.Secondly, the aspect of cost and stores must be taken into account. The Army would employ its own resources, meant for operations, which would permanently remain with the railways and the state. It faces the shortage of bridging equipment, which would only rise in the future.
It would now need to spend reams of papers over the years, seeking to justify to the CAG on why its resources are with the railways, and why payment for it has not been made.
This task would involve immense manpower, as the stores need to be shifted and construction is labour-intensive. This manpower would be diverted from its primary task and training, to fulfil the responsibilities that others failed to complete.
Government spokespersons, during discussions in various forums, have stated that there is nothing wrong in the armed forces being pressed into service, as it remains the Army of the nation, for the nation, by the nation. While this is true, why is it that the Army is considered a national asset by this government only when tasking it on behalf of other agencies or for gaining political mileage, but ignored when it comes to soldiers' rightful dues?
The military has been regularly degraded and denied their rights, be it equivalence, OROP or Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU). In equivalence, it ranks even below state police forces, to whose rescue it comes as soon as riots commence.
Narendra Modi's government and ministers break promises in the same instance he makes them. Veterans are manhandled, pushed aside, denied a hearing, the voices of the serving are silenced and their basic rights, including rations, are withdrawn, often without second thought. Yet, when the government finds itself in a fix, it tasks the Army with rescue, to bail it out.
If the decision to construct the FOB has been taken keeping in mind the welfare of the local Mumbaikar, all those opposing the move would indeed be supporting it.
However, the reality is that the decision is politically motivated since the BJP is on the wane in the state and desperate to save face. Thus, the Army is being used to serve political ends, which would only harm the institution and the nation in the years ahead.
It is setting a wrong precedent which would grow, moving the Army away from its primary task for the slightest of reasons. The government is evidently risking national security for votes — a desperate measure it should avoid.