Accountability & Taking Ownership By Higher Military Leadership :MVI Debate

Sir/Madam,

Do read on link below  this excellent  piece titled 'The Missing Link in India's Military Power: Accountability, Not Just Bravery ' ,authored  by  Lt Col Manoj K Channan and published by Frontier India , that was triggered by some  thoughts  of concern expressed  by two Brigadiers , titled ' Taking Ownership '.

Thoughts Leading To Article:

Brig Neil John SM (Retd), ‘On Taking Ownership’:

The Indian psyche is such. If we are winning and we see glorification coming our way, then we proudly tom tom that your leadership and operational tenacity, with strategic thinking, were the crux in the victory.

If we are losing … of course everyone else is to blame. The politicians, the bureaucrats, the prevailing environment, the media, and the officers below you for lack of leadership qualities and risk taking abilities.

1962 - Military officers were appointed out of turn and accepted, very well knowing they didn’t have the capability for field operations.

Operation Pawan - riding on the mood of the country and the two aircraft’s flying into Srilankan air space, the Indian military made hay. They went in unprepared and came out disheveled. Who is to blame? Out of area contingencies (OOAC) is an act of war that you need to be prepared for 24x7. Studying the geo strategic dynamics and formulating military strategy in line with national interest and political objectives a must.

Indian military has never even studied geo strategy. The MI is firefighting. The MO is playing ‘the yes sir yes sir tune’. The obligation to think what can and what might happen is left to veterans, who no one listens to.

We in the military are not only short-sighted but poorly equipped in the arena of intelligence to even understand the nuances of a military situation building up. We are forever caught with our pants down. The generals blame the MEA. The MEA blames the MI. The MI blames Wikipedia for feeding them their policy making crap.

In a country where officers with high caliber are not evenly distributed but assigned to perceived seats of interest like MO & MS in army HQ, military intelligence that is foremost and our main job becomes secondary. Therefore, the higher relevance in cut, paste and copy because there is no continuity for research. Research needs time.

Militaries all over the world need to prepare for the next war. But if war hits you now, then be ready to fight with what is, where is. But to stick to the analogy that we will fight with what is - where is and leave the rest to karma is like blatant stupidity and lack of perspective planning.

You are battle winners. You need to be equipped as such. The economy, the neighborhood, receding world markets, internal turmoil, and unemployment is the government’s job. You demand your due and stand for what is needed. Because at the end of the day it’s that soldier’s life that is dependent on how you train, equip, and motivate him.

"No excuses, please!  Take ownership!”

Brig RE Williams:  'On Taking Ownership'

Neil has written not through his pen but through his heart. ‘Ownership in action’, is a long-forgotten word in our country. This is true at all levels of leadership, where apparently the buck stops in case of wrongs and credits, if any, need to be acknowledged with kudos bestowed on colleagues who made that achievement possible. We rarely find that quality, which for any great accomplishment the expression in Red / Gold is that “I”, “Me”, who made that happen and for discredits it was because of you know - “Him / her” and all that because of that magic word ownership or the lack of it.

John has very clearly articulated even if hidden, in the piece, that unless we accept our mistakes and act upon them diligently, quickly and impassionately, as far as the military goes, you are just preparing for the last war. Doctrines like the Space military doctrine, ‘Transparent battlefield environment’ and other forward looking doctrinal teachings are only on paper and that too perhaps till the next incumbent takes over and the focus waltzes in tune with the politics of the time. Why should there be a shift in policy, if that policy is written well into the future.

For all stated in the article is about being gutsy and that is something, which he has been most disillusioned. We cannot keep comparing all the top geared men in uniform with the icon ‘Sam B’, yet the environment needs that assurance that the present leadership is forward.

The Article:

The Missing Link in India's Military Power: Accountability, Not Just Bravery

By Lt Col Manoj K Channan

https://frontierindia.com/the-missing-link-in-indias-military-power-accountability-not-just-bravery/

Trigger For Debate

An article written by Lt Col Manoj K Channan, published by Frontier India on

 9 April 2025 on  link above  has raised a serious and imperative  need of 'introspection' of the various  post-independence wars/ conflicts that our armed forces have been confronted with on which brief case studies have been given reflecting a pattern of 'avoidable failures' . These conflicts include :  1948 Kashmir War , 1962 Sino- Indian War , 1965 Indo - Pak War , 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War  , 1987-90   Operation Pawan ( IPKF in Sri Lanka ) ,Naga Peace Process, 1999  Kargil Conflict ,Operation Parakram ( 2002) and  2020  Eastern Ladakh Stan- off . The author has highlighted the shortcomings of our military leadership of not taking the ‘ownership ' on themselves for the flaws in  these operations/ wars / conflicts instead of just putting /  passing   blame onto  the political leadership and bureaucracy of that period /era . The author has explained the flaws of each war / conflict / operation and highlighted the imperative need for serious introspection of these wars with the aim of instilling a culture of accountability and responsibility in the present generation of our military leadership. The aim of the article is clearly to bring about a change in our thinking and approach to bring about a culture and mindset of ' taking accountability ' for our role and function. As in the past we cannot only blame the political leadership and bureaucracy but must own / take our share of accountability / responsibility.

How can this change in our ethos be brought into our military system?

Let’s debate.

Kindly forward your responses on:

Mob WA nos. 9822809366 ,9822123036

Email -  col.vinay.dalvi@gmail.com

Note - All images are for symbolic representation only.

Col Vinay Dalvi,

Editor, MVI