VETERANS’ EMANCIPATION

In 2016 I took PMR and got involved with the mainstream in full measure. I realized, that I was part of a large crowd of veteran soldiers aiming to get a decent job and make a reasonably good living in the “Greener Pastures”, after having served in a wonderful organization - Indian Army, for over 23 years. The idea of having served the Nation well, in my turn, and to go back to the larger society and be able to make a difference was the typical high moral ground on which I was perched at, when taking this plunge. Many a veterans have similar sentiments which extend from being very basic to surreal. A realistic audit after a reasonable period of time in civvy street will only reveal which sentiment is the real raison de’ tre, which is likely to be fulfilled after having sought a PMR release and what were mere flights of fancy which have little real probability of getting fulfilled.

         I must state that most veterans’ are so sure of their convictions that many a cautioning advises of friends of the reality being different, doesn't make much of difference and similarly I too, took the plunge - well prepared by my own assessment, yet unprepared for the reality and vagaries of reality that I wasn't aware of.

         The aim of this article is to raise certain realistic aspects as relevant to veterans’ absorbtion in the civvy street as I have experienced or witnessed. I also operate a group for veteran officers on Telegram app, which has over 750 plus officers across age, service, entry, gender, capability and career profile and after over two years of frank and honest interaction with them realise that across the board, the armed forces have generally not been doing well. I must state that the armed forces haven’t succeeded, if not failed outrightly, to look after their veterans - Officers and PBOR included, in the manner veterans’ thought they should have been. The perfunctory manner in which DGR and their placement organization functions for the support of veterans lacks drive, dynamism and ability to deliver the best and leaves a huge lot to be desired. They can do much better and they must do it, else unconsciously they are hurting the image and standing of the armed forces in the eyes of the society.

         Sure enough, the smart Gennext understands this undercurrent and looks for better avenues for employment vis a vis armed forces, especially at offr level. We as a society can ill afford a weakened offr cadre or PBOR cadre in the armed forces and therefore taking care of today's soldier or tomorrows veteran from 'Womb to Tomb' is not merely a smart marketing slogan but has to be a KRA of the armed forces and the government of the day.

         Unlike USA, which is a free economy too which has legislations to support veterans absorption in corporate world post retirement, we have no such support measures. The lateral absorption in PSUs never took off and seems unlikely to find support due vested interests. In such a scenario, the corporate sector despite mouthing right words of "respect and regards for the sacrifice and hardships of a soldier for the Nation and society " have done trifle little to support the veterans lead an honourable life outside of armed forces. Infact most common refrain on not giving a good pay to a veteran is often the scathingly derisive and almost jealousy-laced comment, "Don't you draw pensions?” We have ad nauseum stated that pensions are delayed pay for the services in advance yet the struggle continues.

         Many an officer or even PBOR, who are fortunate enough to get good placement often ascribe it to talent, capabilities and being more competent than the competition at hand. While this can be true in some cases, but more often than not it is a case of being at the right place at right time. The attempt to boost self-esteem by a self-gratifying talk, bordering on being vain and snob, and a bit specious. I believe, but for five or at best ten percent officers in each category - superannuated, PMR cases or SS - all officers are similar in their abilities and can be clubbed together as far as their abilities and capabilities are concerned, and often the market does the same.

         I am of the view that most veterans who have got absorbed in well paying jobs have done so mostly with MNCs who have to maintain by legislation, diversity at workplace - which includes veterans as a category. Our own, home grown Indian companies have been notoriously stingy when it comes to loosening the purse string. So much for the oft stated platitude of "respect for the commitment and sacrifice of the soldier". The fact is that the corporates and their intermediaries- the recruiters, head hunters, placement agencies and HR personnel do not want to pay the veterans’ as well as they should and play on the insecurities of the veterans’ to employ them at the least possible pay structure possible.

         To puncture this myth of market rewarding the talent, wherever it finds it, I carried out a poll on LinkedIn platform and the results have been revealing to say the least.

          As can be seen, over 64% officers believe that not more than 20% officers in civvy street draw more CTC than that what they did on the last day in the armed forces. Over 77% officers believe that not more than 30% officers in civvy street draw more CTC than that on last day when in armed forces.

         This further set me thinking to do a similar poll for PBOR as well. Here too the deductions were similar, with over 57% respondents of PBOR opining that they earn only upto Rs 30000 pm. While 47% respondents believe that PBOR ex-serviceman earn 40,000 and above per month. While the figures are slightly benign here, I must state that the figure of 57% can be easily close to 70%, primarily because many a PBOR are not social media savvy and the lowly paid ones are unlikely to be present on a professional social media platform like LinkedIn. Either way you look at it, these aren't pay scales which can assure one a great quality of life. The posts got huge response and eyeballs and therefore these results need to be taken seriously.

Where do We go from here and How do We do it ?

         Armed Forces are an action oriented organization where institutionally a whole lot of shortcomings have been ironed away resulting in a lot of time and energy being saved towards focusing on the work at hand, at the functional level. Further, given the high quality of trained manpower of ours, who are looked after well by the organization, relatively speaking, over a period of time due to the overarching organizational ethos as well as their own individual orientation have so metamorphosed them that the go getter attitude and ability to achieve results against odds is a norm rather than rarity.

         The high performance teams which we are part of when in armed forces, often lulls us into believing that we are more capable than what we actually are. This fact dawns upon most of us only when we work with smaller teams in corporates and realise that there isn't much reserve bandwidth available to cater for various slip ups or unplanned contingencies, as in the armed forces. Either you plan and cater for it at the outset or else face the consequences. There is very little scope for innovative switches and shifts at the last instant. 

         Resultantly, while in armed forces as one grows higher in service and rank, often one is 'stretched' less as compared to junior levels. Even imperfect plans are pulled off well by the ‘team’, thereby reinforcing the inherent belief in teamwork, yet even greater belief in the infallibility of ones’ own leadership strengths and acumen, howsoever much it may be displaced from the reality.

         When in civvy street, resources - especially human resource, are limited. So the bandwidth available to the team to pull off success for weakly envisaged plans is very less. Resultantly, the leadership approach of "Subedar Major, Carry On" often doesn't work. Since most senior officers have fallen prey to this comfort zone, they find it extremely hard to come out of it, transform themselves to new requirements and thus fail. However, to believe that they cannot change themselves at all is a bigger self- imposed limitation and myth than reality. My firm belief is that an average armed forces officer or PBOR is better than the average civilian offr or PBOR equivalent in that category, and thus perform better than them 99 times out of 100. So do learn new skills and reorient yourself to “nuts and bolts” approach in the desired field rather than believing a generalist approach will see you through.

         The veterans who have made a good place for themselves must take the lead and help those who are joining the civvy street. Unfortunately, this has often been a problem rather than a help. A sense of parochial jealousy similar to sibling rivalry has hurt the interest of veterans so badly that often an SS officer entry doesn't hire a PMR category - Ex NDA or DE or even SS entry absorbed with PC. Similar is the state with PMR category wherein a Lt Col often doesn't hire a Col and a Col doesn't hire a Brig. We need to grow up and act as a ‘Gentleman’.

         What I find ridiculous is that, often the civilians blame us for wearing our ranks even post retirement. I believed, it must be due to adjustment issues in employment due working with civilians, who have scant regards for rank due ignorance. However, my experience has been that, most armed forces officers have adjusted to new environment of working with indifferent civilians reasonably well. I have, on the contrary, found rank associated prejudices prevailing more within the veterans’ themselves when working in a civvy organization together. Never did I realise that it would primarily be applicable due rivalry with another brother officer. Coming from an organization which prides itself on comraderie, this behaviour borders on being juvenile.

         Some of the solutions and the counter views have been part of the comments on the poll. I have not included them here and would request you to read them. They are as relevant to the process to ameliorate the condition of veterans’ and must be assimilated. This article does not claim to have covered all the facets to give a perspective view, but is merely an attempt to open the eyes of those who believe that veterans’ enjoy a huge welcome in corporate and have a great opportunity to find a firm footing. I think it can be done provided we get some institutional support from the Government and a whole lot of attitudinal change towards ourselves.