Going by media headlines, the Sixth Pay Commission’s substantive message to the defence forces is that it has attempted to bring about pay parity with the bureaucrats — as if this is all that matters to them. Comparison is certainly an issue but it is not the only issue.

The defence services’ repeated pleas for a special pay board for them have never been accepted by the government, nor has the services’ request for at least including defence services officers as members of the Pay Commission Committee. Why do these legitimate requests get repeatedly stonewalled? The only explanation could be that the government is not yet sufficiently convinced about the necessity to treat the military as a special category. The consequence within the military is that of slow and steady disaffection.

With each pay commission, some hopes do get rekindled. It has been the same during the period of deliberations of this pay commission. Now that the report is out, what is the denouement? The broad spectrum view is that Justice Srikrishna has been relatively more sensitive and more appreciative than his predecessors. He has tried to redress some of the disparities that the earlier pay commissions had inflicted. There are many issues that will still bother the defence services, but altogether there is recognition that this time there has been relatively greater understanding and commitment to address their concerns.

But the real issue is whether the dispensation that is eventually awarded on the basis of the pay commission’s recommendations has any direct impact on the crisis that the army is facing — the huge shortage of officers.

... contd.