http://www.dailypioneer.com/345168/Arms-and-the-man.html
AGENDA | Sunday, June 12, 2011 | Email | Print | | Back Arms and the man June 12, 2011 9:17:26 AM An Odyssey in War and Peace: An Autobiography Author: Lt Gen JFR Jacob Publisher: Roli Price: Rs 350 Brutally frank in his opinion, Gen JFR Jacob spares no one — neither his colleagues, nor his superiors in the Army — in this remarkable book, writes Ved Marwah There are not many people like Gen JFR Jacob in today’s world. He is an extraordinary person. Not many would think of writing a book at the age of 88. Brutally frank in his opinion, he has spared no one — neither his colleagues, nor his superiors — in this book. The author is, more than anything else, a good human being. His holding of many top positions in the Army, besides being the Governor of Goa and Punjab, has not made him arrogant and opinionated, though his latest book may give a few readers that impression. I have known him for many years since his days as Army commander. He is a warm person and I have no doubt that his controversial opinions about important persons are given without any malice. Also, these opinions cannot be ignored as they have been made about persons who have played vital roles in events like the 1962 India-China war and the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. There are not many Army officers in India today who have served in so many war theatres. Gen Jacob was personally involved in some of the major pre- and post-Independence military operations and his criticism or praise is based on his long experience in various parts of the world during World War II and later in the Northeast, Jammu & Kashmir and in West Bengal against the Naxals. But the most fascinating part of the book is his account of the 1971 India-Pakistan war in which he played a key role as one of the top Army generals. Gen Jacob has made a few uncomplimentary remarks about his then seniors, the Eastern Army Commander, Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Arora, and the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Sam Manekshaw. He has also some harsh things to say about Lt Gen BM Kaul, who was the favourite of then Defence Minister VK Krishna Menon. His conduct of the 1962 operation against the Chinese in the Northeast which cost India so much humiliation is too well-known to reiterate, but the fact that he was a scheming Army officer who knew how to ingratiate himself with political masters makes an interesting read. Our political rulers should learn a thing or two from this bitter experience. Personal and party loyalty should not be allowed to supercede national interest. Inexperienced and incompetent civil and military officers can play havoc with the system with disastrous consequences. Unfortunately, our political masters continue to fall for flattery, false sense of loyalty and manipulations of unscrupulous men and women to appoint them to key posts. Maybe during the 26/11 assault in Mumbai, the tragic human loss could have been mitigated and India’s humiliation on TV screens all over the world avoided had more experienced and competent officers been in command of Mumbai Police in 2008! We are sadly familiar with the goings-on in the civil administration, but that such things are happening even in the Army come as a shock. “Fixing officers” because of personal reasons doesn’t appear to be an uncommon practice, as revealed in the book. Gen Jacob decided to enter politics after his unhappy experience in the commercial world. He joined the BJP and was appointed the Governor of Goa after the party came to power at the Centre. But here again he did not take leave of his principles and integrity to oblige his political benefactors, and was promptly told to “get lost”. His brief description of various political characters with whom he interacted makes a good read. It shows his ability to judge people. But taking this knack to suggest what appears as simplistic solutions to complex problems like Left-wing extremism is going too far. The Army might have made decisive contribution, as claimed by him, in controlling the outbreak of Naxalism in West Bengal in the late 1960s, but today it is a much more difficult and complicated problem. In fact, the induction of Army into Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand where I have served and toured extensively could complicate and aggravate things further. Induction of the Army into these areas must be considered only as a last resort. The solution lies in strengthening the police and the intelligence agencies working in these areas, and training and equipping them to fight these extremists. But more importantly, there is need to develop an integrated strategy, taking into consideration all aspects of the problem — economic, social and political. Delivery of socio-economic justice to the poor, and not the use of brute force, is the key to tackling this growing menace. The author has vast military experience that stood him in good stead in planning sound strategies to win battles, but when he discusses non-military issues, he tends to jump to conclusions rather hastily. His experience in the civil administration is limited and may not be a sound basis for formulating policies and strategies. -- The reviewer, a retired IPS officer, is former Governor of Jharkhand, Mizoram and Manipur -- FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 (after 2pm) #784 Nr Lourdes Convent, Saligao 403511 Goa India http://fn.goa-india.org http://goa1556.goa-india.org
