Veteran Maj Onkar Singh Negi
Holding the Rope Together: Strengthening Morale Through Parity
An Informative Note from a Loyal Veteran on Civil-Military Understanding
By a Citizen Soldier
18-June-2026
1. The Intent: Nation Above All
This note is written by a loyal Indian, without prejudice, and with deep faith in our Government. The Armed Forces exist to serve the Constitution and the people. Our suggestions are aimed only at helping the Government earn greater goodwill from the uniformed community – a community that rarely gets a platform to place its observations on record.
2. The Unique Nature of Military Service
No other service in the Union faces the same 24x7x365 operational environment as a soldier. From Siachen’s minus 50 degree C to the deserts of Rajasthan, from counter-insurgency to disaster relief, the soldier’s workplace has no closing hours. Transfers are non-negotiable, family life is disrupted, and risk to life is part of the job description.
Political leaders and senior administrators do visit forward areas. Yet, despite the best arrangements, a day-long visit cannot replicate the lived experience of six-month tenures at 18,000 feet. This is not a complaint. It is a context. Policy made with deeper understanding of this context always yields better outcomes.
3. Parity: A Tool for Morale, Not a Burden on Exchequer
Over the decades, there has been a gradual perception gap regarding service conditions and status between the Armed Forces and other All India Services. While the Government has always been supportive, procedural delays and anomalies sometimes create unintended hardship.
Important point: Correcting these anomalies is not a drain on the national exchequer. The amounts involved are marginal compared to overall expenditure. However, the morale dividend is enormous. You save resources not by reducing entitlements, but by reducing waste and improving efficiency. The soldier understands fiscal discipline better than most – he lives it every day in far-flung posts.
4. Privileges as Force Multipliers
In today’s competitive environment, privileges and service conditions act as key motivators. For a soldier, assured healthcare, timely pension, dignity in retirement, and parity in status are not luxuries. They are force multipliers. They reassure a young officer in a bunker that the nation stands behind him, and behind his family, come what may.
When the system is seen to be responsive, the message goes down to the last jawan: The rope will not be let go. That assurance is priceless on the battlefield.
5. A Respectful Suggestion to Our Leadership
Our Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Raksha Mantri have consistently shown personal care for soldiers. The Government’s intent has never been in doubt.
As a suggestion, whenever service-related policies are reviewed, it would greatly help if decision-makers could be briefed with first-hand accounts – the military tales – of life in uniform. Not to evoke emotion, but to inform judgement. Understanding the crevasse makes the rescue plan better.
This will ensure that well-meaning policies do not have unintended consequences on the ground. It will also pre-empt grievances before they reach litigation, saving time and resources for everyone.
6. The Armed Forces: Always On Duty
Regardless of circumstances, the Armed Forces will continue to perform their duty undeterred. That is the oath we take. This note is not about what the soldier will do – his resolve is unchanged.
This note is about what we can do together, as a nation, to keep that resolve strong for the next generation that mans the borders.
A soldier does not seek applause. He seeks understanding. And when understanding improves, governance improves, morale improves, and the nation becomes stronger.
Jai Hind.
( Retired Major Onkar Singh Negi has written this article and the views expressed by him are his personal)
