Yesterday morning as I opened a national daily, I saw a huge recruitment advertisement for the Indian Navy. It proudly proclaimed, “Give direction to your life, join the Indian Navy.” Immediately, former Navy Chief Admiral Madhavendra Singh came to my mind; no, not because of his military exploits, but because he is in the news for accepting an apartment meant for war widows as gift at the Adarsha Housing Society along with former Army chiefs General Deepak Kapoor and General N. C. Vij.

With the recent scandals in the defence forces, I wondered how a young man with even a little inclination towards protecting his motherland would react to this advertisement. The defence forces may give any number of advertisements, but thanks to certain ungrateful and unpatriotic senior officers, there will always be that whisper of doubt in any young recruit's mind and there will continue to be a shortage of officers in the Indian Defence Forces.

The virus of corruption seems to have infected even the defence. Probably that's what happens when you are so close to power centers in Delhi. Corruption in defence is not new. Just one year after independence, in 1948, V. K. Krishna Menon, the then Indian High Commissioner in the UK was involved in the “Jeep scandal”. He reportedly had entered into a murky transaction to purchase jeeps for the army needed for Kashmir operation. When the opposition demanded judicial inquiry, the then Union Minister G.B. Pant declared, “The Government considers this issue a closed matter.” Then audaciously he added, “If the opposition is not satisfied, then they can make it an election issue.” As if adding insult to injury, eight years later, Krishna Menon was inducted into the Nehru Cabinet as a Minister. So the Congress has a history of breeding, and even worse, of protecting the corrupt. Is that what the Congress plans to do this time also?

But does it really matter? After all, when it comes to money, the party, religion and ideology are sidelined. Why else would even a former Shiv Sena Union Power Minister, Suresh Prabhu, be involved in the Adarsh housing scam, an illegal project approved by an opposition party?

We knew that when it comes to the colour of money, all colours — saffron, white, khaki etc. — become one. But it is heartbreaking to know that even “olive” is enticed by it. Unfortunately, it seems many of our revered senior men in olive have been greedy for a long time. There was the scam of buying Israeli Phalcon Air Bourne Early Warning System; the scandal of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles from the Norwegian company Kong Berg Maritime; the deal with Denel Pvt. Ltd. of South Africa to buy Anit - material Rifles; more recently after the Kargil war, the scam in buying 3,000 body bags with caskets from an American firm at $ 2,500 (` 1,25,000) each; the ` 5,000 crore large scale diversion of essential food supplies to the border regiments where a senior officer sent expired food to our soldiers stationed at Siachen glacier, the highest war zone on the planet.

Then you have the famous “Ketchup Colonel” case of 2004 where Colonel H. S. Kohli faked shoot-outs by getting his own chosen men to play dead by splashing ketchup on themselves and then splitting the reward money saying they had killed terrorists. There is also the other “Liquor General” aka Major General Gur Iqbal Singh Multani who was found guilty of smuggling truck loads of defence liquor and distributed them to commercial liquor establishments.

But even more disturbing are the recent reports that our present Army Chief General V. K. Singh may have diverted funds to build a Golf Club and buy golf carts. The money, according to news reports, was meant to buy wheelchairs for the war injured.

In such conditions, how can a soldier respect an officer who is corrupt? Years ago, when a Commanding Officer said “my boys”, it translated to “I will give my life to save my men.” The “boys” had so much respect for their Commanding Officer that they would reciprocate the feeling in a heartbeat. But today, we can all be sure that this feeling is many many heartbeats away. After all, how can any soldier salute a Commanding Officer who is heartless enough to snatch away a home given to a soldier’s widow?

We know the four pillars of our democracy are sitting on wobbly ground, but the defence forces are our symbol of hope, decency and discipline. When this institution turns out to be just like the rest, it is time to question the fabric of our morality and our sense of patriotism.

While we criticise the defence forces, we must also remember there are over a million soldiers who are still standing, ready to give their life for us — standing in the dead - cold conditions on Siachen just so we can sleep well and won't have to wake up to a communist dragon forcing egg noodle soup down our throats for breakfast. But what do we give in return? How many of us have ever let a Jawan move ahead in a queue at the train station? How many private schools have ever given a donation - free seat to an army widow’s child? How many of us have ever offered a smile to a cycle - peddling Jawan or even offered a lift to a Jawan waiting for a bus? We have become so blinded by greed that we are now rich in ungratefulness.

Many civilians in their arrogance, belittle a soldier by saying, “It’s the best he could get, and it’s easy to get it. And he also gets the perks.” May be, but never forget even today there are young men who serve this nation because they want to.

I have a friend in the army. We both joined National Cadet Corps (NCC) at the same time. While I saw no reason for a macho stomp session during parades, he stomped till the earth shook and his kneecap popped out. While I cheated during long distance runs by hitching a ride on the vegetable vendor’s bicycle, he ran like it was for his life. He did it because he wanted to be an army man. He wanted to be a protector. Even if it meant that he might have to give up his life. Even if he had to disappoint his parents, who like other parents, wanted their son to be part of the “new India” overflowing with “disposable” income. But he continued to pursue his dream in spite of repeated trivial threats by elders who said that he would never find a wife if he joined the army.

My friend is intelligent, tall, dark and handsome. He could have easily become a top corporate man. But he chose the harder path. While I chose the pen and many others chose to wear a tie, he chose to wear a uniform, ready to pay with his life to protect our lives, our families while his own family continues to miss him as he does his duty in hostile borders. My friend Major Ashith Appanna is 33 years old, has a 5 – year - old son and a 2 – year - old daughter and has served this nation better than I ever can. He does not care for fancy cars or expensive watches nor does he find the need to roam the new malls spending money he does not have, trying to be something he is not. I know he cannot be corrupted, cannot be negotiated with. He will safeguard this nation with his life. He will put his nation before his children and wife. He is a true soldier and I have met many like him during my recent visit to Ladakh. And so I know I will enjoy my freedom for a long time to come. And I am grateful and proud of him.

Yes, they do get perks; but would we civilians give up our beer mugs, comfy offices, 24 x 7 internet service, BlackBerrys and Facebook for subsidised egg, Horlicks, soap and rum? I doubt it.

There was a candle light vigil and a march to India Gate in Delhi for Jessica Lal, the model who was shot dead in a bar. Now where are these people when war widows are robbed? Is the cause of war widows not glamorous enough for our urban bred pseudo – flash – in – the – pan - humanitarians? Where are the saviours of Marathi manoos, the Shiv Sainiks? After all, Marathi widows lost the flats too. Where is our Prime Minister, the so - called “Keeper of the Congress party’s conscience?” Should the soldiers also go on strike like the hapless doctors before they get justice? It is said, “To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.” Let’s hope our Prime Minister comes out brave like the soldiers who died for him, me and us.

There is an epitaph on a soldier's grave in Nagaland which says:
“When you go home tell them of us, For their tomorrow, we gave up our today.”

So this Deepavali, while we burst crackers and over-indulge in food and drink, we should also remember there are soldiers who have left their families to stand guard on a freezing mountain keeping an eye out so that we may enjoy our festivities in peace. Yes, there may be a few bad apples, but we have many, many more basketsful of Major Ashith Appannas.

But the government has to set a precedent and keep the morale of the soldier high. And to achieve this, it must punish the guilty. Or else, the true warriors at the gates will one day disappear. And we will be guarded by cowardly bargainers who will sell this country once again. And once again we will have to pray and wait for another Mahatma to save us.