EVEN as the country celebrates 20th anniversary of the victory in the Kargil Conflict, even as the people celebrate national heroes, even as they pay tributes to the martyrs of all wars, the issue of how the larger society motivates its youngsters to join Defence Forces comes to fore. There is no doubt that a grateful nation will always recall the valour of our Defence Forces for all time to come. But there is enough doubt about how vigorously it motivates its youngsters to become soldiers. At this point in time when India is being recognised as a reasonably big military power in the world, the larger society will have to give a thought to keeping up the supply of young people to the Defence Forces.

 

 

This is a critical issue before India at this point. For, an overly consumerist society (which the one in India is turning to be) is less likely to treat Defence Forces as a matter of careerist option. And that is where the actual trouble is. Increasing numbers of Indian families are seen trying to dissuade their youngsters from careers in the Army or any of its arms which includes engineering, medical, Information Technology ...! And this should be a matter of national concern for India.

 

 

Time and again, the Government has tried to explain to the people in general how wonderful would a career in the Defence Forces could be. Time and again, it has also tried to convince the people in general that a career in Defence could bring a lot of money plus comforts. Despite these efforts, the larger society is not seen to take appropriate pride in sending the youngsters to Defence Forces as a matter of a career option. It is this realisation that should make all of us to make efforts to promote Defence as a wonderful career option.

 

 

However, for reasons not deeply analysed ever by the larger society, average Indian families focus attention to helping youngsters seek civilian options for career. In homes, children are not introduced to stories of war heroes or the heroic battles our armies have fought in the past. Even though the Kargil conflict took place only twenty years ago, not many youngsters are not aware of the basic details that should make a nation generally proud of its armies in all forms. Somehow, this absence of social promotion of Defence Forces as careers is at the root of a rather weak flow of youth into Defence Forces.

 

 

It is common knowledge that average Indian families are quite unwilling to allow their youngsters to take up careers in Defence. They also are known to harbour certain apprehensions about safety and security of their youngsters should they join Defence Forces. A general belief prevails in the larger Indian society that anybody who joins the Defence Forces is actually slated to get killed sooner than later. The societal apprehension about careers in Defence stems from this belief, which is mostly erroneous.

 

 

Time has come, therefore, for the Indian nation to start motivating its youngsters to make careers in Defence Forces and fill the rank and file of the armies with capable people eager to defend the nation at all costs. The need of the moment is a social movement in this regard, triggered more by patriotism rather than by material attractions. A conscious social movement will certainly make the difference.