The politicization of the armed forces became a matter of big concern in the general elections. The opposition parties have accused the ruling BJP of using the Balakot air strike for political gains. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been accused of invoking the Pulwama incident to seek votes. Recently, during the election rallies, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and union minister Muqtar Abbas Naqvi were heard describing the armed forces as ‘Modi ji ki sena’. The situation has forced several former military officials to write a letter to the president of India, expressing their concern over politicization of the armed forces.
The Indian Army has a rich history of never being involved in any political activities. It is perhaps the only non-political and secular organization which truly represents the 1.25 billion people. However, over the last few years, attempts have been made to use the army for political gains. This is really unfortunate and it goes against the rich history of the armed forces. It is a positive sign to see former generals coming out in public to disapprove of such an act. This gives hope to the people of India. The armed forces are some of the few remaining institutions which strictly adhere to the constitution and therefore everyone should protect them from being politicized. The politicians should stick to political battles and stop invoking the military for their gain. They are doing an immense disservice to the sacrifice of the armed forces by dragging them into the political discourse.