Now that the dust has settled down on the recent unfortunate incident in Bathinda, Punjab, wherein, one Army jawan shot dead four of his colleagues while they were asleep. It is time to introspect and reflect on the larger challenges so as to minimise and ideally eradicate the possibility of another Bathinda-type incident.
Unfortunately, cases of suicides and fratricides in security organisations have been recurring. Several government committees have been constituted to dwell on these issues and recommend measures for a better future. The following reasons have been identified behind the malaise: discrimination among sub-groups within an Army unit, the trauma of being abused, bullying by seniors in the hierarchy, lack of communication between the company commander and jawans, unsatisfactory service conditions, lack of promotional avenues, etc.
Surprisingly, the most critical aspect concerning ‘leadership’, is conspicuously absent in the recommendations of all committees. It is important to underline that the issues concerning leadership at the unit level, if taken care of, can resolve challenges relating to human resources, irrespective of their origin and complexities.
