Incentives for Army

By Ramesh Akkineni
from an article in Business Line
Is there the danger of the army moving in if there is violence?
Very little, because the army is not in the mood, and there are other correcting factors. The politicians stop short of creating a situation that might bring in army rule. Also, the army itself doesn't want to do it (a coup) because it is now an economic institution. Many in the army earn a lot of money by taking up UN jobs. Bangladesh is the biggest supplier of soldiers to the UN for peacekeeping efforts; both the sepoys and officers go by rotation. There is a long waiting list. People are waiting their turn and they don't want to jeopardise their chances. We were in Lebanon, Bosnia, East Timor. Many of the jawans are very poor and the whole family gets uplifted if he gets a UN peacekeeping job. But the moment there is a coup here, he will be blacklisted there!

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