Women and Politics Should be Avoided From Military Discourse, Says Army Chief Bipin Rawat

New Delhi: Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that the "norm in the good old days" was to never discuss women, politics in the forces and that it should be avoided.

"The military should be somehow kept out of politics. Of late, we have been seeing that politicisation of the military has been taking place. I think we operate in a very secular environment. We have a very vibrant democracy where the military should stay far away from the polity," he said.

Rawat was speaking at an event organised by the United Service Institution.

In the "good old days", the norm was that women and politics were never discussed in the forces, he said. However, these subjects were gradually "inching" their way into the discourse and this should be avoided, the army chief added.

"Whenever (any) issue (of) linking any military establishment or military personnel where political entity comes in then... that is best avoided," he said.

The army chief declined to elaborate on the statement.

The defence forces, he asserted, do best when they don't meddle in the political affairs of the nation.

Responding to criticism over the Army being asked to build foot overbridges following the stampede at Mumbai's Elphinstone railway station in October, Rawat said there is a charter of aid to civilians under which the armed forces help out in times of crises like floods and earthquakes.

Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is also chairman of the powerful chiefs of staff committee (CoSC), has taken up the issue of capping educational assistance with the defence ministry, he said.

There has been some resentment in the three services of the armed forces over the defence ministry's decision to cap the educational assistance it gives to children of martyrs or those disabled in action at Rs 10,000 per month.

Rawat added that there was a "misunderstanding" on the issue and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had assured that addressing the problem was a priority, Rawat added.

The Army chief also noted that there was radicalisation among the youth by terror outfits and the issue was being addressed.