Manohar Parrikar: Top GunHow Manohar Parrikar has transformed a moribund Defence Ministry

1B Y   Kumar Anshuman  E M A I L A U T H O R ( S )

T A G G E D U N D E R |   Narendra Modi  |   Manipur  |   transformation  |   armed forces  | Defence Ministry  |   Manohar Parrikar

G O V E R N A N C E

On 9 June, India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar started his day with a piece of bad news—a Dornier aircraft of the Coast Guard with three people on board had gone missing off the coast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Coast Guard officials were constantly updating him on their search for the aircraft. At around 2 pm in the afternoon, he left for the BJP office at Ashoka Road in New Delhi to return by 5 pm. By then, reports had started emerging of an Indian Army operation in Myanmar to avenge the 4 June killing of 18 Army personnel in the northeastern state of Manipur by armed separatists. Parrikar got busy taking updates on how the news was being circulated in the media. At 6 pm, the Indian Army held a short press briefing to announce its counterattack on cross-border insurgent camps in Myanmar.

India’s Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, in the meantime, had come to meet Parrikar. After the meeting, he met one retired Army officer and then two Navy officers. Next it was Open’s turn. We had been waiting in the office since afternoon, but it was only at 8.45 in the evening that Parrikar finally found some time. Like all days, he had left his residence to reach office by around 8 am. He would be there till 10 pm.When we entered his room, he was going through a file in between surfing news channels for debates on the Myanmar operation. Even after working for more than 12 hours, there was no sign of exhaustion on his face. He took off his spectacles and asked us to hurry. “Let me work.” 

The job of India’s Defence Minister comes with baggage, and 60-year-old Manohar Parrikar doesn’t shy away from it. He accepts that it’s a responsibility conferred upon

him by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The fact that he considered me for the post speaks of the trust bestowed on me, and I need to deliver,” he says.

Often criticised for some of his extempore statements—there are a number of occasions when the opposition Congress has taken him on for these— Parrikar maintains a calm demeanour. Recently, he came under criticism for his ‘kaante’ statement, suggesting that a thorn of one kind could be used against another (read terrorists). Calling it ‘very strange’, Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said, “The police force is not required, the military is not required. You hire terrorists to kill terrorists… I don’t know which part of the world he has learned this [from].” In his defence, says Parrikar, “Only part of my statement was played by the media. ‘Neutralising’ doesn’t mean killing. It also means keeping a watch on their activities; preventing them switching sides.” He adds that he does not want to create any further controversy by saying any more on this.

“They are in the opposition,” he says, referring to critics, “It is their job to raise questions and criticise. But I am doing my job. Why are they scared? Because we are fast-tracking things which they never tried to do.”

On 8 November last year, Parrikar had resigned as third-time Chief Minister of Goa to become the country’s Defence Minister on the directions of Prime Minister Modi. “It was tough initially to leave the state, but I was told by the Prime Minister that it was my time to serve the nation,” he says. On 9 November, he was inducted in the Union Cabinet. The nature of work as a defence minister is completely different from what it was as a chief minister, but this does not bother the workaholic Parrikar in the least. “Even as Chief Minister, I used to start early and finish by late evening. It’s the same here,” he says.

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In the Defence Ministry, files move at a pace not seen for many years now. The energy in the air is palpable. “The earlier Minister under the UPA was also regular in office and was honest too, like Parrikar,” observes an official who has seen both regimes at work closely, “But in order to avoid controversy, no big decisions were taken. Thankfully, things are rolling now.”

Parrikar, a metallurgical engineer from IIT-Bombay by educational training, is immodest about how he has lubricated decision-making since he took charge last November. “I am good at pushing things,” he says with a smile. “As Defence Minister, my role is to secure the country today and even in the future. That’s my mandate and I work on those lines,” he adds.

One of the things he pushed was India’s purchase of a fleet of 36 fighter jets. In September last year, French Air Force Chief of Staff Denice Mercier was in Jodhpur along with Indian Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha for an Indo-French joint air exercise, called Garuda-V. While Mercier flew the Sukhoi-30 MKI, Raha flew the French-made Rafale. This was the fifth edition of such a joint exercise between the two countries. Insiders reveal that the current Government’s decision to go ahead with a deal to buy 36 Rafale jet fighters for immediate delivery was based on a ground report from Jodhpur.

Rafale has been in the news since 2012, when the company Dassault won its bid in competition with other aircraft majors to supply 126 fighter jets to India in phases, over a period of time. Ever since the deal was finalised, it has had both supporters and critics. The erstwhile UPA Government could not move forward with the deal and started delaying decisions by forming committees. After all, it was one of the world’s

biggest ever defence deals, estimated to cost the country around $20 billion. The logjam was cleared in April this year during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France, where the order to purchase 36 jets in flyaway condition in a direct government- to-government deal was announced. At that time, there was no clarity whether the original contract had been abandoned. In May, however, Parrikar made it clear that the original contract stood cancelled. “Just look at the magnitude of the contract. It was not economically viable,” says the Defence Minister.

While Parrikar didn’t go into details of the revised deal, he revealed the broad strategy at a meeting of officers at the Defence Ministry. Says an official of the ministry, “The Minister wants to increase the readiness to fly from the current 40 per cent to 75 per cent. This will automatically reduce the demand for more jets. He has a vision and undoubtedly things are improving under him. It may not be visible now, but wait for two years and the difference would be there for all to see.”

General Deepak Kapoor, former Chief of Army Staff, also says that the defence forces have high hopes of the Minister, but need to give him time. “He is an excellent defence minister who would do well for the service as well as the country,” says General Kapoor. “We hope the Government implements the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme as early as possible. It doesn’t make a nice picture if ex-Army persons go on strike and protest for it,” he adds.

“Whatever our stand is has already been addressed by the Prime Minister and I have nothing more to add. We are committed to fulfilling our promise and we will do so,” says Parrikar.

Among the Minister’s bigger initiatives, the most important is a new defence procurement policy (DPP) that is slated to come in by July end. “We need to create some policy guideline framework along with a time schedule so that procurement decisions are made quickly,” he says, “When people know you are going to take time to decide, they will build this delay into the cost.” Many defence experts have criticised the existing policy. “The current policy is such that it is virtually impossible to buy any equipment,” says Dr Monika Chansoria, senior fellow at Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi.

Also, there is politicking by companies whose bids get rejected to try and scuttle any deal. Parrikar acknowledges this as a problem, but says he plans to bring about the changes that are necessary for the new policy to work smoothly in the country’s interest.

“Sometimes, when you select an L1, the L2 who has lost out starts to lobby against it, digging for dirt on L1. All these aspects have to be considered and the best solution is to ask the company to manufacture in India,” says the Union Minister.

The revised policy of the Modi Government would also iron out problems with the current process of hurriedly blacklisting a company. “Blacklisting should be the final punishment. There will be punishments or penalties [henceforth], depending on the type of crime,” he says. “If there are four players and you blacklist two of them, then you are restricting your choice. This has to be sorted out.”

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‘Make in India’, a key campaign initiative of the NDA Government, is also high on Parrikar’s list of priorities. India is now the world’s largest market for any producer of armaments, having spent around $15.2 billion on defence imports over the last three years with plans to spend more. To promote domestic manufacturing, Parrikar has

taken a number of measures. Among them is a rationalisation of the list of defence items requiring an industrial licence and also a security manual for licensed defence industries. Of the 39 acquisition proposals approved by the Government, 32 of them, worth over Rs 88,900 crore (95.6 per cent) fall under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ and ‘Buy & Make (Indian)’ categories. To hasten the modernisation of equipment, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meets every month for crucial decisions, which was not the case with the earlier regime. Parrikar says the DAC has cleared projects worth Rs 78,000 crore in the last few months. “Out of this, Rs 65,000 crore alone is under the ‘Make in India’ category,” he says.

Air Marshal (Retd) M Matheswaran, who is currently an advisor to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, says that regular DAC meetings demonstrate how the Defence Ministry has become so much more vibrant under Parrikar. “I am happy to see meeting dates being fixed in advance,” he says.

Some feel Parrikar’s biggest success has been in improving the security situation on India’s borders. “It’s for everyone to see India’s changed approach in securing its borders and the decline in infiltration attempts,” says Chansoria. The situation along the testy Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir, in particular, has achieved stability as compared with the previous year. There has been a decline of 33 per cent in Pakistan-initiated ceasefire violations and a decrease of 29 per cent in successful infiltrations since 26 May 2014. As many as 110 terrorists were neutralised in 2014, the highest figure recorded over the past four years. There has also been a decline in terror attacks and related violence within the country. In addition, Indian security forces have seen a reduction in the fatalities they suffer.

The year’s biggest attack was the ambush that took place on 4 June in Manipur. In retaliation, special Army commandos were ordered to carry out a surgical strike inside Myanmar to gun down terrorists. “It definitely ups the morale of soldiers. At the same time, it discourages terror outfits from planning such attacks,” says Chansoria.

There are still critics. Air Vice Marshall (Retd) Kapil Kak is one of them. “I look at it in terms of rhetoric and reality, claims and performance,” he says. He raises questions on everything from the Rafale deal to ‘Make In India’ to the country’s defence budget. “Political leadership is now in sloganeering mode. One is not sure what the coherent strategy is. For ‘Make In India’ to be a success, you need trained human resources, capital investment and private sector participation. Where is the roadmap?” he asks. Kak wants the Government to come out with a white paper on India’s defence and national security, or a defence review. He finds the decision to halve the budgetary allocation of the Mountain Strike Corp inexplicable. “If this is rapid decision-making, then I am confused,” he says, giving five out of ten marks to Parrikar. Former Defence Minister AK Antony had this to allege on the issue: “I would like to say that the present Government has compromised our national security. One of the glaring examples… was their decision to downsize the mountain strike force. According to me, it is an anti-national activity. During the last decade onwards, we were steadily strengthening the infrastructure and also the manpower in border areas. During the UPA regime, the Government formed two divisions after 29 years in the Northeast, one in Nagaland and the other in Tezpur in Assam.” On his part, the Defence Minister denies any cut in funds. “The earlier government had allocated the money only on paper… where is the money?” asks Parrikar.

One of Parrikar’s reasons to be proud, beyond his speed of decision making, is his ability to roll up his sleeves and take action himself. This came across this January when he decided to terminate the contract of Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander. “I didn’t want such a crucial post to be held by someone on contract. I need the younger generation to lead such organisations,” says Parrikar.

He goes through every file that comes to his desk, rather than being briefed by his office staff. It helps him in taking informed decisions and also in forming a viewpoint on a particular deal or subject. Whenever he is not in a meeting, he is busy with files, often making changes and suggestions. “He thinks out-of-the box and has solutions to every problem,” says a Ministry official. The Minister’s engineering degree also helps him understand deal technicalities. One officer recalls how Parrikar described the engine capacity of an aircraft at a recent meeting.

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Parrikar is wary of using VVIP services. On 27 May, he visited Raipur to inaugurate a fair to celebrate NDA- II’s first anniversary. Since it was not ministerial work, he took a flight on a private airline. That same day, he flew to Mumbai from Raipur, and the next day, he went to Pune for a wedding function where he left his security detail outside and stood in queue with others for dinner. He returned to Mumbai, and a day after went back to Pune to attend a Defence Ministry programme. This time, he flew by a defence aircraft. His sober get- up is also much talked about in power circles. Recently, he was even criticised by some for wearing a half-sleeves shirt and trousers at the official reception ceremony of the US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. “He wore this even at the wedding of his son while guests appeared in garish clothes,” says a close associate of the Minister, “He is like that only. He doesn’t believe in showing off.” 

Perhaps that is why he hesitates when our photographer requests him to pose for pictures. He simply returns to the files on his desk, and is engrossed once again in defence details.

Though Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar tried ending his meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi by stalling all speculations that he is the next Defence Minister, various reports have stated otherwise. Mr Parrikar said after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "He did not say anything about that (becoming a union minister)... you should ask him."

Meanwhile, Amit Shah has not ruled out Parrikar's appointment as the Defence Minister and even told reporters otherwise that the party would be in a position to announce once Modi decides on the matter.

Manohar Parrikar took over as leader of Goa in 2012 after the BJP won the election and has managed to keep the state a strong BJP foothold. Known to be a technocrat with Hindutva ideology, Parrikar is a strong contender to acquire the post due to his political acumen and strong decision making skills.

Meanwhile, different factions of BJP have been discussing Modi's plans to expand his council of ministers and get a full time Defence Minister. Currently Modi's cabinet consists of 22 cabinet ministers and 22 other ministers of state. The decision to move Manohar Parrikar from Goa to the Centre will relieve Arun Jaitley's responsibilities who currently has been doubling up as Finance and Defence minister.

According to reports by Firstpost, "Manohar Parrikar may soon resign from his current job and take up a bigger assignment at the centre."

The report further added, "Parrikar was initially not inclined to move to Delhi. But when Modi again took up the issue with him, he realised the Prime Minister was actually serious about it, sources said. Parrikar has been one of the most successful BJP chief ministers and has managed to make the party acceptable in a state with a substantial Christian vote."

The cabinet expansion could take place any time before the winter session of Parliament which begins on 24 November and Narendra Modi will be leaving for his home constituency, Varanasi and follow this up with some foreign trips.

Here's a list of reasons why Manohar Parrikar will be appropriate for Defence Ministers post:

The decision maker: Manohar Parrikar is a technocrat with a perfect balance of political understanding and the need to take strong decisions when needed. As Arun Jaitley has dual portfolios, India currently lacks a fulltime Defence Minister. If Parrikar's credentials are anything to go by, he is one of the strongest bets Modi government has right now.

Apparently, Modi is selecting Parrikar for his administrative abilities and clean image. As India plans to produce indigenous weapons and cut down imports, Modi feels that Parrikar is the right person to handle the post. Parrikar is considered energetic and efficient and someone with the ability to take tough calls when needed.

RSS favourite: Manohar Parrikar is one of the favourites of the RSS and was considered by the RSS for the post of BJP president before the Sangh Parivar opted for Nitin Gadkari.

The next poster boy from camp Modi: Remember how Modi used his Gujarat Model of development as a reference point during Lok Sabha elections? Parrikar has a strong hold over Goa and has managed to keep radical outfits such as Ram Sene out of Goa while maintaining the state's tourist destination tag quite well. This has won him brownie points from Catholics who form a major chunk of Goa's populace.

Adheres to Hindutva ideology but works on inclusive development model set up by PM Modi: Besides being RSS 'favourite', Parrikar also adheres to BJP's ideology. But, does not let this affect his governance the way Modi takes political and bureaucratic decisions.

The task-master: As ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the border (LoC)are increasing rampantly and China continues excursion into Indian territory (LAC), the need for a strong defence minister is needed the most at this juncture. If he accepts the role, Parrikar will be part of the Cabinet Committee on Security which has the NDA"s big five as members which includes Modi. Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.

Meanwhile, Parrikar has managed to take strong decisions when it came to corruption including the mining scandal that rocked the

state during UPA-II governance. He has taken decisions which managed to keep the BJP government out of controversy in the state. He is known to be result-oriented the way Modi is. Besides, when the Ram Sene issue cropped up, Parikarr managed to keep the radical outfit out of the state. Even BJP managed to get rid of Pramod Muthalik after outrage over his candidature rocked social media before Lok Sabha elections.

Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu ParrikarDate of Birth Dec 13, 1955 Age58 Yrs Birth PlaceMapusa, North Goa ReligionHindu FatherUtpal Parrikar MotherSmt. Radhabai Parrikar ResidenceAddress: House No. 12/182 Khorlim-Mapusa, Goa – 403507 Telephone:0832-2265656/ 6511211 MarriageHe is married to Medha Parrikar. TeenageStudent SchoolingHe studied at Loyola High School. EducationHe completed his

secondary education in Marathi and went on to graduate in metallurgical engineering from IIT Bombay in 1978. OccupationAn Active Politician And the Chief Minister of Goa. Start of politicsHe was first elected to the Second Legislative Assembly of the State of Goa in 1994. Political career as Chief Minister of State (In 1999 till 2012)

He was the leader of the opposition from June to November 1999.He first became the Chief Minister of Goa on October 24, 2000 but could only last till Feb 27, 2002.

In June 2002: he was re-elected to the assembly and was elected Chief Minister again (on June 5, 2002).

On January 29, 2005: His government was reduced to a minority after 4 BJP MLAs resigned from the House. Parrikar claimed that he could prove his majority and he has proved that in February 2005, after continued disputes, the state was put under president’s rule in March 2005.

In 2007: the Parrikar as a candidate of BJP, was defeated in the Goa state elections by the Indian National Congress led by Digambar Kamat.

His party became victorious once again after the BJP and won against INC in the Goa Goa Assembly Elections held in March 2012. At the time of elections he also restored his Chief Minister position.Political PartyBharatiya Janata Party ConstituencyPanaji Preceded byDigambar Kamat Assumed office03/09/2012 Portfolio Minister of Defence Role in National PoliticsAcknowledging his pioneering work, which put Goa on path of development, he was conferred as “The Best Chief Minister”. Widely respected even amongst his rivals, his personal integrity is beyond doubt, a rare attribute in politics. Known to be a man of action and principles, Mr. Parrikar is known as Mr. Clean in Goa. As the Chief Minister of Goa (2012)Manohar Parrikar is an Indian politician who has been Chief Minister of Goa since Mar 9, 2012 to Nov, 2014 Awards and recognitions

2001: He was awarded by IIT Bombay with the Distinguished Alumnus Award because he is the first IIT graduate to become the Chief Minister of any Indian state.

2012: CNN-IBN Indian of the Year in politics category.

7 Reasons Why Manohar Parrikar Is The Most Badass Defence Minister India Has Ever Had

By Anshul Gandhi,Thursday, 11 Jun 2015

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Mr. Manohar Parrikar as India’s defence minister a year ago, and since then Parrikar has proved to be one of the most upfront and pro-active ministers in the Modi cabinet. Clinching the Rafale deal which

was in deep freeze for almost a decade, along with offensive posturing of the Indian army, Parrikar made it clear he would tolerate no nonsense. After the Myanmar strike, no neighbour of ours can take us lightly as it is pretty clear that the Indian government actively pursues a bull-like stance against terrorists and terrorist havens along the border areas. Manohar Parrikar has been at the forefront of this policy and we take a look as to why he is one of the most badass ministers in the Modi cabinet.

1. Manohar Parrikar Believes In Fighting Fire With FireIn a recent statement Manohar Parrikar had this to say:

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It is clear from his stance that he doesn’t believe in taking the softer route over issues concerning national security. The recent Myanmar strike in which 50 terrorists were neutralized is a testament to this fact.

2. He Is An Effective, Efficient, And No-Nonsense Administrator

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Manohar Parrikar has been a significant figure in Goa for the BJP and RSS for nearly 25 years, and has fulfilled his organisational duties quite remarkably. He is a known as a strict taskmaster in his home state and used to keep a close eye on issues concerning the ‘aam aadmi’. He has carried his no-nonsense image to the Ministry Of Defence which is why the efficiency of the whole department has gone up significantly.

3. He Is The First IIT Graduate To Become Chief Minister Of A State In India

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He is the first IITian to become a chief minister of an Indian state; yes, you heard that right – before Kejriwal. He also had Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and former CEO of Infosys, as a batchmate in that illustrious batch of IIT Bombay.

4. Parrikar Is A Nationalist, A True Patriot, And A Man With A Clean Image

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Manohar Parrikar was called for national duty when he was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be India’s next defence minister and he had to leave his family back in Goa. Moreover, Mr. Parrikar has maintained a clean image throughout his political career and that is what makes him one of the better and incorruptible ministers in the Modi cabinet.

5. His Actions Are Decisive And Swift

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Be it the Rafale Jet deal or the OROP implementation, Mr. Parrikar’s office has been extremely pro-active in handling crucial issues concerning national security.

6. Manohar Parrikar Doesn’t Fancy Reaping Sarkaari Benefits

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Manohar Parrikar was known to travel by his bicycle to Goa Vidhan Sabha and refused all government benefits after becoming chief minister. He insisted on using his old Innova even after becoming CM.

7. He Refused To Let The Death Of His Wife Come In The Way Of His Duty Towards The Nation

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A month before swearing in as the chief minister of Goa in 2000, his wife passed away due to cancer. Mourning the demise of his beloved wife, Parrikar, a single parent to two teenage boys, took the oath to chief minister’s office with full responsibility.