Indian Defence Problem Book

INDIAN DEFENCE PROBLEM Being a plea for saving Rs. 28 Crores a year by immediate Indianization etc. OF British rank and file only A message of hope for the Indian Tax-payer A STUDY For Statesmen, Publicists, Politicians and Military experts, both Indian and British BY CAPT, G. V-MODAK Poona, 1933 Published by. Capt. G V. Modak. Poona 4 Printedby. S. R. Sardeeai, B. A. LL. B., at the Navia Samarik 4 Samarth Bharat Press, 947 Sadashiv, Poona 2, INDIAN SOLDIERS STUDY PRESENTED TO ALL CHAMPIONS OF INDIAS CASE FOR ECONOMY IN MILITARY EXPENDITURE WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO EFFICIENCY FOREWORD Captain Modak is evidently putting his leisure in retirement to good use. He has spent fmany years in active military service in an important Indian State. He has written books in Marathi on the subject of Military history and the battle-fields of the Maratha period. He has studied the facts and figures about the present organisation of the Army in India, both British and Indian. And he has given much thought to the problem of the defence of India by her own sons, as a part of the greater problem of responsible Self-Government in India at the hands of Indians them selves. In this way Captain Modak has qualified himself to be regarded as a kind of an expert, by which word 1 only mean one who knows much more of any particular subject than the average man of his own generation. It is natural, therefore, that Captain Moda shou d succeed in engaging the attention of the reader, who cares to dip into his present book on the Indian Defence Problem. The problem has two important aspects, political and financial. But both have a common back ground in the political domination of India by England Remove this domination replace it by an equitable arrangement in which India may guide and work out her own destiny by her own hands and India will certainly be able to solve the problem of her Military defence so that her sons should have the proud privilege of defend ing their hearths and homes against any internal or external foe, and yet save quite a lot of money to be more usefully spent on some real Nation-Building Departments. This domination of India by England this denial to her sons of the right to shape their own admini strative policy, that is at the bottom of her woes, not the least of which are the emasculation of Indian people, the humiliation of foreign mercenaries domineering over Indians brave and warlike sons, and the financial ruin involved in maintaining a costly military establish ment. Captain Modaks book deals with all these topics in varying proportions of space and detail. There are not many striking or new points in his treatment of the topic of the Military policy of the British Imperial Government as it affects India-But his readers will feel particularly thankful to Captain Modak for his well informed constructive criticism on the topics of replacement of British by Indian soldiers as well as officers, and the great economy in finance that may be effected by this replacement, in almost all the depart ments of the Army in India. The wealth of quotation, in which he indulges in proving his theme, is equalled by the instructive tabular statements which he marshals for the same purpose. And so long as no champion of the Imperial cause comes forward to dispute the truth of those quotations and tables, Captain Modak could legitimately claim that he has made out an unanswerable case for a National policy in Military administration in India. This whole question becomes necessarily invested with absorbing public attention and interest, in view of the fact that the question of dominion status for India is made out to be interlocked with the question of India wielding responsibility for her own defence. The interest deepens, as it were, owing to the con spiracy of comparative silence on the part of British representatives on this topic in the deliberations of the three Round Table Conferences...Read More