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Indian soldiers concerned about nuclear war: survey

PLA Daily 2004-02-09

NEW DELHI, Feb. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- India's first-ever survey on the attitudes of army personnel has shown that 65 percent polled said they were concerned about the prospect of a nuclear war.

Conducted by social scientists at the Center for the Study of Developing Society for the weekly newspaper Tehelka, the study examines the soldiers' attitudes to a variety of issues, including working conditions, the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, India-Pakistan relations, and the prospect of a nuclear war.

Tehelka polled 1,595 serving soldiers of all ranks, spread across all the five major commands, the Hindu, a leading English newspaper, reported on Sunday.

The survey showed that India's soldiers seemed confident of its military preparedness. Ninety-eight percent of the soldiers believed that India would defeat Pakistan in the event of a war, and 82 percent felt they were well prepared for a nuclear conflict.

Most soldiers also seemed happy with their status. Ninety-two percent said that they received respect from society, and 77 percent said they would like their children to join the army.

Corruption and communalism were major areas of concern for a large number. A quarter believed that bribes were paid for arms procurements, and just under a fifth felt there was corruption in Army recruitment. Forty-five percent said they believed the Army Supply Corps was the most corrupt wing, a widely-held perception among experts outside the military as well.