Exhaustive instructions were issued from time to time stressing upon the need to ensure that under no circumstances sahayaks, being combatant soldiers, are employed on menial tasks, not in conformity with the dignity and self respect of a soldier, said Subhash Bhamre, minister of state for defence.
In a written reply to Sanjiv Kumar in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, the minister stated the sahayaks or buddies are combatant soldiers and form part of the Army and perform operational tasks as well. Amid complaints from soldiers that the sahayak treatment had reduced them to slaves and they were made to walk the officers' dogs and carry handbags of their wives, the minister defended the 'buddy' system, meant to integrate the soldiers with the officers, and has of late, come into public discourse and become controversial.
The government said the buddy system was not expected to have any adverse impact on the morale of the soldiers. The rapport between officers and the buddies has led to enhancement of spirit-de-corps in a unit, vital during war and peace, Bhamre said.
While the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force do not have the system of sahayaks, "in the Indian Army, a sahayak has clearly defined military duties and forms an integral part of the organisation structure of a unit and has specific functions during war and peace. During operations in the field areas, he and the officer/JCO act as buddies in arms. One covers the movement of the other buddy and protects him in operations where support has to be total, whether mental or physical or moral,” explained Bhamre.
"A sahayak, in addition to his normal soldier’s tasks, provides essential support to officers/JCOs both in peace and war, which enables them to fully attend to their assigned duties. The buddy also provides an alternate contact with the troops, whereby the officer is made aware of grass root issues, albeit through informal means," the minister elaborated.
