It was an open secret that former defence minister Manohar Parrikar's heart was in Goa. He even wore floral half-sleeve shirts and sandals to official functions, making no bones about preferring Goa over South Block any day.
So, when a fractured mandate in Goa created a peculiar situation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted Parrikar to relinquish charge as the defence minister in March, it was time for the ministry to say goodbye to its full-time minister.
Parrikar left South Block but there was no time to find his replacement. His exit meant more work for Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who was given the additional charge. Ever since the NDA government came to power in May 2014, Jaitley has been holding two or three portfolios. From information and broadcasting ministry to full time charge as finance minister, Jaitley can certainly handle crucial jobs given his vast experience and political and administrative acumen and craftsmanship.
But it seems the prime minister, who wants an experienced hand with a clean reputation, cannot find a replacement for Jaitley. It must be remembered that corruption in defence deals have led to a crisis more than once in the crucial ministry with reputations of defence ministers playing a major role in overcoming such crisis. Former defence minister A.K. Antony was one such clean minister whose personal reputation added heft and confidence to the defence ministry and its works.
Whether there is a dearth of talent in the ruling party to appoint a full-time defence minister, is something only the top BJP brass can answer.
Any more delay in appointing a defence minister is expected to only put the incumbent in a tough spot with multiple jobs at hand. It is unlikely Jaitley can find time to travel extensively to border areas and interact with the armed forces or spend full days in the defence ministry even though the office stands just across the road from the finance ministry. While it may be a matter of just crossing the road, the twin offices demand equal attention.
The appointment of a full-time defence minister is something only the prime minister can do. "The PM has to take a call," said a senior BJP minister.
"In the given situation, the finance minister has a lot of burden as far as the economic situation in the country is concerned,” said senior CPI leader D. Raja. “With the rollout of the GST, unexpected and unanticipated problems are coming up and he needs to give full time to the finance ministry. Then there is the agrarian crisis, small and medium enterprises that are posing a challenge to the government. No one is clear about many things in the GST." He said with such a heavy portfolio, it is a blunder on the part of the government to expect an equally deep focus on defence.
The political opponents of the BJP have already started asking why Modi is not going for a reshuffle and inducting new ministers.
"After all, India is such a big country and the government has to be able to handle all areas with equal focus and interest," said a government official who did not wish to be named.
With China playing aggressor on the Sikkim border and Pakistan giving a tough time to armed forces in the Kashmir valley, the one man who is trying to plug in the holes, is National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Though a larger-than-usual role is being played by the NSA in matters of national security, it certainly cannot be a long-term plan. “Neither can the bureaucracy run the ministry nor can anyone from outside steer it,” an official said.
In the absence of a political boss in the MoD, defence reforms remain a distant dream and, in turn, India's defence preparedness can suffer.
