A soldier from Junagadh in Gujarat has now complained about the poor quality of food served to jawans and has also lashed out at some army officers for their attitude towards low-ranked men in the force.

Sindhav Jogidas Lakhubhai, a housekeeper in the Army Medical Corps, aired his grievances through a video on social media about “his task as a buddy (sahayak or batman) of a senior officer”.

“I apologise to the people of the nation and the government (because) my video will hurt your sentiments...But how long can we tolerate?” he says in the video.

“The food that is given is only for survival and of poor quality. I do not have proof of that so shall not speak much about that,” says the soldier.

Referring to the batman system, Lakhubhai says some officers treated soldiers attached to their residence as their servants. Lakhubhai goes on to say that while the jawans get punished for the smallest violation of discipline, officials go scot free.

An army officer said: “The individual has never been employed as buddy of any officer or junior commissioned officer nor has he ever been asked to perform such a duty. His allegations are false and baseless”.

The army said Lakhubhai had earlier worked at the military hospital in Ranikhet. While on duty at the ICU, he refused to obey instructions of a duty nursing officer to clean a bedpan.

The task which Lakhubhai refused to perform is a mandated task of a housekeeper. For this act of indiscipline, he was awarded seven-days imprisonment.

Inquiry initiated
The army, however, said that it has initiated an inquiry.

After his release, Lakhubhai submitted written complaints to the prime minister, defence minister, director general of medical services and the army against the commanding officer of the military hospital.

“Nobody cared to reply, instead I have been charge-sheeted and disciplinary action has been initiated against me. I have been harassed and twice a court of enquiry has been initiated against me,” he adds.

Last year, a Border Security Force soldier had released a video on social media complaining about the quality of food being served to jawans.