Whose war is it anyway?

South Asia may be languishing at the bottom of the global human development index but it has a feather in its cap — it is right at the top as far as UN Peace-Keeping Missions go.



Roughly 40% of the 88,754 soldiers of different nationalities currently deployed around the world in 17 UN peace-keeping missions belong to South Asian countries. The latest figures show Pakistan is first place among 117 troop-contributing nations, with 10,590 of its soldiers participating in UN missions. It is followed by Bangladesh with 9,211 men in blue (UN) helmets and India with 8,724.

Accordingly, were troops contribution to be the criterion for UN permanent Security Council (UNSC) membership, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India should stand a good chance of getting it, instead of the UK, US and Russia, which are ranked a lowly 42nd, 43rd and 44th respectively. They contribute just 280-320 personnel each. Yet, developed countries continue to dominate the UN's decision-making processes and the developing ones are relegated to providing troops for its peacekeeping missions.

Is it time the developing world reconsidered? India's long-standing aim of a seat at the global high-table appears to be heading nowhere, yet its soldiers remain caught in the ongoing crossfire between government and rebel forces in Congo. Is it time for a rethink?

No, say senior government officials and experts. At one level, troop contribution underlines the importance India attaches to the UN, of which it was one of the 51 founding members. UN peacekeeping also underlines India's ideals of world solidarity and a world without conflict.

In a pragmatic sense, it reinforces India's claim to a permanent UNSC seat when it is expanded. More to the point, UN peacekeeping means handsome monetary compensation and ''international exposure'' for Indian soldiers. Additionally, India builds up banks of goodwill on the global stage, especially in oil and mineral-rich Africa.


''Large troop contribution undeniably reinforces our claim to a UNSC seat, much like financial contribution does for Japan,'' says Lt-General (retd) Satish Nambiar, an authority on UN peacekeeping operations. The argument goes that when the UNSC is expanded, countries like India, Japan, Brazil and Germany will be ''natural candidates'' for permanent membership.

Adds a senior serving officer, ''Since we cannot contribute monetarily in a big way to the UN, (in the way of) developed countries, we do so through troops. ''

But, there is another, more lucrative reason — the lure of greenbacks. UN allowances are paid in dollars and Indian soldiers see international peacekeeping as a welcome break from the debilitating counter-insurgency operations (CI Ops) in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East, or forward posts on the borders with China and Pakistan. Army battalions covet UN assignments because of the money and their appearance of being an all-expenses-paid trip.

''In fact, battalions vie with each other to get UN missions,'' says an Army officer. Officers are paid dollar allowances over and above their Indian rupee salaries, which continue safely to be deposited in their bank accounts at home. ''Many come back with a major chunk of their allowances saved,'' says an officer.

But what about the emotionally disturbing issue of getting sucked into someone else's war? This is what's happening in Congo's eastern province of North Kivu at present. ''Well, the danger is always there. But we can always pull out like we did from Sierra Leone in 2000-2001. In any case, we are more discriminate about participating in missions, unlike Bangladesh which jumps into all of them,'' says a senior officer.

Incidentally, 126 Indian soldiers have been killed on UN peace-keeping missions, the largest casualty for any country. But this casualty rate spans 50 years and is minuscule compared to the scale of Indian involvement in UN peacekeeping missions. ''Conversely, 250 to 300 of our soldiers die every year battling militants in J&K and North-East, with another 300 dying in road accidents and 100 committing suicide. UN missions are, in fact, almost like paid holidays for our soldiers,'' says an officer.

The logic may be skewed but it makes perfect sense to the poorly-paid Indian jawan, who considers participation in a UN mission a prize posting.

(sunday.times@timesgroup.com)

9 Nov 2008, TNN India