Should military education be made compulsory

The world is rapidly aligning itself into rival camps armed with weapons of mass destruction.

Almost every nation now suspects its neighbors of holding intimidating and antagonistic designs against them. Most governments allocate the huge amount in their budgets for procuring arms and ammunitions and other sophisticated equipment.

Therefore a well-trained and operational army is avoidable even in a country such as India which adheres to the principles of non-violence practiced and preached by Gautama Buddha and Gandhi.

Now the question arises should military education be made compulsory? Should our country go in for conscription?

Those in favor will say that military education inculcates discipline and regulation, helping students to be dutiful and physically agile. There are assets in developing the nation. They guarantee the free development of the well-being of the country. The youth who receive military education become proficient and resourceful workers during peacetime as well.

In a democratic nation, there are manifold reasons for conscription or enlistment. The obligation of defending your motherland belongs to all. There is no reason why only a handful should be summoned to risk their lives in defending their country from foreign invasions. Considering this point, military education should be made compulsory for all and everyone should be made liable to be summoned for military service.

Even in India, if military education is made compulsory it might prevent the youth from Kashmir, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh being carried away and brain-washed by Pakistan-backed militant groups and Naxalites.

However, there are also several negates of compulsory military education. It might be a temptation to initiate unprovoked attacks and aggression and make nations unduly warlike as was the case with the ancient Carthaginians and Spartans, with Germany in the World War II and with Iraq in the 1990s.

Furthermore, a democratic state will willfully allow itself to be conscripted where the common people are the rulers, where the people own the material resources of their nation and the enhancement in the gross domestic product is reflected in the standard of living of the commoners.

But where war fills the pockets of the capitalists and bourgeoisie, impoverishing the downtrodden mass, conscription will not be popular at all and may even be dangerous. For the discontented populace, compulsory military training would recoil upon the war-mongers themselves in the end.

Hence, compulsory military education might not be desirable in a country which does not have a socialist economic structure.

It is hoped for the good that the horrors of wars and conflicts will cure the desire of mankind for unnecessary military conquests. Thus an urge for peace and tranquility might be expected to develop as a reaction to war and violence. In that case, it is not necessary to make military education obligatory.

But in recent times when almost every newspaper and news channel incite military dispositions, it might not be possible to do away with the concept of compulsory military education easily.

Looking at the bloodshed and shameful violent acts of ISIS, civil wars and acts of terrorism in Syria, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and even our next door neighbors Myanmar, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, it appears our world is not yet prepared to accept the concept of ahimsa.

Even our own country India is not fully prepared or willing to embrace non-violence, considering the huge budgetary allocations on military and the annual military displays and exhibitions. Moreover, it is also not safe for us to refrain and abstain from military preparedness considering the predatory hostility of Pakistan and China.

Thus we might support compulsory military education and conscription to enhance our physically and mentally agility and make ourselves well-organized not for attack but for self-defense, considering threats from external as well as internal adversaries.