Mental disturbance may have prompted jawans to share grievances on social media: Bhamre

Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre on Monday asserted  “mental disturbance” from personal or other issues might have prompted a small number of jawans to take to social media to air their grievances.

He also said that the use of social media for rumour-mongering creates problems.

“As far as social media is concerned, it is not only pertaining to the defence ministry...social media is a double-edged weapon. It can be used for good things too,” Bhamre said responding to a question during a press conference.

“Unfortunately, social media has no control. Sometimes it is used as a tool for rumour-mongering and that can create a problem...everybody else is facing the music of social media, so is the defence ministry,” he said.

The minister was responding to a question whether his ministry has been facing problems due to social media.

“Our Army is huge,” he said, adding that there were 13 lakh jawans and 40 lakh ex-servicemen, besides their families.

“It is but natural that some people will have grievances.  We have a well-laid system to listen to the grievances in the defence ministry,” he said.

“Those who aired their grievances using social media, I would say in the 50 lakh population (of jawans and ex-servicemen), two or three doing it is not a big number,” Bhamre said.

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He claimed that the jawans were largely happy but at certain times they went through mental disturbance due to various issues.

“You must realise, the kind of situation they (jawans) are working in. They have their families back home and sometimes problems bound to happen,” he said.

“Sometimes the parents get sick or child is not well and he wants to be with his family. But sometimes the kind of atmosphere he works, he is not granted leave. That creates mental disturbances. Out of that somebody, someday comes out on social media,” he said.

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“I would like to say, as far as the defence is concerned, we are concerned about jawans and we are taking care of them,” the minister said.