Indian Army to Disband All Cantonments

The Indian Army is undergoing a significant transformation as it embarks on a major drive to merge civil areas at cantonments with municipal corporations and municipalities, and designate them as military stations, officials familiar with the development have said. This move will enable the Army to focus more on developing military stations and benefit civilians who were previously unable to access state government welfare schemes.

Yol in Himachal Pradesh is the first cantonment to shed the colonial tag and be renamed a military station. Secunderabad in Telangana and Nasirabad in Rajasthan are among the cantonments set to shrink and become military stations with their civilian areas being merged with local civic governing bodies. However, not all cantonments are likely to become military stations due to intertwined Army and civilian pockets that may not permit segregation, as seen in Delhi and Lucknow cantonments.

The officials noted that the shedding of the cantonment tag is a departure from the archaic colonial practice of creating cantonments, which were a colonial phenomenon. The move will benefit civilians, as those who were not getting access to state government welfare schemes through the municipal corporations and municipalities will be able to do so after their areas become part of the local bodies.

The Indian Army is reviewing British-era practices in consultation with all stakeholders, including the top brass, serving officers, soldiers, and veterans. With Yol out of the list, the Army currently has 61 cantonments spread across the country. Cantonment board employees and assets will be taken over by the civic bodies after the excision happens.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a naval ensign at the commissioning ceremony of aircraft carrier Vikrant, dropping the Cross of St George and drawing inspiration from the seal of Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj. The PM described the move as getting rid of the burden of a colonial past, and this is in line with the Army's current efforts to shed the colonial tag from its cantonments and focus more on developing military stations.