One argument leads to other. My mail to col SS Rajan unfortunately was incomplete as will be evident to any one who browsed through it. What exactly I had asked him was not to react to any one's opinion now and utilise his skill and talent in better issues which he has been doing and achieved wi results on number of issues of national and public interest. His Padyatras on the Ramsetu and padyatras across the country holding street shows to educate public about various policies on public health, population control etc had the desired results. He is one of the founder members of the ESM and his contribution at the initial stages to bring up the organisation has been immense-he brought retd Offrs and JCOs from Bangalore in his own car, after Fasting for 24 hrs at jantar mantar and ensuring the sick JCO's treatment in base hospital, continued with one ex serviceman in his Maruti Van make shift Caravan to Himachal where he addressed retd def personnel, apprised them about ESM and got many volunteer to further take the task of making members. I was one of the beneficiary of free lunch and beer which he organised for a dozen offrs including one very senior Maj Gen and his course mate Brig whom he urged to come from Mumbai. This first meeting or say initiation of some in ESm had one Air force and one Naval Officers. Cdr Pathk since then has been the prime mover of esm movement in Western Maharashtra benefiting huge number of officers, jcos and or in getting better ECHS service and mainly getting their pensionery benefits as per the Vith Pay comsn, in many cases with interest on delayed settlement by banks. I am sure number of you will be having higher purpose than dwelling on the Chief's DOB where opinions either way are not going to have any value, specially when some of us have forgotten basic civility and branding the Chief a villain using abusive language. Such moralists forget that they are referring to a person who is held at very high esteem even by his detractors. I am going against my own argument and dwelling on the subject but then I do not fall in the category of Rajn and have plenty of time at my disposal.
I do not even know whether you have been in the army or not but when you question his " HONOUR & INTEGRITY" please look at it from the Army's perspective where this is the one aspect that propelled many 22 year young offfrs and jawans to charge the enemy knowing fully well the consequences. History is replete with many such examples but I will draw attention of all those who Pooh-pooh this reference of the Chief, only to the most recent operation KARGILL war. Capt Talwar, Capt Vivek Batra and score of offrs, jcos & jawans from all regions and all religions made extreme sacrifice because the IZZAT of their Paltan which is echoes in the War Cry of the Paltan. And this is the minimum expectation from a leader which they have.
The Chief's contention about DOB
is linked to the IZZAT and INTEGRITY because if he retires with 1950 as yr of DOB he will be branded a LIER because all his documents-Matric Certificate, the Part-II order of his father,( for every event in the case of an offr-date of marriage , children birth, leave record, postings, awards and so on are published and copies sent o all concerned-AHQ (AG), CDA(0) and so on), record of the Mil Hosp where he was borne has 1951. That would mean all these had falsified their records for his benefit. One continues his association post retirement with various institutions of the Armed forces-parent Regt, offrs get togethers, station functions etc and being the Chief on many Mil and Civilian forums. The first comment he hears LIAR- Liar.
Why did he accept in writing his DOB 1951, those who had access to the letters and the context have confirmed that he wrote this being done in organisation interest and with the assurance fro the chief that this will no have any bearing on his DOB issue. Again those who have served in the Army will not find this strange but will see it perfectly normal when he knew that promotion cases of offrs behind him are held up due to the delay in correcting his DOB and some of them would retire if the results are not immediately approved by the Min and declared. VER VERY normal for any one to have done what he has done only some one of acute SELFISHNESS and lack of concern for brother offrs would have done otherwise. taking the words of his superior offr-the then Chief again has nothing abnormal or unusual.
All of us now (few hrs before the case comes up need to start our prayers-those like me who are convinced about the genuineness of the Chief's case PRAY for a favourable judgement and may be those who are equally convinced and are against him for a judgement of that kind.
And for those of us who are blinded by emotions and do not wish to see the facts (one my interpret as per own perception but not ignore the facts because it does not fit into his opinion)
I think for the time being we remember what Jesus told to his adversaries-" Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing" Amen.
May be we resume this never ending controversy even after some decision is taken to morrow or later will depend upon the wisdom of Hon Judges.
One thing is sure: either way Ind Army will be the loser and for the chief whosoever and whenever who succeeds Gen VK SINGH, the new chief will always be seen by one group of people as a manipulator, irrespective of his very high competence and character so far. Who is to be blamed again a disputable comment?? To me NOT Gen VK Singh.
Regards.
Col JP Nauni, veteran
n Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 6:10 PM, Ranjit Rai <ranjitrai123@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Rahul,OTHERS IF BUSY PLEASE DELETE ITS ANOTHER VIEW ON ARMY CHIEF'S SHENANIGANS as so many Emails on Army Chiefs DOB are crowding the air and not one from an IAS who are laughing their way to the bank and I do not blame them.Temptation gets the better of me to give my two bits after seeing both sides.On Friday GEN VK SINGH ie Chief's DOB case will be heardin Supreme Court and lets hope more serving go through such actions as there is no war on the horizon and self beforeservice sounds better. And we retired can watch from the sidelines and comment as I am attempting a Book The Tale of Two Chiefs ADM Bhagwat (earlier Book was banned) and Gen VK Singh. I have collected a lot of material which has kept us entertained for five months.Comments WELCOMERahul you write like a civilian . Please see the Army Chief DOB in the light as I write below.For 24 years you do nothing about your DOB in Army List and twice to get promoted to 2 and 3 starsyou accept 1950 as DOB and then as Chief go to court when the going gets rough. Then suddenly you talk of HONOURand say I do mind retiring as per DOB 1950 but give me honour .........what honour ? And you look for a deal . OLQ at its best.Your passport says DOB is 1951, your driving licence is 1951 Voter card says 1951 etc etc .....Army List is what your colleagues competedwith you for 25 years and now you are Chief ( An Honour) and want it changed to serve 10 months more or prove your predcessors in poor lightwhich may be true but at this stage after lending it to them ?Only good point is selection of Chiefs should/could become by merit and like US Constitution allows PRESIDENT to select upto 17th in line and get SENATE approval. When our Constitution was drafted NO ONE WROTE A WORD ABOUT MILITARY as they were clueless and Panditji wanted a Police Army and the Army Chief has acted like a Policeman and many think it is Government Vs Services battle ...It was in Adm Vishnu Bhagwat's case not this.Ranjit Rai--On 5 February 2012 10:53, Rahul Kumar <rahulkb50@yahoo.com> wrote:
We are all focused on the Chief and his appeal of age?In the forces we need to look at all directions of attack? Lets us for a change think of a bigger motive the Govt and the Politicians have behind it?Question yourself on -
- What is the big deal if VKS serves as per year 51 as DOB?
- Why is Govt so keen on the so called "line of succession"?
- What is line of succession? Has this ever been listed before and followed to this extent?
- All Army Cdrs are eligible for the position of Chief so why Gen Bikram Singh is being pushed so vigorously?
- Is it that Gen VK has vowed that he would "improve the health of the forces" in terms of corruption? Govt has no time to wait till he retires if so in '13?
- Is it that he has pursued and taken to task the top level of offrs for their misdeeds which is affecting the flow in the pipe line of illegal source of .......
- Is it that the coming up few billion dollar contracts is worrying the Babu's?
- Is it that the Chief refuses to sign for continuation of the Tatra veh deal?
- Is there any truth in having Bikram singh at the helm because of his relationship with the PM?
- The crux is that what is so very important to take this issue to such a level? For the Govt and for the Chief?
rgdsrahul
From: Trivendra <trivendra54@yahoo.co.in>
To: "humjanenge@googlegroups.com" <humjanenge@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, 4 February 2012 3:56 PM
Subject: Re: [HumJanenge] Injustice to Army Chief-This man needs our support
Sir,I believe that this is the case of entering in army at an early date by disguising the facts. Believably among other things a few question are un-discussed at any front1. Why Army did not take cognizance/action at the time of submission of certificate.2. How was seniority decided at the time giving promotions.3. Why did other officers of his rank did not raise question while discrimination was going on with them4. How was his seniority decided coming to top rank5. Why army is awaking now.6 Is there any precedent for handling a lower rank officer in defense or other services.RegardsTrivendraFrom: sn datt <captsndatt@gmail.com>
To: humjanenge@googlegroups.com
Sent: Friday, 3 February 2012 6:28 PM
Subject: Re: [HumJanenge] Injustice to Army Chief-This man needs our support
Dear Mr Iyer
This is a surprising comment from an ex serviceman. There is only one hand written NDA application form with the government. All official documents and certificates show 1951 as DOB. Will the government start accepting any DOB declared by a person against official documents?
When his matriculation certificate was sent to UPSC before his joining NDA, rectification should have been done. As ex servicemen we all know how busy we are kept under training and early years of service. There is no time to worry about personal things in detail.
It is important for the government to uphold the dignity of an honest officer and the country as a whole should support him.
SN Datt
Sqn Ldr Retd
On Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 1:16 PM, sriram iyer <sriram1iyer@yahoo.co.in> wrote:
From: Janardan Sharma <contactjps@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [HumJanenge] Injustice to Army Chief-This man needs our support
To: humjanenge@googlegroups.com
Date: Thursday, 2 February, 2012, 2:20 PM
Quite some time back I had brought out that it is a very deep rooted and sinister campaign to ease out Gen VK Singh who is perhaps the first COAS to have taken very concerted and sustained measures to cleanse the army of the menace of proliferating corruption particularly against those involved in mega scams and gross misdeamenours. No doubt these people who have the patronage and support of people in high places are moving heaven and earth to remove him from the scene before they all get roped in.I can say with confidence that Gen kapoor and Lt Gen Avadesh Kumar are the mail culprits and guilty of deep rooted conspiracy in this shoddy cospiracy planned over a long period.This is no less than a coup d'tat happening in Pakistan; the difference being that it is intra service.It is a great that an IAS officer has been able to see through the consiparacy and chosen to air his impartial views,even though I suspect the IAS officers in the MOD and the Govt are also equally involved . Army officers are by and large too meek and gullible to take a stand even if their chief is meted out injustice and humiliation of the worst kind.We need to take a united stand to support this valiant and distinguished General in this hour of crisis facing the Indian army as a whole.Col JP SharmaSo there is a need to
On Wed, Feb 1, 2012 at 10:35 PM, Devasahayam MG <mgd@airtelmail.in> wrote:
Today's article of mine will bring some clarity on the issue. All I would like to add is that this is not a mere clerical or bureaucratic error, but part of a larger and sinister agenda.M.G.Devasahayam______________________________________________________________________THE STATESMANSpecial ArticleO1 February 2012President and the Army
Must Intervene And Save The InstitutionBy MG DevasahayamTHE President made a profound statement while addressing the nation on the eve of the 63rd Republic Day: "While bringing about reforms and improving institutions, we have to be cautious that while shaking the tree to remove the bad fruit, we do not bring down the tree itself." But, under her nose an institution called the Indian Army is being rudely shaken and being brought down by the very government she is presiding over. Despite being the Supreme Commander of India's armed forces she has not even lifted a small finger to stop that.
Republic Day is an occasion of joy and celebration because on that day in 1950, "We, the People of India, gave ourselves a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic anchored on Justice, social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; Equality of status and of opportunity and to promote among them all Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation".
Sixty-two years have passed and every year we go through the ritual of celebrations and parades with the armed forces in general and Army in particular in the vanguard. It is the members of these forces who have defended and protected our democracy through their valour, sacrifice and total sense of patriotism, bereft of any political ambitions as in our neighbouring countries. It is largely because of them that India stands tall as a sovereign Republic.
Among the armed forces, the Army is the largest and the most visible face. The chief of that force has a special status in the nation's affairs, irrespective of his place in the order of precedence. The present government at the Centre has lost the faith of a vast majority of the people because of colossal failures almost on all fronts, except mortgaging the nation's assets and resources to MNCs. Now the Chief of the Army Staff himself has lost faith in this government and has knocked the doors of the Supreme Court seeking justice.
Instead of resolving the matter amicably by rendering substantial justice to the General, worthies of the kleptocratic state have the cheek to display indulgence. They claim that even if the apex court order goes against the Army chief, the government will not summarily sack him. What morbid magnificence after treating General VK Singh in the shabbiest manner possible!
The controversy is supposed to have arisen due to different sets of records maintained on the General's Date of Birth (DoB) in the Adjutant General (AG) and Military Secretary (MS) branches of the Army headquarters. There are facts in the public domain suggesting availability of several records and documents in the AG Branch ~ school register, matriculation certificate, father's record of service in the Rajput Regiment, form No. IAFZ-2041 filled up in IMA ~ establishing the General's DoB as 10 May 1951.
The MS Branch is stated to have an application form for the written entrance exam to the National Defence Academy signed by a 14/15-year-old boy and some assorted papers mentioning Singh's DoB as 10 May 1950. The two branches have not reconciled the documents for over four decades.
The Attorney General and the MoD are sticking to the MS Branch records in determining the General's DoB as 10 May 1950 because it is this branch which is responsible for the promotion and posting of senior army officers. This is the spin that is going around.But a confidential communication dated 01 Jul 2011 (A/4501/01/GEN/MS(1)) from Lt.-Gen. GM Nair, Military Secretary to Defence Secretary, tells a totally different tale. On four occasions:
-No: 2 Selection Board, Sept 1996 ~ Fresh case 1970 batch for promotion to the acting rank of Brigadier;
-No: 1 Selection Board, 25 Oct 2001 ~ Fresh case 1970 batch for promotion to the acting rank of Maj. Gen;
-No: 1 Selection Board, 18/19 Sept 2003 ~ Special Review (Fresh) Case 1970 Batch for promotion to the acting rank of Maj. Gen; and
-Special Selection Board, 30 Sept 2005 ~ Fresh case 1970 Batch for promotion to the acting rank of Lt. Gen.
The date of birth of the General Officer (VK Singh) put up by the MS Branch and considered by the Selection Boards was 10 May 1951.
This means that the MS Branch had accepted, adopted and documented 10 May 1951 as the DoB for empanelling Gen. Singh for promotion and posting as Brigadier, Maj.-Gen. and Lt.-Gen. in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2005 respectively. Where then was the dispute and the occasion for the former Amy Chiefs to talk to VK Singh in 2008 and 2009 and make him 'accept' 10 May 1950 as his DoB? On what grounds was the 'statutory complaint' of the Army Chief rejected, reportedly without the knowledge of the Prime Minister, forcing the General to go to the Supreme Court? The government owes an explanation to the people.
Looking at the state of the Republic one tends to lament and despair in the manner of Marcellus in Hamlet, having just seen the ghost of Hamlet's father, the late king of Denmark: "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
Considering the way things are being handled even by an otherwise god-fearing man like AK Antony, there seem to be ghosts looming in New Delhi. One is the MNC lobby that is incensed with General Singh's principled opposition to the deployment of the Army to decimate the tribal population of Dandakaranya forests to hand it over to mining interests. The General had said: "We cannot do this on our own people. Naxalism is not a secessionist movement.''
Former Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat saw another, even mightier ghost, when he said: "Former Chief Justice of India JS Verma has said Singh had brought in probity and honesty. He is being moved out just when large arms deals are going to be signed. This means that the arms lobby and a few people who are going to be affected are behind this."
To this could be added the 'victims' of the tough stand taken by General Singh on corruption, particularly former Generals involved in the Sukna land scam and Adarsh Housing Society scandal.
This is probably why a specious and non-existent theory of 'line of succession' was dug out and touted about for rejecting the army chief's statutory complaint. The 'line of succession' is a concept which is anti-democratic and related to royalty and monarchy. Why then is the Attorney General repeating this ad nauseam? Obviously in support of the MoD's sinister agenda.
VK Singh belongs to a family that boasts a martial tradition. He hails from Bapora village in Haryana's Bhiwani district, a district that I had the privilege of raising and building up as its first Commissioner when it was established in December 1972. This village, hardly a couple of miles from Bhiwani, had a large number of serving soldiers and ex-servicemen. Being an ex-soldier myself, I had closely interacted with the simple folk of this village.
Men of General Singh's ilk serve and die by the Army's standards of integrity and honesty. When men like him and the Army he commands are impaled, it is the people who bleed. Pray, does not the President, who swears by institutions, have a duty to effectively intervene and save this institution from further damage? The nation awaits an answer.
The writer is a retired IAS officer
Cmde (R)Ranjit B Rai
Vice President Indian Maritime Foundation Tel 24330087 M 9810066172
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