From a Concerned Veteran as others may be hesitant in even
trying to do this
Bold & Italics are mine.
Dear
General, I write to you with anguish at the way things have recently played out for someone who most veterans hold in high esteem. Having said so, we who have directly or indirectly ensured that you are where you are today would greatly appreciate if you place your energies towards the alleviation of your former colleagues and towards whom you have a duty to perform rather than get involved in the unsavoury episodes of the past that have cropped up now or may happen in the future as you are now a “Public Figure” outside the purview of the Army Act 1950 & the Official Secrets Act 1923, or even the DSR, for the General public, more so with regard to your personal matters.
I have taken the liberty of copy/pasting your profile from Wikipedia, with the Bold and italics being mine..
“General Vijay Kumar Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM (retired) is an Indian politician and the Minister of State of External Affairs and Minister of state (independent charge) for North East Region besides other portfolios in the MEA, in the National Democratic Alliance government that was elected in the Indian general elections, 2014. He gained his seat in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India, in those elections, defeating the actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar in the Ghaziabad constituency of Uttar Pradesh by a record 567,000 votes, the second-highest margin of victory after Narendra Modi.
Singh was previously
a military officer, serving as the 24th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian
Army. He was the first commando to be promoted to the rank of
General , (A bit of
a misnomer as we all understand that you are an Infantryman to the core who has
done his share of Commando training & Instruction as have so many others
and have done the Rangers course which too has been done by many, also that you
were never part of the SF) and was
also the first serving Indian military chief to take the Government of India to court. In 2014,(Something
that traditionalists do not accept as a factor of “Just Not Done”) after his retirement from the military, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He
has written Courage and Conviction: An
Autobiography.”
From
your profile, in my opinion, correct me if I am wrong, other than the general
views shown in red, three specifics stand out.
1.
You are
an Indian Politician.2. You are a Minister in the Central Council of Ministers.
3. You won the elections by a record 567,000 votes.
4. You were previously a Military Officer.
Your
journey to this point in life as seen by me goes back to July of the year 1968,
46 years ago. As I know you, my earliest
memory of you goes back to the NDA in my first term, where as a fifth term sergeant
you use to take post around the Ashoka Pillar and closer to No 2 Bn, better
still Hunter Squadron. A chance encounter along escaping the ring around after
movie function on the presidency drive via the drill square-QM fort-Dhobi Ghat
route with my course-mate NKS Yadav brought us face to face with you.
Magnanimously or possibly out of sheer boredom you let us go. Your sixth term
memories are scant since you had become a BCC and glimpses of marching down the
Presidency drive, starched KD’s, swinging canes and uncrossed satchel to boot
is all that one recollects. A sight a number of juniors were inspired by. All
this while we, as second termers were at the mercy of your course-mate, late
VKS Pundir and his rather infamous ideas at disciplining a collection of goons
who had no respect for “Mother India”. His tear jerker in the Assembly hall is
a legendary tale though you may not have heard or witnessed it as you would
have walked off after the movie, out of
squad, using the NTT shortcut to the
mess, as was the accepted privilege of sixth termers more so of
appointments. Having done so in my own turn one has no regrets or acrimony on
that score…..We just followed you
because we thought what you did was right. The same way you would have followed
your seniors..
I
did not get a chance of ever serving with you ever in service. Our diverse
arms, appointments, seniority levels being the reason for the same. However one
did get a chance of distantly associating with you thrice in service. Firstly
while handling the Samba case; I did get some cross references of a fracas in your unit then in the North
East where you figured rather prominently. The second was closer home when I,
as a DQ of an Infantry Brigade oversaw the
mess created by your unit while handing over vehicles, battalion support
weapons and accommodation and the like to you relieving unit. Maybe the name NK
Gupta, SM will strike a chord. The last time one really saw you up close was in
the movie “Prahar”. By the time you took over as the COAS I had hung up my
spurs.
As
the COAS when the controversy of the alleged move of units followed by your
date of birth erupted I was one of a handful of veteran TV commentators who
held forth of your correct approach at redressal of a grievance.
As
hindsight I now wonder, though procedurally correct was the move ethically
correct? It is for you to answer your inner conscience. We who thought you were
right….We followed you.
We did have occasion to meet post your
retirement if you recall, Once at your Delhi Cantt residence, the next at the
Rezangla Memorial function and finally at the Dinner you hosted prior to your
formally joining the BJP. In the interim period, I was fully involved in the
propagation of ESM in Parliament as the only means of having our grievances,
that are still aplenty, to be addressed at the National level. My original
paper given to your principal advisor is proof enough of my involvement. Your appearance at the Rewari rally gave most
ESM a ray of hope towards this end. You are well aware of the stand taken by
various ESM organizations and you became a binding factor of this common aim…….We continued to follow you.
You
began consultations with the high and mighty of the BJP and we were told that
you were in the forefront of espousing the cause of this mighty churning and
that you would be instrumental in ensuring that adequate representation of ESM
would figure in the ticket distribution for LS 2014. The original demand of 50
whittled down to 25 and finally to 5-6 was an exercise in futility. Relying on
your leadership to achieve this, all other avenues were either blocked or
forsaken at the behest of your advisors. Some ESM did bite the bullet of the
ballot but came out croppers, barring the favoured few including you who now
sit in the sanctum sanctorum of our democracy….. We continued to follow you.
Your
victory and elevation to ministerial rank was welcomed by all and the sweet
feeling of “Achhey Din Aayenge” for this marginalized segment of society was
echoed amongst one and all. We hoped that you would rally the motley group of 6
ESM MP’s all from your party towards solving our problems………We continued to follow you.
The
incidents of the last two days have left a bitter taste in most veteran mouths.
As can be seen from the outpourings on the social media, the sense of being let
down seems to have set in and needs to be arrested.
What led to this turn around?
Let us look at it objectively.
1.
You have
played your first innings rather well having reached the top of your chosen
profession. That you went back to the pavilion, more as a case of Hit wicket or
in current FIFA fever as a self goal is for you to introspect.
2.
Your
acrimony towards Suhag and his appointment as the next COAS was a subject of
contention during electioneering, taken up by Dr Swamy apparently at your
behest.
3.
The Govt
of the now ruling dispensation upheld the appointment of Lt Gen Dalbir Suhag as
the next COAS as promulgated by the previous Govt overruling all dissent from
within the party and outside. Remember what you told us…Rule No 1…”The Boss is
always right.” The matter was considered “CLOSED”.
4.
Your
angst, acrimony, authority, views on the subject as a COAS, action taken as
COAS became inconsequential and irrelevant. It is quite common in any uniformed
or non-uniformed service from unit level upwards that decisions taken by
someone in the chair at any given point in time are overturned by their
successors to suit their style of functioning. You had your way now let others
have theirs. In the instant case of 3 Corps/4 Corps Intelligence operations,
accountability of the Corps commander, you had an opinion and you took action
as deemed fit. Your successor did not agree and overturned it. The apex body,
the MoD concurred. So where does it leave you? Irrelevant, to my mind,
notwithstanding your personal opinion.
5.
The MoD
submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court pointing fingers at you in the case
of Lt Gen Ravi Dastane as it was linked to that of your actions as a COAS,
which as far as you were concerned was a closed chapter.
6.
You go
and Tweet, using rather abrasive language implying that you still considered
that you were right and the MoD, previous Govt, present COAS were all wrong.
7.
The opposition,
media, anti VK factions, pro Suhag factions go to town with a smirk on their
faces….saying and implying….”I told you so” “VK has an unfinished agenda”,
“Suhag should be given a pink slip” and so on and so forth.
There
are certain forms and customs that are demanded of a serving officer and a
subsequent veteran, as gleaned from a pamphlet called, “Introduction to
Services”, that are taught in the 4th term at the NDA. Not that one
paid heed to it as a cadet but imbibed from it much later when I was teaching
the same as an Instructor there.
An
unwritten custom passed on from most seniors, those who could qualify as
leaders was that post retirement you did not meddle in the affairs of the
unit/formation you once commanded. In your case it extends to the entire Army. Breaking
of the umbilical cord with the uniform is again an unwritten law, some cannot
get over this is a separate issue. The link through three smart cards is all that
is expected, viz, CSD, ECHS & Club Memberships. As a former COAS you have
enough privileges that are outside the purview of this letter. Now that you
have entered the political arena you are under further and intense scrutiny.
Words and actions need to be very carefully articulated.
The
purpose of this diatribe and rather unsolicited advice is due to the fact that
a number of us veterans sense danger ahead. A sixth sense feeling of an ambush
lurking in the dense foliage of the political jungle. For a first termer in
parliament, that you are, you need to understand the various circumventing
methods of falling into such a trap. Much as the circuitous routes to squadrons
to avoid F parades, the methods to skip ED’s and restrictions and of course the
dreaded Sinhgarh hikes. The aim of veterans was to have representation in
Parliament. Amongst the 567,000 votes polled for you there must be at least
100,000 such votes of veterans, families, relations and their friends.
You
cannot afford to walk into an ambush and let them down and through them the 43
Lakh ESM and dependants who are counting on you to deliver. We are still prepared to follow. you.
However I would like to caution you and add a
caveat here. If you permit, here are a few submissions and suggestions: -
1. Steer
clear of the day-to-day happenings of the MoD & service HQ. They have
people there who are now doing what we once did. Perhaps they will do a better
job than us failing which they will perish. It seems the mandarins of the MoD,
irrespective of the ruling dispensation would not have ESM running the show.
With or without the active connivance of the present political authority above
them.
2. Concentrate
on the awesome responsibility given to you to resuscitate NER. Having been the
Eastern Army Commander, you know it better than most others.
3. Beware
of some of your advisors as their advice maybe detrimental to you in the long
run. If they do not perform or are prone to pushing their personal agendas
through you, show them the way out.
4. With
the massive mandate you carry based on the unequivocal support of veterans and
serving soldiers, ensure speedy “IMPLEMENTATION” of the following amongst other equally important issues: -
(a) OROP
in its expected form, No Less.
(b) Representation in the 7th Pay
commission of our stakeholders.
(c) NFU.
(d) Lateral movement into CAPF& PSU’s with
original seniority.
(e) Relief as expected to the War wounded and
other disabled personnel both serving and retired at par as given by MoSE to
civilians.
(f) Construction
& Completion of the National War Memorial.
I feel, I may have stated the obvious, or exceeded my brief, but believe you me, this is straight from the heart, and as a well wisher who has the overall aim of veterans getting a just deal, thereby ensuring, that serving soldier also gets his due. Please do not let go of this opportunity of rising above personal prejudices for achieving the larger picture.
We will continue to follow you subject to your
heeding the direction the wind is blowing. Otherwise Sir, you would be treading
a lonely path with no succour from this large mass of willing, disciplined and
faithful followers of a cause dear to us. Individual personalities do not
matter.
Sir, remember…..The honour……your own comfort
and well being comes last, always and every time.
For any
back end work we are always available.
With
Warm Regards,
Anil
Kaul
Veteran
