|
 Tribune
analysis
Army chief’s age row
A
matter of honour vs propriety
By Raj Chengappa
Editor-in-Chief
With over 1.3 million
personnel, the Indian Army is considered to be among the world's
largest armed forces and has many challenges to face. Vijay Kumar
Singh, the Chief of Army Staff, in his statutory complaint to the
Union Government on August 26, 2011 outlines some of them in the first
paragraph.
Army
Chief’s Age Row-Part 2
A matter of Honour vs Propriety
The
second big anomaly
By Raj Chengappa
Editor-in-Chief
Among
the first things that every Gentleman Cadet who joins the National
Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla is asked to do is to write a
brief autobiography. When Vijay Kumar Singh reported to the NDA on 13
July 1966 to begin his training, he wrote in his autobiography, “I
was born on 10th May 1951 in Poona. My father is an army officer. I
have two younger brothers and a younger sister. I first went to St
Columbus High School and did my first class from there. Then I joined
the Birla Public School, Pilani.”
Army
Chief’s Age Row-Part 3
A matter of Honour vs Propriety
The
Twist in the Tale
By Raj
Chengappa
Editor-in-Chief
Deep in the bowels of South Block,
there are two branches of the Army that have a key role in determining
whether General Vijay Kumar Singh, Chief of Army Staff, was right in
appealing to the highest court in India to have his date of birth
corrected in the records.
Army
Chief’s Age Row - PArt 4
A matter of Honour vs Propriety
The
General’s Gambit
By Raj Chengappa
Editor-in-Chief
“Requests for change of
dates of birth of members of the defence services should not be
encouraged. Only in very special cases the change be sponsored
provided there is overwhelming evidence to show that the date of birth
recorded in the services records is incorrect… Quite apart from the
financial effect of such changes in dates of birth of officers etc
they have certain far reaching implications affecting promotion…”
Army
Chief’s Age Row-Part 5
A
matter of Honour vs Propriety
The
General gives his ‘word’
By Raj Chengappa
Editor-in-Chief
Personal
and Confidential:
From: Lt Gen VK Singh,
GoC, HQ 2 Corp,
To: Lt Gen PR Gangadharan,
Military Secretary, IHQ of MoD (Army)
Dated 31 Jan 2008.
Dear General,
1. Ref Para 5 and 6 of your letter
No 36808/DO/MS-8B dt 21 Jan 08.
2. Date as mentioned is accepted, Regards, Yours’ sincerely,
signed VK Singh.
Army
Chief’s Age Row-Part 6
A
matter of propriety vs integrity
By Raj Chengappa
Editor-in-Chief
If
the Government believed that the issue regarding the date of birth of
General Vijay Kumar Singh had been settled once he had been appointed
as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on 31 March 2010 it would soon be
mistaken. |
