Jottings

From Today's Papers - 17 Feb 2012

2012-02-17T08:17:00.000+05:30

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120217/nation.htm#9

As GCM went beyond 3-yr deadline, apex court lets off Commandant

R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, February 16

Letting off a Commandant charged with causing a loss of Rs 60.18 lakh in the procurement of stores worth Rs 2.2 crore, the Supreme Court has ruled that the order for convening the General Court Martial (GCM) should be issued within three years from the day of noticing a crime and not from the day of initiating disciplinary action.

A Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and CK Prasad made the clarification yesterday while allowing an appeal filed by Rajvit Singh, who was posted as officiating Commandant, Central Ordnance Depot, Chheoki, during 2005-07.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), Madhya Bharat Area, had issued an order on August 23/26, 2010 for convening a GCM to try Rajvit Singh on charges relating to gross financial irregularities punishable under Section 52(f) of the Army Act, 1950.

Singh, however, challenged this order before the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), contending that the GCM was barred by limitation under Section 122 of the Act. The AFT gave him the liberty to raise this point before the GCM, which subsequently accepted this contention on February 17, 2011.

The officiating GOC, MB Area, however, refused to confirm the GCM order and directed the GCM to proceed with the trial.

In its verdict, the SC pointed out that the GOC-in-C had come to know about the offence on May 7, 2007 but he took one year to pass the order for initiating disciplinary action against the accused on May 12, 2008.

“Reckoning from that date (May 7, 2007), the order passed by the GOC, MB Area, to convene the GCM on August 23/26, 2010 is clearly beyond the period of three years and hence, barred in terms of Section 122,” the Bench ruled.

“One feels sorry to see a trial on such serious charges being aborted on grounds of limitation but that is the mandate of the law,” the apex court held.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120217/nation.htm#17

Mi-17 V5 copter induction today

To be deployed at Bathinda, Srinagar, Bagdogra

Ajay Banerjee & Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Mi-17 V5 during acceptance trials near Chandigarh.

New Delhi/Chandigarh, Feb 16

Strategically located Indian Air Force (IAF) airbases at Bathinda, Srinagar and Bagdogra will now deploy the latest armed helicopters - the Mi-17 V5 - that provide crucial all-terrain night-flying capability aided by state-of-the-art avionics.

While Bathinda is located close to the Indo-Pak border, Srinagar sits close to Pakistan and also China. Bagdogra is crucial as it located within the ‘chicken’s neck’ - a reference to the 40 mile wide strip of land in north-Bengal that connects the North-East with the rest of India.

The first lot of these medium-lift category of helicopters is to be inducted into the IAF tomorrow morning at the Palam IAF here. These will then be sent to the three airbases across the country.

IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Gerald Galway today said, “This helicopter falls in the category of armed helicopter having substantial and effective firepower”. It also has the latest and a more powerful engine than its earlier version - the Mi-17 IV.

The powerful engine will enhance its weight-carrying capability in the mountains. It can airdrop some 20 fully armed troops at any location.

This is the first lot of 80 helicopters that was ordered from Russia in 2008. The chopper is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics and onboard navigation systems. It also has an onboard weather radar, state-of- the-art autopilot and is compatible with the latest generation of night-vision goggles.

The new choppers can undertake all-weather and day-and-night operations in any terrain. The helicopter is also equipped with a ‘bambi-bucket’ that can be used for dousing fires while the copter hovers above the fire.

The airframe has a high degree of tolerance to ballistics and is crash-resistant. It is also equipped with an emergency flotation system allowing it to float on water in case of an emergency, Wing Commander Galway said.

The induction of Mi-17 V5 will enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force manifold in undertaking varied roles to face the challenges thrown in by unforgiving weather, hostile environment and difficult terrain in the country.

The IAF first inducted helicopters in 1954. They have operated in Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield in the world, and have also proven their mettle in UN missions.

At present, the first batch of Mi-17 V5s is undergoing acceptance trails at No. 3 Base Repair Depot in Chandigarh after being assembled from semi-knocked down kits.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120217/edit.htm#1

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/daksh-robot-to-get-more-teeth-176956?pfrom=home-otherstories

Daksh robot to get more teeth

Pune: Terrorists fighting the army in insurgency-hit areas will soon have to face a new combatant that they cannot kill. The Research and Development Establishment (R&DE), Dighi, is developing an armed version of the 'bomb hunter' Daksh robot specifically for fighting militants alongside soldiers.

The R&DE is one of the several laboratories of the Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO), country's premier weapons maker. The Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Daksh was originally developed for handling bombs like Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and officially inducted into the army in December last year.

Lethal firepower

Christened Gun Mounted Robot (GMR), it will have a 7.62 mm light machine gun with 'belt-fed ammunition' and a 30 mm grenade launcher. The GMR will not only pack lethal firepower but will also have night vision and thermal imaging equipment.

Dr Alok Mukherjee, who heads the Robotics Development Center of R&DE, said that the robot could replace soldiers in sensitive locations in insurgency-hit areas thereby minimising human losses. "The original platform, which carried the Daksh was too slow for a weaponised version. So we designed a much faster and silent electrical engine that is four times powerful than the original. The batteries will also be replaced with newly developed ones which can last longer along with the range which will be increased to 1km from 0.5 km," Dr Mukherjee said.

He, however, refused to divulge technical and performance details of the engine citing security reasons. 2 varieties of tyres GMR will also have two types of tyres, one for urban environment and the other will be pneumatic tyres for cross-country terrains. However, the notable feature is not the weapons but the Target Tracking System where the guns can move in direction of a moving target after 'locking on' with the camera. "We are trying to enhance the accuracy of the TTS and fine-tuning the integration with the camera so that it cannot miss fast moving targets," he said.

R&DE has already completed the prototype version and it will be another 2 years until the final product is ready after a series of tests and alterations. "We are open to selling the robot to paramilitary and other state police forces," he said.

From Today's Papers - 16 Feb 2012

2012-02-16T08:35:00.000+05:30

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120216/nation.htm#5

Inshore patrol vessel for Coast Guard commissioned

Indian Coast Guard Ship Rajshree during its commissioning in Kolkata. — PTI

Kolkata, February 15

ICGS Rajshree the first of eight inshore patrol vessels (IPVs) equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry and advanced communication and navigational equipment was today commissioned by Coast Guard Director-General Vice-Admiral MP Muralidharan.

The 50m indigenous vessel built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers here displacing 300 tonne with an endurance of 1,500 nautical miles at an economical speed of 16 knots can achieve a maximum of 34 knots.

It makes the vessel an ideal platform for undertaking multifarious close-coast missions such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and medical evacuation.

“There is a need for continuous vigil along the nation’s maritime frontiers to preserve and protect our maritime interests,” Muralidharan said after commissioning the IPV.

He said that several far-reaching initiatives towards augmentation of manpower and force levels were underway to provide requisite fillip to the Coast Guard’s capabilities.

Commander, Coast Guard region (East) Inspector General S P Sharma and senior dignitaries were present at the commissioning. — PTI

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120216/nation.htm#10

Army Chief denies bias while writing Maj-Gen’s ACR

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 15

Gen VK Singh, Chief of the Army Staff, has denied bias, malafide and subjectivity on his part while assessing the performance of one of his subordinates Maj-Gen TS Handa during their tenures in the Eastern Command.

Maj-Gen Handa, then posted as General Officer Commanding, 57 Mountain Division, has, in a petition filed before the Armed Forces Tribunal, averred that Gen VK Singh, then the Eastern Army Commander and the senior reviewing officer of his annual confidential report (ACR), had awarded him a “displeasure” and given him a “lukewarm” report in contrast to his earlier profile and his performance.

The petition, which was expected to come up for hearing yesterday, will now be taken up on March 1.

Among other contentions, the Major-General had alleged that his ACR was "spoilt" by the Chief after he refused to change his date of birth while he was posted in the Military Secretary’s Branch at the Army Headquarters prior to proceeding to the North-East.

According to the petition, Handa, in December 2006, was posted as Deputy Military Secretary (DMS) when Gen Singh, then GOC, 2 Corps, Ambala, had asked the branch to change his recorded date of birth from May 10, 1950 to May 10, 1951.

Denying that he had met Handa in connection with the change in his date of birth, Gen Singh has, in his reply, maintained that he had assessed Handa entirely on the basis of his performance and that there were no extraneous considerations.

Gen VK Singh contended that in the subsequent ACR, he had assessed Handa as “above average” in accordance with his performance during that period. He also hadn’t interfered in the processing of a distinguished service award for Handa, he added.

WAS victimised: OFFICER

Major-General Handa has alleged that his ACR was "spoilt" by Army Chief Gen VK Singh after he refused to change his date of birth while Handa was posted in the Military Secretary’s Branch

HE WAS Assessed only on performance: Gen

In his reply, Gen VK Singh has maintained that he had assessed Handa entirely on the basis of his performance and that there were no extraneous considerations

http://www.merinews.com/article/reform-the-holy-cow-army-chiefs-age-saga/15865622.shtml

Reform the Holy Cow: Army Chief's age saga

The issue of Chief's age has raised many unsavory issues, which need to be addressed. Systems are reform averse due to the fear of power shift and accountability. However, the Holy Cow must be reformed lest the nation is subjected to grave humiliation in the future.

THE RECENT controversy over the Chief of Army Staff General VK Singh's age has been resolved, hopefully, amicably. However, larger issues were thrown up that must be addressed lest this becomes a case of cutting the rotting branches rather than curing the root cause. The issues that came up were raised by various experts or aggrieved parties, were:

Previous Chiefs connived to ensure a set line of succession

Senior officers were bulldozed to submission, i.e., accept the dictat or loose the next rank

Mismatch of important records with in the organisation

Failure of the individual or the system to address basic issue

Babus influencing the Ministry to humiliate the Chief

Opaqueness with in the Army system

Incompetent handling of the issue by the Ministry.

There is some truth in all these, however, the need is to look at the steps needed to be initiated to prevent reoccurrence of such an incident, which has far reaching ramifications. Some issues are procedural and will get addressed with automation and counter checks being initiated. Commonality of date of birth between two record keeping branches will get resolved sooner or later. Though earlier the better, as this would resolve the cascading problems.

The two larger issues of system failure are the more serious. Firstly, the outsiders, namely babus, influencing the Minster and the insensitive handling of the issue aimed at humiliating the Chief. There is general mistrust between the two. Second, the dubious manipulation by successive Chiefs "to fix a line of succession” and subjugate the senior officers by bull dozing to acceptance the official line or face consequences of supersession. Even if partially true, these are extremely serious issues, which need immediate measures at the appropriate level to prevent cascading ramifications.

Today, unfortunately, the civilians manning the Ministry of Defence sit on decision making and exercise tremendous powers with little defence professional competence or accountability, therefore, they cannot be faltered for the poor decision making or failing to appreciate or understand the manipulations within the system. Thus, the policy being followed is that of live and let live and control based on procedures rather than value addition. This leads to arrogance, delay and mistrust amongst the vital limbs where everyone is a looser. Notwithstanding the internal and external weaknesses which have been exposed, the larger issues will again be pushed under the carpet. Until and unless the larger issues of transparency within the system and competence and truest between the services and ministry restored, this will have grim ramifications for the nation parallel to the 1962 humiliation, thus the need for urgent proactive corrective measures.

It would be unfair to accept any system to reform from within. Everyone will justify about the time tested-ness of the system and bla bla. This is also borne by the fact that power shift is resisted by the powers that be for the fear of losing the shift of power.

There is a need to have a Blue ribbon Commission similar to the US Army where in wise men from the society with proven credentials and no personal agendas look at any system de novo and suggest reform. It’s time the Nation looks at the Holy Cow and forces reform from outside since the internal reforms would at the most be incremental and insignificant whereas the need is of major review.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120216/jsp/opinion/story_15137802.jsp

GUARDED BY A DIVIDED FORCE

The lack of unity in the Bangladesh army, brought on by several factors, is a matter of concern for India, writes Abhijit Bhattacharyya

Difficult occupation

The ‘failed coup’ by Islamic fundamentalist elements within the Bangladesh army, brings to the fore, once again, the hazards of soldiering in troubled times in the turbulent terrain of South Asia. Institutionally, though a descendant of the British Indian army, the soldiers of Dhaka thus far have not demonstrated their ability to uphold the apolitical professionalism of either the former or that of the Indian army. In a way, professionalism was compromised in the barracks since the beginning of the movement to free Bangladesh. Thus, in a span of 24 years — from August 15, 1947, to December 17, 1971 — Bangladeshi soldiers underwent an identity crisis as the institution changed hands from the British to Pakistan and, finally, to Bangladesh.

Understandably, this experience of transition could not have been a pleasant one. Even during British rule, the Bengali-speaking soldiers from the east were an unwanted lot. Paradoxically, with the change of command from London/Delhi to Islamabad in 1947, things deteriorated further as the ‘martial’ Punjabis from Pakistan failed to take on board their brethren from the east. This resulted in the creation of a great divide and, ultimately, led to the division of a united Pakistan.

The birth of an independent Bangladesh, however, did not improve matters militarily. This was because one of the most important divisions within the armed forces in Dhaka witnessed a struggle between the radicalized ‘freedom fighters’ and the professional soldiers, who had served under the Pakistani rulers. The rancour between these two factions intensified owing to the special benefits — such as the accelerated promotions — that were bestowed on the ‘freedom fighters’ by the ruling party. The seeds of disunity that were sown resulted in congenital indiscipline in Bangladesh’s nascent army.

A classic example of this deep-rooted division surfaced in 1997 when lieutenant-general Mahbubur Rahman was retired after a brief tenure of a few months. He was succeeded by the former freedom fighter, general Mustafizur Rahman. Another distressing feature of the armed forces in Bangladesh came to light during the tenure of Ziaur Rahman when almost two dozen disruptive attempts were made under the guidance of the highly politicized freedom fighters. This tug-of-war between political workers and professional soldiers, however, took a turn towards professionalism after Rahman increased the size of the army through the late 1970s in an attempt to reduce the influence of freedom fighters on the professional soldiers. When more than 400 officers above the rank of major repatriated from the Pakistani army to Dhaka (including the future general, H.M. Ershad) they too were not averse to the idea of a military government, having had first-hand experience of dealing with the former Pakistani military dictators such as Ayub and Yahya Khan.

The post-Ershad era has not witnessed any overt military action to usurp civilian rule. Dhaka’s present incumbent appears to have adopted a well-thought-out strategy and eschewed the tradition followed by her political predecessors who, on assuming power, would inevitably purge officers deemed to be loyal to the previous regime.

Yet, factionalism has continued to be cause for deep concern owing to the support of the three main political parties to build a support base among groups of favoured officers. This, in turn, has adversely affected organizational unity and professional competence in the defence forces, especially within the army. The suppressed grievance against the Bangladesh army burst out in the open with the February 2009 mutiny of the Bangladesh Rifles — the paramilitary border force — which killed more than 100 military officers who were in charge of the BDR men. The incident exposed the below-par command capability of the officers of Dhaka’s military machine.

One of the key duties of the army in Dhaka is to ensure internal security. This is apart from its primary task of maintaining territorial safety on the border. Thus, when the former prime minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, deployed 40,000 sailors and soldiers across the length and breadth of the country in 2002-2003 to conduct “Operation Clean Heart” — a military drive to tackle crime — the soldiers virtually assumed the duties of the police, tracking down and arresting suspected criminals and recovering illegal arms, ammunition and explosives. Though limited in duration, the deployment of the army on the road and in the urban areas was an acknowledgement of the incompetence of the police in dealing with surging crime. Worse, the armed forces also ended up performing urban traffic control duties at the time of Eid in September 2009.

A fundamental disincentive towards disciplining Bangladesh’s armed forces appears to be the virtual absence of a military foe in the neighbourhood. Although Dhaka has a large army, it remains under considerable political influence. Both Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina Wajed have maintained a firm grip on postings and promotions of senior officers. Reportedly, they have also had greater direct contact with junior officers thought to be supportive of their respective administrations. Understandably, this could not have had a positive impact on the cohesion within the officers in the army. Although Wajed appears to have learnt lessons from the past, the forcible retirement/dismissal of a clutch of officers from the navy, air force and the army — allegedly for their action during the reign of the Bangladesh National Party-led alliance — is unlikely to be forgotten by elements within the armed forces. This is not good news for either Delhi or Dhaka, the former being the closest of all allies and neighbours of the latter.

Seen in this context, one can understand the inherent difficulties of soldiering in Dhaka. Christened as ‘soldiers of a religious state’ in 1947, they underwent another transformation in identity in 1971 and, thereafter, have been surviving under the shadow of animosity between the Bengali freedom fighters and the religious bigots. All this has had repercussions on the barracks. On top of that looms the shadow of the Pakistani army and the Inter-services Intelligence, two institutions that had been humiliated on Dhaka’s soil in 1971.

The chronic turbulence in the garrisons in Dhaka is a potential area of trouble for India, which shares a strategic border area in the east and in the northeast with Bangladesh. Born in 1971, Bangladesh continues to reel under a seismic zone of conflict. The conflict can be attributed to overpopulation as well as to the influence of religious fundamentalism. This has often resulted in soldiers prioritizing religious duty over their commitment to the nation’s army.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_army-chief-meets-senior-uk-defence-officials_1650604

Army Chief meets senior UK defence officials

On a four-day visit to the UK to strengthen bilateral military ties, Army Chief Gen VK Singh on Wednesday met senior British defence officials and discussed several issues of mutual interest.

"Gen Singh was received by British Chief of General Staff General Sir Peter Wall and he reviewed the Guard of Honour. Later the Indian Army Chief interacted with Secretary of State for Defence Philip Hammond," Army officials said.

During the visit, Singh will tour training establishments and witness a defence exercise. He will hold discussions with senior military leaders about ways to strengthen defence ties.

Singh will also call on the British Secretary of Defence and discuss the ways of extending the existing cooperation between the defence forces of the two sides.

He will visit the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, which was the cradle of Indian army's leadership in the pre-independence era.

The army chief will also interact with the famous Special Forces of Britain during the visit.

Gen Singh's official visit will end on February 17, but he will be there for next two days on leave and return India on February 20.

The two sides have strong defence cooperation and a British delegation recently visited India to hold discussions with the Defence Ministry and the industry here.

From Today's Papers - 15 Feb 2012

2012-02-15T08:23:00.000+05:30

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120215/main1.htm

No evidence yet of Iran hand in Delhi car blast: India

Chidambaram says the strike handiwork of ‘well-trained’ person

Ajay Banerjee/TNS

New Delhi, February 14

India has so far not agreed with Israel and the United States that Iran was behind yesterday's car blast in New Delhi in which an Israeli woman diplomat, Tal Yehoshua Koren, was seriously injured.

New Delhi will also not allow any Israeli security agency, like its spy network Mossad, to carry out an independent probe at the blast site.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and the Home Secretary RK Singh, in separate statements, have made it clear that it would be premature to apportion blame on any country at this stage.

Chidambaram, speaking to reporters outside his North Block office, termed it as a "terror attack," but did not name Iran or any other country or group as the responsible party. "At the moment, I am not pointing a finger at any particular group or any particular organization", he said while adding that the attack was carried out by a "very well-trained person".

"Investigators would not stop until they find those responsible for the attack. They are continuing to investigate the incident and find additional details about the motorcyclist who attached the bomb to the car," he said.

The Home Secretary rebuffed the conviction with which Israel and US have blamed Iran. "We have no evidence to name any country. It's premature to take any country's name," he told reporters when asked whether there was Iranian hand in yesterday's terror attack which left four persons injured.

"We don't have any idea who planted the bomb. There is no material to show involvement of any country," Singh said as pressure built up after Israel made public statements blaming Iran. "We are going by evidence and not theory", the Home Secretary asserted.

Sources said it could not be said if the Woman's husband, Col Yossi Refaelov, the Israeli Defence attaché to India, was the target. Official sources ruled out the possibility of Israel's agencies investigating the blast. "There is no question of anybody doing a probe on the India soil", a source said. There have been reports that Mossad had sent a team. Indian officials said Israel could give its opinions to the Indian investigations.

The Home Ministry has issued an advisory to all states to beef up security in Jewish establishments and for Israeli tourists visiting India.

The Centre also told the states hosting diplomatic missions of Israel, the US and other Western countries, to beef up security. The Home Ministry also advised the states not to allow parking near any foreign missions.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120215/nation.htm#3

India in catch-22 situation

Ajay Banerjee/TNS

New Delhi, February 14

Even as international ramifications unfold after yesterday's blast in New Delhi, India is uneasy at being caught between two nations with whom it enjoys strong relations. It will be nearly impossible to placate only one of the two and annoy the other.

Within hours of yesterday's blast, Israel blamed Iran for the attack and New Delhi found itself caught in an ugly war-of-words between two sworn enemies.

The Indian establishment opted to tread cautiously as it saw a potential minefield in every word. National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon intervened while diplomats have been working behind the scene to calm down tempers even as the US upped the ante against Iran.

New Delhi has good relations with both countries. So much so, that it is at present defying global sanctions imposed on Iran and continues to ship oil from Tehran.

India has been urged by global powers to use its good offices and bring Iran to the negotiating table. Yesterday US-based Jews - the majority community of Israel - asked India to follow the sanctions. India can ill-afford to do that, said a functionary. Some 16 per cent of its growing crude oil needs are sourced from Tehran and there is no alternative to it.

On the other hand, Tel Aviv is a major partner is India's Defence modernisation projects of missiles, radars and weapons, among other items. These transactions run into billions of dollars. Some of its cutting-edge technologies are deployed in India. The IAF's eyes-in-the-sky, the air-borne early warning system (AWACS) that provides real-time images to controllers on the ground, operates on an Israeli radar.

Sources in the establishment said they were shocked at the manner in which Israel launched a tirade against Iran without waiting for the probe to even start. Tel Aviv pinned the blame on Tehran or its backed Hezbollah even as the Indian investigators were picking up the evidence of the blast from the spot in Central Delhi.

By yesterday night, Israel Ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz said, "This is Iran-sponsored terror. Iran does whatever it can to kill our civilians." Iran has denied any hand in the incident.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120215/nation.htm#8

GCM of Maj-Gen Sarup adjourned till March 14

Kusum Arora/TNS

Jalandhar, February 14

The General Court Martial (GCM) of Maj-Gen Anil Sarup (retd), which was to proceed today at the headquarters of 11 Corps, has been adjourned till March 14.

While the court was to assemble today, sources said the board of officers had decided yesterday evening that the court would not be convened today.

Earlier, the GCM proceedings were scheduled to begin on February 7 but the court was adjourned on the same day till February 14. “They adjourned the court without citing any valid reason”, the sources added. General Sarup is facing five charges of alleged irregularities in the purchase of store items.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article575809.ece

Joint team to prepare road map for Saudi-India defense cooperation

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and India agreed on Tuesday to set up a joint panel that will be entrusted with the task of preparing a road map for defense cooperation and to work out details of a proposed defense pact to be signed later in Riyadh.

This joint committee will also prepare a draft agreement to be endorsed by Riyadh and New Delhi in the field of hydrography, said A.K. Antony, Indian defense minister, after holding wide-ranging talks with Minister of Defense Prince Salman.

Antony said: "Prince Salman and myself agreed to establish a joint committee to work out the details of our future defense cooperation, including the details of an agreement in the defense sector."

He added the two sides were planning to conduct joint exercises involving Saudi and Indian armed forces, ship visits from both sides and to work closely to combat sea piracy. "There will also be high-level visits from both sides," he added.

"I had one-to-one talks with Prince Salman first and then we had a detailed delegation-level meeting," said Antony, adding Prince Salman has agreed to visit New Delhi later this year.

The Indian defense minister said an agreement on all issues will be "reached during the visit of Prince Salman to India and I am also hopeful that the agreement on defense cooperation will also be signed at that time."

He, however, said the specific details of the two agreements would be worked out at diplomatic levels.

The talks were also attended by top Saudi officials, including Prince Khaled bin Sultan, deputy minister of defense.

Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao, Defence Secretary Shashi K. Sharma, Vice Chief of Army Staff S.K. Singh, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Satish Soni and Air Vice Marshal M.R. Pawar attended the meeting from the Indian side. Prince Khaled hosted a luncheon for the visiting Indian minister at the Conference Palace on Tuesday.

Spelling out details of his meeting with Prince Salman, Antony said Riyadh and New Delhi would work together in the area of hydrography. Potential areas of cooperation in this field include exchange of information, nautical cartography and hydrographic surveys of important coastal areas, ports, harbors and designated sea areas. "We are also examining the possibility of entering into an agreement in this field," said the Indian minister, adding there will be substantial expansion in cooperation in the area of training.

Both sides will send their respective defense officers to so they can get to know each other and to join training programs, he added.

Antony pointed out the two countries have agreed "to explore the possibility of working together in the area of defense production." To this end, he noted the defense officials of Saudi Arabia will visit India and Indian defense personnel will also come to the Kingdom to see the defense production facilities for themselves and to map out areas of cooperation in defense production.

India is keen to boost its domestic production of defense equipment and warfare tools. Antony himself introduced the first defense production policy of India last year in a bid to significantly reduce New Delhi's dependence on defense imports, encourage private players and manufacture world class indigenous defense products. Asked about reports that India will be building a mountain warfare training school in Saudi Arabia, Antony said all issues will now be looked into by the joint committee.

He, however, did not provide details of the composition of the joint panel. He said: "The joint panel will try to work out an action plan for future cooperation in all fields." However, it is important to note that the Indian army is among the most experienced in the world in mountain warfare. The Indian soldiers have fought several wars and skirmishes in the most inhospitable mountain territories in the past. Hence, this can be a potential area for mutual cooperation between Riyadh and New Delhi.

On the question of sea piracy, he said the joint panel would work out details as how to handle sea piracy in the Gulf of Aden and waters of the Indian subcontinent and its extended neighborhood. “This is a major concern,” said Antony.

With naval patrolling getting tighter in the waters of the Gulf of Aden, which was previously notorious for pirate activities, the pirates now move to India's Lakshadweep Islands in the Indian Ocean. The two sides, hence, reviewed the security situation, said Antony. He said the current situation in the Gulf region is a cause for great concern for India and he hoped the crisis in the region would be resolved through peaceful dialogue.

He said the Gulf region is of immense importance in India's foreign policy. It provides more than half of India’s oil imports, said Antony. The region is perhaps the largest trading partner of India with total two-way trade reaching $130 billion in 2010-11, the minister said while speaking on Indo-Saudi relations. Hence, India would like to raise the profile of bilateral relations further, he said.

He said the Saudi side had also expressed their keen interest to boost relations further with India in all fields following the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. On other subjects taken up for discussions with Saudi officials, he said Prince Salman commended the contributions of Indian scholars in different fields. Prince Salman also fondly recalled the first visit of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Saudi Arabia and the late King Saud to India, said Antony.

Prince Salman also highlighted the visit of King Abdullah to India in 2006 that led to the strengthening of partnerships between the two countries. Saudi Arabia also offered additional crude supplies to India, an Indian government statement said on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia is the largest oil supplier to India, the world’s fourth biggest oil consumer. Indian refiners are currently scouting for supplies to gradually replace oil from Western sanctions-hit Iran.

Referring to his talks with Saudi officials, Antony reiterated that his discussions with Prince Salman and Prince Khaled would lead to specific initiatives to deepen defense exchanges for the benefit of both countries.

Earlier on Monday night, while addressing the Indian community, Antony described the Kingdom as an important strategic partner of India in the region. He said over 6 million Indians live and work in the region and the Indian government appreciates the assistance of their host governments toward their safety and well-being.

Talking about India’s economic successes, he said this has been achieved within the framework of India’s democratic and secular order. “In this order, every Indian enjoys freedom to pursue his beliefs and aspirations and has rights to ensure he can realize his dreams with the assurance that the state will protect his unique identity and individuality," said the Indian defense minister.

Antony, who wrapped up his two-day visit to Riyadh Tuesday evening, said India is working closely with all countries in the Gulf region in a coordinated manner to combat terrorism and for anti-piracy measures.

Antony expressed confidence that his visit will give a “new substance and direction” to Indo-Saudi defense ties, which constitute an important component of the emerging strategic partnership between the two countries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17023444

General's age row threatens Indian army's modernisation

Indian army chief General VK Singh has dropped his case against the government over his disputed age, but as defence analyst Rahul Bedi points out, the row highlights divisions between the armed forces and the defence ministry that threaten to derail the military's modernisation.

The legal battle over the Indian army chief's age may is over, but the ramifications of the unusual controversy will doubtlessly endure.

If not handled appropriately, the consequences of the simmering antagonism between army headquarters and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over General VK Singh's birthday could in the immediate future adversely impinge on the force's long-delayed modernisation plans.

Defence planners in Delhi fear these widening fissures could affect efforts to replace the army's ageing Russian and Soviet equipment - an overhaul needed to augment India's regional military profile in keeping with its burgeoning economic muscle and growing ambition.

'Honour, not tenure'

Matters climaxed last week after India's Supreme Court declined to entertain Gen Singh's 16 January petition seeking a changed birth date.

This was the first time any serving Indian army chief had gone to court against the government.

Gen Singh wanted the Supreme Court to acknowledge 10 May 1951 as his birthday instead of 10 May 1950, which he maintained was recorded wrongly.

Ironically, the earlier date had formed the basis of his recent promotions to high rank, including his appointment as army chief.

Gen VK Singh, Delhi, Jan 2012 Gen Singh was the first serving army chief to petition the courts against the government

The confusion over his birthday arose after it was recorded as 10 May 1951 by the adjutant general's branch - which is the army's official record keeper - but as 10 May 1950 by the military secretariat wing, responsible for promotions and postings.

Claiming to fight for "honour and not tenure", Gen Singh asked the Court to accept the later date, which is recorded as his date of birth on his birth certificate, school-leaving form and various other official documents.

If Gen Singh had prevailed he would have served another 10 months until March 2013 as the army chief, seriously upsetting the army's pyramid-like senior hierarchy and also the appointment of his successor.

The Supreme Court dismissed the general's plea and backed the MoD, which had three times rejected the army chief's demand to accept the 1951 date of birth.

The court said that since Gen Singh had wilfully accepted the earlier date as his birthday on three occasions for elevation to high rank, he could not as army chief renege now on his commitment.

The army saw the ruling a major setback for the force and the MoD took it as a victorious put down of the overbearing army.

But in reality both lost as the symbiotic trust and co-operation necessary between the two to work harmoniously to modernise and upgrade the army's depreciated equipment profile now was, at best wobbly.

Daunting challenges

Consequently, the priority for Gen Singh's successor will be to mend ties with the MoD in order to bring about the army's long-delayed transformation to enable it to face daunting challenges.

File picture of India tank The army's modernisation programme has suffered from a lack of planning

The 1.2-million-strong army remains handicapped by severe equipment shortages, obsolete hardware and restricted night-fighting capability.

Even a cursory assessment of its ambitious armour, artillery and infantry modernisation programmes reveal them all to be in a state of flux, afflicted by delays and an overarching lack of planning and resource management.

This impairs its ability to put into operations its new "cold start" doctrine of being able to launch a pre-emptive offensive against Pakistan in a limited war scenario in order to achieve negotiable gains in a nuclear-armed region.

The doctrine requires significantly more efficient weapons systems than are currently in use. It envisages converting static army formations deployed in a defensive role along the Pakistani frontier into "integrated battle groups" capable of undertaking swift, punitive strikes with minimum re-organisation.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

The government needs to overcome its suspicion of the defence forces”

Arun Sahgal Defence analyst

But the row over Gen Singh's age has imperilled the teamwork between army and defence officials needed to bring about this re-organisation.

While it is nobody's case that Gen Singh could have made good all the glaring shortfalls it is worth examining how precarious what needs to be done has now become.

A significant proportion of the army's main battle tanks and armoured vehicles lack night-fighting capability.

A long-standing proposal to acquire more than 3,000 155mm artillery pieces to replace the six calibres currently in use has been continually postponed for nearly a decade.

An ambitious plan to update by 2020 all of the army's 359 infantry battalions as well as the 66 Rashtriya Rifles paramilitary battalions deployed exclusively on counter-insurgency operations is years behind schedule.

Similarly, efforts to replace obsolete helicopters have been interminably postponed due to procurement irregularities and the issuing, withdrawing and re-issuing of tenders.

Indian soldiers The Indian army faces daunting challenges

And though the immediate pretext for the growing rupture between the armed services on one side and the MoD and its civilian bureaucrats on the other was Gen Singh's age, animosity between the two has grown over decades.

Having always looked upon the military - particularly the army - with suspicion after independence and gazing nervously first at Pakistan's and later at Bangladesh's experience, successive administrations have constantly sought an opportunity to put the uniforms down.

Such inherent misgivings and fear of the military also manifests itself in the non-appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), despite ministerial commissions and review and parliamentary committees stressing the need for such an officer in a nuclear-armed state and for an expanding military power with out-of-area responsibilities.

"Continually postponing the selection of a CDS is hampering not only the long overdue revamp of India's military apparatus but also unfavourably impacting management of the country's strategic command in an increasingly belligerent and nuclearised neighbourhood " said Arun Sahgal, joint director of the Institute of National Security Studies in Delhi.

The government needs to overcome its suspicion of the defence forces, he added.

Sadly the military too is not without blame.

Several military chiefs in recent years and senior officers too have actively contributed to this negative relationship by seeking political and bureaucratic patronage for career enhancement while in service and for lucrative sinecures after retirement.

The issue of Gen Singh's age has been another avoidable divide.

Rahul Bedi is based in Delhi and works as the India correspondent for Jane's Defence Weekly and the Irish Times.

http://www.rediff.com/news/report/army-hq-restructuring-gets-under-way/20120214.htm

Army HQ restructuring gets under way

The two Deputy Chiefs of Army Staff have been given new responsibilities to lessen the burden of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, the general who runs the 1.3 million-strong Indian Army [ Images ] on a day-to-day basis, reports Nitin Gokhale.

Amid the unfortunate controversy over the current Chief of the Army Staff, General V K Singh's age issue, the restructuring process at army headquarters under the new transformation plan has quietly begun to roll out at South Block.

Under the new plan, the two Deputy Chiefs of Army Staff (DCOAS) have been given new and specific responsibilities to lessen the burden of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS), the general who virtually runs the 1.3 million-strong Indian Army on a day-to-day basis.

The implementation of the first phase of this transformation has gathered speed with the appointment of Lieutenant General Ramesh Halgali as the new Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Information Systems & Training) on Monday.

The other Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Policy and Services), Lieutenant General Narinder Singh had taken over late last year.

Although Army HQ has had two deputy chiefs looking after various functions for some years, a new and clear demarcation of responsibilities entrusted to them is aimed at streamlining the functioning and speed up decision-making processes at the apex level.

So while Lieutenant General Halgali will be responsible for Military Training, Signals (communication), Information Systems (automation), Staff duties (UN Missions etc), Rashtriya Rifles, Territorial Army and Defence Service Corps (the security guards at select military installations and campuses), Lieutenant General Narinder Singh will look after Procurement, Financial Planning, Perspective Planning and various 'line' directorates like Armoured Corps, Artillery, Mech Infantry etc.

This arrangement is designed to somewhat ease the burden on the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lieutenant General S K Singh.

The Vice Chief of Army Staff has to not only give crucial decisions relating to day-today operational matters, but has to also liaise with the defence ministry and attend several high-level meetings with other functionaries from different ministries.

The streamlined hierarchy is likely to give little more time and space for the Vice Chief of Army Staff to function more efficiently.

In the Indian system, the Chief of Army Staff has traditionally been giving broad policy direction for others to implement his ideas and concepts.

Lieutenant General Halgali, who came into the limelight after he blew the whistle on the Sukna land issue when he was Chief of Staff at HQ 33 Corps as a major general, was scheduled to take over as Deputy Chief last November, but an adverse administrative remark on his record during the Sukna issue delayed his taking over the post by three months.

Lieutenant General Halgali was Director General, Military Training before taking over as Deputy Chief on Monday.

As Chief of Staff at 33 Corps HQ in North Bengal, he had resisted attempts by then Corps Commander Lieutenant General P K Rath and then Military Secretary Lieutenant General Avadesh Prakash to issue a no-objection certificate for a transferring a piece of land adjacent to the Corps HQ to a business consortium for establishing a branch of the famous Mayo College.

Both Lieutenant General Rath and Lieutenant General Prakash have been indicted in the case by an army court martial. Lieutenant General Halgali had initially received an administrative rap for not reporting the matter expeditiously, but has now been cleared of all charges since it later emerged that he had prevented the attempt by his seniors to allow the group of businessman and the two generals to take advantage of loopholes in the system.

As Deputy Chief, Lieutenant General Halgali will be in office for nearly a year and three months to take forward the process of transformation both at the Army HQ level and down the line.

Conceptualised in 2010 after a two-year study by a group of top generals under the current army chief, General V K Singh when he was the Eastern Army commander, the transformation aims to turn the lumbering Indian Army into 'an agile, lethal, versatile and networked force, which is capability-based to meet future challenges.'

In a couple of interviews with me, General V K Singh has said the transformation must be 360 degrees and 'enhance operational capability through reorganisation, restructuring, force development and relocation.'

The concept is based on 13 transformation studies. These range from ways to consolidate strike capabilities and 'flatten' HQs, to 'synergising' all resources. Some of the Indian Army's new transformative concepts are already being 'test-bedded.'

http://manipur-mail.com/no-provision-for-army-paramilitary-personnel-to-join-ips-cadre-narayanswamy/

No provision for army, paramilitary personnel to join IPS cadre : Narayanswamy

Puducherry, Feb 13 : Putting every speculation to an end regarding the much talked about lateral entry into Indian Police Service (IPS) from para-military and Indian Army, the Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) V Narayanasamy categorically stated that there is no provision for such a thing although many personnel from different services are taken on deputation for various national agencies.

The minister of state of PMO’s Office was replying to a specific question asked by this writer during the Editors’ Conference on Social Sector Issues organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and held at Poducherry last week.

Earlier, there was an alternative policy floated and discussed at different levels to counter the armed political upheaval in Central India by the Maoists. The deployment of the Indian Army being ruled out to manage a vast area spread over 87 districts in five states, an idea was believed to have been mooted to take young officers from different para-military, specially the Indian Army as IPS officers, which also received critical observations from many corners including IPS Officers Association.

The PMO is believed to have even imagined and worked out a modality for a lateral entry policy setting certain criteria. With minimum five years of service and those below the age of thirty-five years and successfully undergone commando courses were among some of the criteria, which were doing the round.

V Narayanasamy also reiterated the highlights of major initiatives taken up by the UPA government. He said, the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions brought landmark legislations to check corruption in the last two and half years. Besides the RTI, the Grievances Redressal and Whistleblowers’ Bill would confer right on every citizen to time bound delivery of goods and provision for services and redressal of grievances.

He categorically stated that the performances of bureaucrats will be seriously reviewed at different intervals.

From Today's Papers - 14 Feb 2012

2012-02-14T08:01:00.000+05:30

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120214/nation.htm#5

Full faith in Army Chief: Antony

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 13

The government appears to have put the controversy over the Army Chief’s age behind with Defence Minister AK Antony today stating that he has full confidence in Gen V K Singh.

"The government has confidence in the present chief and that was conveyed in the Supreme Court also. Everything is clear and we have confidence in him," Antony told reporters when asked if Gen Singh has offered to resign after the apex court verdict.

Antony was speaking on the sidelines of a function organised by IDSA - a defence and strategic think-tank - here.

The Defence Minister’s remarks came on the day Gen Singh began a visit to Britain, the first by an Indian Army Chief since 2008. The Supreme Court held on February 10 that government's decision on Singh's date of birth as May 10, 1950, will apply to his service matters, forcing him to withdraw his plea contending that he was born a year later.

"I am very happy this controversy is over. It is my request to all my colleagues and all of you (the media) to please close this chapter and work together to strengthen national security," Antony said. After the Army Chief withdrew his petition, there has been intense media speculation that he would quit. But now the remarks by the Defence Minister indicate that Gen Singh is unlikely to step down.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/defence-min-has-spent-70-modernisation-funds-antony/157870/on

Ahead of the Union Budget, Defence Minister AK Antony today said his ministry has spent over 70% of the modernisation funds allocated to it for the current fiscal.

The Defence Ministry has been sanctioned Rs 69,199 crore for capital expenditure outlay for finalising acquisition of major items such as 10 C-17 heavy-lift aircraft and 145 ultra-light Howitzers.

"Already by December 31, we had spent 66% of the budget. This is a record. By January, it will be more than 70%. From our side, we are spending all money for modernisation," he told reporters here.

The total budgetary allocation was pegged at Rs 1,64,415 crore for the Defence Ministry.

From the Rs 69,199 crore capital outlay, the army got Rs 18,986 crore, Navy Rs 5,688 crore, naval fleet Rs 7,320 crore and Air Force Rs 30,699 crore.

India is looking to spend over $100 billion in defence procurements in the next five years with several big ticket items such as six conventional submarines and 126 Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) to be procured by it.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/im-happy-that-gen-singh-age-issue-is-over-antony/157786/on

I'm happy that Gen Singh age issue is over: Antony

Press Trust of India / New Delhi Feb 13, 2012, 12:17 IST

Defence Minister AK Antony today said the "unfortunate controversy" over Army Chief General VK Singh's age had come to an end with the Supreme Court judgement and asked his colleagues to close the chapter.

"I am very happy that this very unfortunate controversy is over. The judgement of the Supreme Court has come. I request my colleagues to please close this chapter and lets all work together to strengthen national security. National interest is supreme. Let us all work together," Antony told reporters.

The Supreme Court had ruled that the government decision on Singh's date of birth will apply to his service matters, forcing him to withdraw his petition. The apex court had, however, clarified that the judgement does not reflect on the competence and capability of the army chief.

Asked if General Singh has offered to resign in the wake of the judgement, Antony said, "Government has confidence in the present chief and that was conveyed to the Supreme Court also."

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=189156

Indian gov’t says row over Army Chief’s age over

NEW DELHI: The Indian government said Monday the "unfortunate controversy" over Army Chief General V.K. Singh’s age is now over, after the country’s Supreme Court disposed off his case.

"I am very happy that this very unfortunate controversy is over. The judgement of the Supreme Court has come. I request my colleagues to please close this chapter and let’s all work together to strengthen national security. National interest is supreme. Let us all work together," Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told the media in the capital.

On whether General Singh has offered to resign in the wake of the judgement, Antony, who embarked on a visit to Saudi Arabia, responded "the government has confidence in the present chief and that was conveyed to Supreme Court also."

The Supreme Court had last week disposed off General Singh’s case after he withdrew the petition following the apex court’s ruling that the government’s decision on his date of birth will apply to his service matters.

In fact, the Army Chief has two sets of birth date in the records. The records with Adjutant General’s branch, the government’s official record keeper, show it to be May 10, 1951 whereas in Military Secretary’s, it’s May 10, 1950.

The Defense Ministry had earlier twice rejected General Singh’s claim of accepting May 10, 1951, as his date of birth, instead of May 10, 1950, where the earlier date of birth would have given him an extension of 10 months in office, forcing him to move the Supreme Court against the government in an unprecedented case.

General Singh is due to retire in May this year as the government considers 1950 as his year of birth.

http://www.asianage.com/people/russia-most-vital-strategic-partner-india-408

‘Russia most vital strategic partner of India’

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/226884/lt-gen-halgali-deputy-chief.html

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2012/02/13/retired-indian-major-general-to-lead-hal-and-cae-helicopter-joint-venture-in-india/

Retired Indian Major General to Lead HAL and CAE Helicopter Joint Venture in India

BENGALURU, INDIA–(Marketwire – Feb. 13, 2012) – The Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF), the joint venture owned equally by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and CAE, today announced the appointment of Major General (Ret’d) Ajit Hari Gadre as Chief Executive Officer of HATSOFF.

“I am pleased to join an organization established by HAL and CAE, two of the world’s leading and most reputable aerospace and defence companies,” said Major General (Ret’d) Ajit Hari Gadre, now CEO of HATSOFF. “Since its opening in 2010, HATSOFF has set the standard in India for advanced helicopter simulator training, and I am convinced that simulation-based training will continue to grow and prove to be one of the best approaches for improving safety, operational efficiency and mission readiness.”

General Gadre spent 37 years with Indian Army as a commissioned officer, retiring in June 2009 as the Additional Director General of Army Aviation. In this role, he managed the operations, training, maintenance and logistics of the entire Indian Army Aviation Corps. Prior to this assignment, General Gadre was Commandant of the National Cadet Corps Officers Training Academy. He is an accomplished helicopter pilot and a qualified flying instructor with over 5,000 hours of accident/incident free flying. During his career, he also oversaw training operations at the Indian Army Headquarters for the entire Army Aviation Corps.

Currently, HATSOFF is offering training on the Bell 412, Eurocopter Dauphin, and the civil/conventional variant of the HAL Dhruv helicopters. An additional cockpit for the Indian Army/Air Force glass cockpit variant of the HAL-built Dhruv is expected to be added to the HATSOFF training centre later in 2012. HATSOFF uses a CAE-built full-mission simulator “mothership” that features CAE’s revolutionary roll-on/roll-off cockpit design, which enables cockpits representing various helicopter types to be used in the full-mission simulator. When a cockpit is not used in the full-mission simulator, it can be used as a fixed-based flight training device. The HATSOFF training centre, located near HAL’s multiple complexes adjacent to HAL Airport, also features multimedia classrooms, computer-based training, brief/debrief facilities, a training management information system and crew accommodations.

About HAL

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is a premier aeronautical complex of SE Asia, with 19 production divisions and ten R&D centres. HAL’s expertise encompasses design, production, repair, overhaul and upgrade of Aircraft, Helicopters, Aero-engines, Accessories, Avionics and Systems. HAL today provides one stop solutions for all the design needs of aircraft and helicopters in airframes, airframe systems, avionics, mission and combat systems using advanced design tools. The 19 manufacturing divisions of HAL are equipped with modern infrastructure with modern plant and machinery for production of fighter aircraft, trainer aircraft and helicopters. The current workforce is around 35,000 with over 50% having more than a decade of aircraft industry experience. It has also diversified into manufacture and repair/overhaul of Industrial and Marine Gas Turbine engines, and manufacture of structures for aerospace vehicles. www.hal-india.com

About CAE

CAE is a global leader in modeling, simulation and training for civil aviation and defence. The company employs more than 7,500 people at more than 100 sites and training locations in over 25 countries. Through CAE’s global network of 34 civil aviation, military and helicopter training centres, the company trains more than 80,000 crewmembers yearly. CAE’s business is diversified, ranging from the sale of simulation products to providing comprehensive services such as training and aviation services, professional services and in-service support. The company applies its simulation expertise and operational experience to help customers enhance safety, improve efficiency, maintain readiness and solve challenging problems. CAE is now leveraging its simulation capabilities in new markets such as healthcare and mining. www.cae.com

From Today's Papers - 13 Feb 2012

2012-02-13T08:56:00.000+05:30

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120213/edit.htm#1

Defusing the age row

Supreme Court’s role very positive

The Supreme Court deserves to be commended for the manner in which it has settled the dispute over the date of birth of the Army chief, General V.K. Singh, in the official service record. With the right mix of judiciousness and well-meaning diplomacy it has disposed of a writ petition filed by General Singh while at the same time taking care not to embarrass him. Yet, Justices R.M. Lodha and H.L. Gokhale exercised a degree of firmness that enhanced the prestige and dignity of the court. The Tribune which had carried a six-part series delving deep into the issue in an incisive and dispassionate way is particularly relieved at the appropriate end to this controversy. Prolonged litigation could well have led to washing the dirty linen in public and would predictably have affected the long-term morale of the armed forces. By its expeditious resolution the apex court has nipped that possibility in the bud.

While making it clear that the question raised by General Singh was not about the determination of his actual date of birth but related to the recognition of a particular date of birth by the Defence Ministry in the official service record, the bench told General Singh unambiguously that while the bench was not questioning the General’s efforts to reconcile the records he would have to abide by his commitment and honour his letters of 2008 and 2009 accepting the date of birth as May 10, 1950. Justice Lodha told General Singh’s counsel that the court could interfere in such decisions only if the order suffered from perversity or it was grossly erroneous. “We don't think in this case we should interfere,” he added.

The bench protected the General’s sense of honour and upheld his integrity when it said “We want to ensure [that] as Chief of Army you continue to serve the country as you did for 38 years. This verdict should not come in your way. Wise men are those who move with the wind. We take pride in having [an] officer like you. Credit must go to you.” Amid speculation, it is now up to General Singh to decide whether he continues in office till the end of his term at May-end or he puts in his papers prematurely. In either case, it would be apt if his decision is duly respected and not dragged into a fresh controversy.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120213/edit.htm#4

India’s decision on Rafale

Why the combat jet deal causes ripples in Britain

by Harsh V. Pant

First it was the United States that got annoyed and now it is Great Britain’s turn to ask some tough questions about its India policy. Ever since the French Rafale fighter has been declared the lowest bidder in the multi-billion dollar contract to provide a new generation fighter for the Indian Air Force, a debate is raging in the UK as to what has gone wrong with David Cameron’s charm offensive in wooing India. His visit to India in 2010 was widely viewed as highly successful. He made all the right noises in India about Pakistan and terrorism, and the UK-India ties finally turned a new corner. The Cameron government has also decided to give India £1.4 billion between now and 2015, amounting to almost 1 per cent of Britain’s own £159 billion debts. But when it came to the much-sought-after Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract, France was the winner and the Eurofighter, produced by a consortium of four nations, including Britain’s BAE systems, the loser. Apparently, saying right things and giving aid doesn’t get you any influence in New Delhi!

From the very beginning, this saga has been rather interesting. Last year in April, India rejected bids by Lockheed Martin and Boeing (along with Russian and Swedish bids) for the $10 billion-plus contract for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft, despite extensive lobbying by the US military-industrial complex, supported by President Barack Obama himself. Nothing works better in New Delhi than a put-down to the US — and that was quite a snub indeed! Instead, New Delhi shortlisted Dassault Aviation's Rafale and the Eurofighter consortium's Typhoon. There were extensive field trials, and technical considerations ostensibly drove the final decision. But the dismay in Washington was widespread and to some extent understandable, given the investment that the US has made in cultivating India in recent years. As if to underscore the importance of this development, the US Ambassador to India, Timothy Roemer, also decided to announce his resignation at the same time when the decision on MMRCA was being made public, though he insisted that his resignation was related to "personal, professional and family considerations".

At a time when the political dispensation in New Delhi was embroiled in a host of corruption-related scandals, it used this decision to insulate itself from charges of favouritism towards America. To its domestic policy critics, the government signalled that despite all that the US military-industrial complex could do, India refused to budge. To its foreign policy critics, there was a signal that New Delhi remained in thrall to no one, not even the US. The UPA government had been viewed as being too cozy with the US and there were signs of discontent within the ruling Congress party itself on this score. Some of the revelations by WikiLeaks about the pressure on New Delhi during the negotiations over the US-India civilian nuclear pact had put the government in a difficult position. The decision on MMRCA allowed the government to make a case that it was its own master.

The focus then shifted to the French-British rivalry over Rafale versus Eurofighter with the French coming out on top. Dassault Aviation, Rafale’s French manufacturer, will be entering into commercial negotiations with India over the next few months before the final deals are signed. But this is a company that has been struggling to get foreign buyers, so it would be keen on signing the contract more or less on Indian terms. Deemed as expensive and not cutting edge, the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Morocco, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland have all turned Rafale down in the last few years. India, in more ways than one, will now be subsidising the French defence sector.

India’s decision was clearly influenced by the price factor as the EADS Eurofighter Typhoon is a much more expensive venture. But technology transfer was clearly another guiding factor with the tender stipulating 50 per cent direct offset obligation for the winning bidder. The Indian Air Force’s familiarity with French Mirage 2000 aircraft would also have helped, as Rafale is operationally and technically similar to Mirage 2000. India would be buying the aircraft over 10 years with 18 Rafale jets being built in Dassault plants in France and 108 will be assembled by Hindustan Aeronautics in India.

Coming just before French elections in which Nicholas Sarkozy is trailing, this decision will boost his campaign. No wonder, Sarkozy was euphoric suggesting that “France is delighted at the decision by the Indian government…It will include important technology transfers guaranteed by the French government.” At a time when major European countries are drastically cutting down their defence budgets, the defence sector needs external help to survive, and the Indian decision will be a big help to France. Dassault was quick to react, saying that it is “honoured and grateful to the government and people of India”. In Britain, on the other hand, there are fears of job losses at the BAE Systems which owns 33 per cent of Eurofighter. The deal has been described a “major win for France, and a major loss for the UK.” The UK government, at least publicly, is still hoping that New Delhi could yet reject the French offer and turn to Eurofighter.

This is India’s largest defence contract at a time when its defence modernisation programme has been attracting a lot of attention. The fighter levels in the IAF have dropped to an all-time low of 32 squadrons compared to an official level of 39.5 and desired 42 squadrons. The IAF is desperate to replace its ageing fleet of MiG-21 fighters.

At one level, the seeming transparency of the process should indeed be heartening to those who have been puzzled by India's inability to get its defence modernisation programme on track for some time now. For a usually lackadaisical Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) this is a welcome change. After years of returning unspent money, the MoD last year not only managed to spend its entire budget but also asked for money to spend on capital procurement. And now with the movement on MMRCA bids, it is clear that the ministry wants to move swiftly on new defence procurement, relegating its ultra-cautious approach to the sidelines.

But there is a larger question that still needs to be answered. Major defence purchases are not an end in themselves. Ideally, they should be a means of helping a nation achieve its strategic objectives. It’s not readily evident what strategic objectives of India are being served by choosing Rafale over Typhoon. One can only hope that the Indian defence establishment is not missing the wood for the trees!n

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120213/nation.htm#6

Assam to house CRPF Cobra Force base for N-E

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, February 12

With Maoists trying to fish in the troubled waters of the North-East, a base of the newly-created elite Cobra Force of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is being set up in Assam to cater to needs of insurgency-hit North-eastern states. The base of the force in the form of a battalion headquarter will be set up in Darrang district of Assam.

The Assam Cabinet will soon take a decision approving setting up of the base of Cobra Force in the state, a home department source said. In fact, Assam government had requested the Centre to set up National Security Guards (NSG) base in the state, but New Delhi instead agreed to post a base of Cobra Force. The base will be a battalion headquarter of the force meant for the entire North-East.

The Assam Government is now required to provide at least 300 acre land free of cost to facilitate the base of the elite force. The training facility in the Cobra Force base could be a boon for Assam Police personnel when it comes to specialised training for combating insurgent Maoists.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120213/nation.htm#7

Army Chief leaves for UK today

New Delhi, February 12

Army Chief General VK Singh is leaving for the UK tomorrow on a five-day official visit as scheduled that could ward off speculation about his resignation soon after he lost the legal battle on his age row in the Supreme Court.

In the first visit to the UK by an Indian Army Chief in four years, Gen Singh will be interacting with senior military and civilian hierarchy and discussing various defence related issues to strengthen existing defence ties with that country. — PTI

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/army-chief-leaves-for-uk-on-monday-sticks-to-schedule-175670?pfrom=home-otherstories

New Delhi: Army Chief General V K Singh is leaving for the UK tomorrow on a five-day official visit as scheduled that could ward off speculation about his resignation soon after he lost the legal battle on his age row in the Supreme Court.

A release issued by the Army said Gen Singh's visit will last till Friday. The last visit by a COAS to the UK was in March 2008.

This will be the Army Chief's first visit abroad after the Supreme Court order on his age row on February 10, which said the government decision on his date of birth will apply to his service matters, forcing him to withdraw his petition.

Soon after the order, there was intense media speculation that the Army chief could quit soon even before his term is over as a number of names made rounds for the next COAS. General Singh is due to retire on May 31.

The Army chief plans to return to the country by February 20, sources said today.

India shares good bilateral and strategic relations with the UK that are multifaceted and have been strengthened over the years, with regular exchange of visits at political, diplomatic and military levels.

A strong bilateral relationship is of priority of both countries, for economic, commercial, historical and foreign policy reasons and the large Indian diaspora in UK.

The visit by the COAS will add the necessary impetus to the existing defence relationship and broad-base it, into a mutually beneficial partnership, the release said.

Read more at:

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/army-chief-leaves-for-uk-on-monday-sticks-to-schedule-175670?pfrom=home-otherstories&cp

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Ex-armymans-war-on-illegal-posters/articleshow/11856282.cms

Ex-armyman’s war on illegal posters

MUMBAI: A retired Indian Army colonel, who had earlier tied up with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to pull down illegal posters on city roads, has now moved his fight to Mumbai.

Col (retd) Shivraj (79) has now vowed to rid Mumbai of illegal posters, hoardings and banners.

"I visit my daughter, who lives in Colaba, every year. I was walking down Marine Drive when I noticed the stretch was full of illegal posters. I was appalled at how it marred the beauty of such an important landmark. I decided that I would replicate the Delhi model in Mumbai as well," said Shivraj.

Shivraj is active on social networking sites and has roped in 200 people from across the city who are now actively involved in removing illegal posters and banners. Shivraj has met city bigwigs to attract attention to the cause. In a meeting with local corporators last week, he briefed them on the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995. "It was shocking to know that most of our south Mumbai leaders had no clue about this law and were surprised that putting up posters was a punishable offence. They promised their support in getting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to take action against offenders," said Shivraj.

However, the volunteers have also faced harassment. Volunteers in Cuffe Parade were roughed up by political party workers in January when they tried to remove their poll posters.

To avoid trouble, Shivraj met joint commissioner of police (law and order), Rajneesh Seth on Thursday. Impressed with his efforts, Seth promised him that the police would remain vigilant and cooperate with his team at all times.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/ColumnsRahulSharma/They-re-old-enough/Article1-810203.aspx

They’re old enough

It is not my intention to cause a sudden dip in morale in the Indian armed forces, a dip so vertiginous that when the Chinese are amassed at the Mehrauli crossing, our soldiers will be able to do nothing. But the crisis that reached its climax last week involving the date of birth of India’s army

chief strikes me as being incredibly banal. How many angels can dance on a pin head being replaced by how many candles should be there on our army chief's birthday cake on May 10?

Don’t get me wrong. The fact that the spat between the ministry of defence and the army chief — which in institutional terms means the hand-to-hand combat between the Government of India and the Indian Army — was played out in public must have been disconcerting for patriots on both sides of the civilian-military border. On following the spat in the Indian media, the aforementioned Chinese must have plied themselves with endless mai tais and gleefully quoted from Du Fu’s ‘Ballad of the Ancient Cypress’, lines that only Vikram Seth would be able to faithfully translate as “If a great hall should teeter, wanting rafters and beams,/ Ten thousand oxen would turn their heads towards its mountain's weight.” That a quarrel had broken out between the army and the civilian government was serious. But what surely can’t be is the reason for this dangerous eyeballing: whether the army chief was bluffing about his age.

Here’s the source of the fracas in a nutshell: General VK Singh insisted that his date of birth is May 10, 1951 — and not May 10, 1950, as according to the service records that Singh had himself provided when he had applied for the National Defence Academy (NDA) when he was 14 (which means that he must have been then 13). I’ve conducted similar age-propping strategies when I was 14 (but was actually 15) to cover up the fact that I had lost a year when getting into school for the first time. I hope to dear god that by constantly repeating my real age for the last decade or so to people, especially to ladies who profess a fondness for older men, I have made amends.

So at best, Singh was guilty of some minor age-shuffling so that he could get into the NDA a year early. Today, that has come to bite him in his rear formation. This, to me, could have been easily sorted out by some clerical whiz in the government, if the civvies in the defence ministry wanted. Instead, it became an infructuous contest which even the Supreme Court labelled as being “a vital matter for the entire nation”. A vital matter for the entire nation. Really?

I’m told it’s about ‘honour’. In August 31, 1959, army chief General KS Thimayya offered to resign after a spat with defence minister VK Krishna Menon over, among other things, the latter’s refusal to consider the chief of army staff’s plans for preparing for a looming India-China conflict — which Menon thought was only gathering force in the brain of a restless military man. Nehru did manage to convince Thimayya to stay on as army chief till the latter retired in 1961 — even as the PM backed the wrong horse Menon into the winter of ’62.

Nehru had told Parliament in September 1959, the House agitated over a army chief-defence minister quarrel, that the issues involved in Thimayya’s attempted resignation were “rather trivial and of no consequence”, and that they arose “from temperamental differences and did not include promotions”. I can bet my 21st battalion that the spat didn’t arise because of promotions etc but because of the matter of Menon shrugging his shoulders each time Thimayya uttered the word ‘China’.

Now that was a spat I can understand where honour must have crept in. What loss of honour was General Singh worried about? That he’s been branded a liar by AK Antony and his para-militaries? But according to his own logic, he must have lied at least once — either when he was 13 or 14, or now when he’s 60 or 61. He told the court that he would resign in 48 hours the moment the government accepted he was 60. The problem for the court was trusting a man’s sense of hours when he’s mixed up 365 days. But, most incredibly, the court said that it was “not concerned with determining his age” and went on to utter something four days before Valentine’s Day about understanding the “pain in your heart of having your date of birth not being corrected”.

I think I just heard a gaggle of tipsy but sure-about-their-ages Chinese generals roll with laughter on the red carpeted floor while quoting one of Sun Tzu’s five dangerous faults that may affect a general — which Vikram Seth would faithfully translate as “A delicacy of honour that is sensitive to shame.”

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Race-hots-up-amid-buzz-that-chief-may-resign/articleshow/11854118.cms

Race hots up amid buzz that Army chief may resign

NEW DELHI: Eastern Army commander Lt-General Bikram Singh remains the clear front-runner to become the next chief of the 1.13-million strong force. But amid mounting speculation that Army chief Gen V K Singh will resign before his tenure ends on May 31, two other Army commanders, Lt-Generals Shankar Ghosh (Western) and V K Ahluwalia (Central), are also in the reckoning for the coveted post.

While Lt-Gen Bikram Singh of the Sikh Light Infantry passed out from the Indian Military Academy in March, 1972, Lt-Gens Ghosh and Ahluwalia are senior to him, having being commissioned in November, 1971.

The latter two would retire as per schedule, if Gen V K Singh decides to carry on till May 31. While Lt-Gens retire at 60, a military chief can serve for three years or upto the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

But what could queer the pitch for Lt-Gen Ghosh (Guards Regiment) is a question mark over his medical category since he is suffering from "osteoarthritis of the right hip joint".

The second in the line of seniority, Lt-Gen Ahluwalia (Artillery), can only be considered for the top job, if Gen V K Singh decides to resign in February since the former is slated to retire on February 29.

A top government source said the chapter on Gen Singh's tenure was "finally over", irrespective of whether he decides to resign or completes his tenure. The government is looking ahead and readying succession plan.

"All options are being kept open...but it's not mandatory for the government to pick the seniormost Army commander if Gen V K Singh suddenly decides to put in his papers," said government sources on Saturday. This can mean that Lt-Gen Bikram Singh in all probability will be the next Army chief even if Gen V K Singh decides to hang his boots earlier than scheduled.

Right since the Independence, successive governments have been wary of rocking the seniority boat while appointing military chiefs. The supersession of Lt-Gen S K Sinha by Indira Gandhi to appoint Gen A S Vaidya as the Army chief in the early 1980s has been one of the rare exceptions.

As earlier reported by TOI, Gen V K Singh does not seem to be in favour of Lt-Gen Bikram Singh succeeding him since he believes his date of birth was not corrected despite his repeated attempts since former chiefs like Gens J J Singh and Deepak Kapoor allegedly wanted to fix the succession chain in favour of the present Eastern Army commander.

The Army chief himself spent Saturday closeted with his lawyers and advisers after returning to the Capital in the morning. He had left for Jaipur on Friday afternoon on an official trip to the South-Western Army Command a couple of hours after losing his legal battle in the Supreme Court to get his date of birth changed from 'May 10, 1950' to 'May 10, 1951'.

Defence minister A K Antony and Gen V K Singh are both slated to go abroad on Monday on official tours. While Antony heads for a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Gen Singh will leave for the UK on a four-day tour. The two have generally avoided each other since the beginning of February. The wide-spread feeling in both military and civilian quarters in South Block is that if the Army chief decides to continue in office, he will be reduced to "a lame-duck chief" due to the "huge trust deficit" between him and Antony.

http://defenceforumindia.com/indian-army/31548-defence-ministry-forms-panel-selecting-next-army-chief.html

Defence Ministry forms panel for selecting next army chief

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NEW DELHI: With the Supreme Court holding that 1950 should be treated as Gen V K Singh's date of birth, all eyes are now on who his successor would be for which the Defence Ministry has already formed a panel.

The ministry panel includes the senior-most Lieutenant Generals for selecting the next army chief, sources said here. The three senior-most officers are Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Bikram Singh, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen K T Parnaik and present Vice Chief of Army Lt Gen Shri Krishna Singh.

Traditionally, the senior-most officer from the panel is appointed as the army chief. In this case, Lt Gen Bikram Singh is the senior-most and most-likely to be appointed for the top post. Of the remaining two officers, Lt Gen Parnaik is senior to Lt Gen Shri Krishna.

Sources said in case Gen Singh decides to resign before the end of his tenure on May 31, the government is ready with its contingency plans. They said in case Gen Singh resigns in the next few days, Western Army Commander Lt Gen Shankar Rajan Ghosh can also be considered for the appointment.

Lt Gen Ghosh is the seniormost officer after the Gen Singh in the Army.

The apex today court told Gen Singh that he cannot resile on his commitment that he would abide by the government decision to treat his date of birth as May 10, 1950 and rejected the contention of "prejudice" and "perversity".

http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/pakistan-army-must-be-held-to-account-1.979618

Pakistan army must be held to account

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_army-guns-down-youth-in-baramulla_1648966

Army guns down youth in Baramulla

While the army chief was busy “fighting for his honour” in the capital, his troops allegedly shot dead a youth in Laisar village, Baramulla district, sparking massive public protests.

Locals said Ashiq Hussain Rather was killed when the troops of 32 Rashtriya Rifles opened fire last night killing him on the spot. As the news about the incident spread, people took to streets and staged massive protests against the killing.

The villagers refused to bury the body throughout the night. It was only after assurances from the authorities that a probe would be ordered and the guilty punished that the people buried the body amid pro-freedom slogans.

“A case has been registered (against the army). The army too has ordered a probe. We too will look into it”, said Bashir Ahmad Bhat, district collector, Baramulla.

A defence spokesman at Srinagar said that a column of 32 Rashtriya Rifles established a cordon near a group of houses based on intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the village. “The presence of the army created some panic in a house, which led to an accidental discharge of a weapon in the hands of a Rashtriya Rifles soldier. The single bullet which was discharged hit one of the occupants of the house, Ashiq Hussian, who expired on the spot,” he said.

The defence spokesman said that the general officer commanding 15 corps, lieutenant general SA Hasnain, minister of state for home Nasir Aslam Wani, and Jammu and Kashmir DGP Kuldeep Khoda met a delegation from the village and confirmed that the unfortunate death was by an accidental discharge of a weapon and offered condolences to the family.

“The general officer commanding confirmed the institution of a military court of inquiry while the minister of state for home promised a parallel magisterial inquiry to confirm the chain of events and (to come up with) measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents”, he said.

The defence spokesman said attempts to escalate the situation by some elements were defused by the timely visit of high ranking military, state and police officials, admission of the innocence of the deceased and promise of necessary and timely compensation through ex gratia.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120212/jsp/frontpage/story_15125049.jsp

Army chief keeps everyone guessing

SUJAN DUTTA

New Delhi, Feb. 11: General V.K. Singh returned to New Delhi from Jaipur this afternoon, a day after losing his case in the Supreme Court, wondering if he should take the road to Gurgaon via London.

The army chief has his own simple apartment in Gurgaon, the Delhi suburb about an hour’s drive from Rajaji Marg’s Army House that he currently occupies. But in the event that he decides to defer a decision to resign, that journey could take nine days. He is scheduled for an official visit to the UK from Monday and return to Delhi on the 20th.

Cancelling the tour to UK, in the course of which he has appointments with not only his British counterpart but also the UK defence secretary, may have diplomatic implications.

General Singh was closeted with family and friends at home since his return from Jaipur in the afternoon. There is no word from the army chief on whether he is resigning.

A friend of the General’s said: “Though the court said he is an honourable man, it will be difficult for the army chief and the government to work together not only because of the trust deficit but also because of bad blood.”

His modest apartment in Gurgaon, to which General Singh may retire, has none of the power and pelf of Army House.

Should General Singh decide to resign from service — as most of his friends have been advising him — he will have to address the President, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces, and inform defence minister A.K. Antony.

Despite having offices on the same floor of the integrated headquarters of the ministry of defence in South Block, Antony and the army chief are unlikely to come face-to-face over the next week.

“If I were in his shoes, I would have resigned within an hour of what the court said yesterday,” said Major General (retired) G.D. Bakshi, the officer with the handlebar moustache who is now a familiar face on television channels as one of General Singh’s ardent and voluble supporters.

“He is a General who has seen combat and such officers are held in high esteem by soldiers. But after this (court order) if he continues it will be a fall from grace,” Bakshi added.

Antony is also slated to go overseas on Monday. After inaugurating the 14th Asian Security Conference at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis in Delhi, Antony takes his flight to Saudi Arabia, the first visit by an Indian defence minister to the Islamic state. He will spend two days in Riyadh before returning to Delhi.

Antony will be leading a high-level delegation, including defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen. S.K. Singh, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Satish Soni and Air Vice Marshal M.R. Pawar.

Since withdrawing his petition in the Supreme Court, the General has gone about business as usual. He left for Jaipur with his wife, Bharti Singh, where he and the South Western Army Commander, Lt General Gyan Bhushan supervised an exercise.

“The Chief of Army Staff interacted with all officers of Jaipur Military Station. During the interaction, he impressed upon them the strengths and core competencies of the Indian Army and enjoined the officers to inculcate the deepest sense of professionalism while working in the interest of the nation,” an army statement said.

“He also stressed on the rich traditions and the value system base and emphasised the importance to remain focused on the job at hand while preparing for all contingencies.”

In the UK, General Singh is scheduled to visit the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst “the cradle of the Indian Army’s leadership in pre-independence India.” The chief, who a commando (Ranger), is also scheduled to interact with the UK’s special forces.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/the-army-must-set-its-own-house-in-order/articleshow/11865758.cms

General VK Singh's age row: The Army must set its own house in order

The army chief's birthday will fade from memory but a host of issues remain. First, the no-love-lost relationship between the armed forces and the Department of Defence (DoD) with the politician usually siding with the DoD. This has a history. The Indian army had no role to play in the independence movement.

In fact, those who fought against the British, of the INA, were court-martialled, dismissed or penalised. If we really had fought for our independence, someone must explain why the 'independent' government needed Britishers to head the armed forces after independence. Had those who really fought for independence become our leaders we would have been a different nation.

The British divided and ruled but we honed it to a finer art after independence. The office of the Commander-in-Chief, the No 2 in India during the Raj, was split into three parts by an ever suspecting political and bureaucratic class.

True, the army is subservient to the civil power but that civil power is the government and not the defence secretary. That none of the netas and babus were ever a part of the armed forces (as in other countries with equally large armies) hardly helps.

Will we ever have the courage to send our defence minister alone for a one-on-one talk on border issues with the Chinese defence minister? Contrast this with the US where under the Goldwater-Nichols Act (1984), all field commanders report only to the defence secretary (equivalent to our defence minister).

Will our political leadership ever become or want to become savvy in defence matters? Or is it more convenient to play the role of the monkey dividing the bread between the DoD and the army? Most defence ministers are more worried as to who the collector and DSP are in his constituency than the army chief.

After all, the army chief is not going to help in winning elections, though it would be correct to state that our democracy today is held up by the armed forces rather than the so-called pillars of democracy.

The sooner the frictional relationships are sorted out the better. For a start let the defence minister decide that files from the armed forces chiefs will not go to the defence secretary. Does the defence minister not trust the chiefs or is he solely enlightened by the defence secretary?

Further, the days of a separate army, navy and air force are over. Vision 2020 demands that we have just two forces - Ground & Tactical Force and the Strategic & Nuclear Force. The first is a combination of the army and the air force and the second a combination of the air force and the navy.

A Chief of Defence Staff - always from the army (even the US follows this in all operations; and our borders are always in operational mode) - is fast required. The defence secretary also should report to him. If the Railways and Atomic Energy Departments can run themselves why not the armed forces?

Had the media asked the right questions then correct answers would have been forced out from both sides. The media was also initially reluctant to go into the issue of the motives behind the controversy and the dramatis personae. That too would have forced the truth to come and let out several meows out of the bag.

Statements in the media that there is a "succession plan" and that even if the chief resigns the vice-chief would officiate till the "anointed successor' could take over actually revealed the true intentions behind the snafu, assuming these were not the media's imagination.

Lastly the armed forces. First, they should shake off the bestowed image that they are the paragon of virtue, integrity and loyalty, an unnecessary "honour" that is handy for the media and the government to make anything that the army or its officers do vis-a-vis the government look bad.

Why should the standards of integrity for the army be higher than that expected of the civilian power that it is subservient to? One can understand that the legislature and executive represent the values of society, but what about the judiciary?

And if the army's standards are to be the highest, then by what moral right does the civil power claim supremacy? All that the armed forces should show is that wrong-doers are quickly and effectively punished. Witness the speed in the proceedings in the Sukhna scam and contrast it with the Aadarsh scam. In the latter the army officers were smart to rope in babus and netas and thus this scam will slowly be allowed to fade from memory. Any bets?

Next, let the armed forces set aside turf battles. There is a joke that when the army is not fighting the country's enemies it fights the air force and the navy! When this not possible, armoured corps fights infantry who fights artillery.

If the armed forces can get their act together - be sure that the babus and netas will go all out to prevent this - then the age of the chief will hardly matter. Now, as the familiar question asks: do they have it in them?