Another succession storm brewing in Indian Army

It is again going to be an all out war for the top post of the Indian Army. As top army officer Lt Gen Ravi Dastane is contemplating to move the court over stalling of his appointment as the Eastern Army Commander the incumbent Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is bracing to file a Caveat petition.

 Lt Gen Ravi Dastane

Four months ago the Indian Army had put an ugly year-long age-controversy between the Army Chief General VK Singh and the Defence Ministry behind it. But, the clashes in the top brass over promotion are again haunting the 1.1 million-strong Indian Army.

The current episode has its roots in the age controversy of the previous Indian Army Chief General VK Singh. General VK Singh on his last day in the office had imposed a Disciplinary and Vigilance (DV) ban on Lt Gen Suhag – at that time the 3 Corps Commander. This technically made Lt Gen Suhag ineligible as Eastern Army Commander; the post fell vacant after General Bikram Singh moved in as the Indian Army Chief.

Lt Gem Dalbir Singh Suhag

The ineligibility of Lt Gen Suhag to get elevated meant that next senior officer in line - Lt Gen Dastane would have been appointed the Eastern Army Commander and would have been in line to become the Army Chief after incumbent General Bikram Singh retired. However, the Defence Ministry and Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) waited for General VK Singh to retire and General Bikram Singh to take over following which the DV ban was lifted and Lt Gen Suhag was given the charge of the Eastern Army Command.

 General Bikram Singh joins hand with Antony?

Presently Lt Gen Dastane’s statutory complaint against stalling of his appointment as Eastern Army Commander is still pending with the Defence Ministry. After it is disposed of Lt Gen Dastane is all geared up to move the court. Sources close to Lt Gen Suhag have indicated that the army commander is also gearing up for filing a Caveat petition so that the court also hears his arguments before passing a judgment in the case. The Defence Ministry is also going to throw its weight behind the Eastern Army Commander.

Lt Gen Dastane had earlier gone to the Army Chief with his complaint. But it was turned down by the force saying the decision was taken by ACC and the Indian Army had no role to play in it.  And the Defence Ministry’s stand was that the DV ban imposed by General VK Singh was aimed at tweaking the traditional seniority-based succession line in the force.

Sources also indicate that technically Lt Gen Dastane might be on a strong ground as he is claiming that imposition of DV ban was an individual officer’s problem and the system should have taken its own course as per norms.

Earlier this year in January, General (retired) VK Singh had dragged the government to the court claiming he was a year younger than as maintained by the Defence Ministry that effectively curtailed his tenure as the Army Chief by a year.

1962 will not be repeated: General Bikram Singh

When reminded that it has been the 50th year since Indo-China war, the Army Chief on Wednesday assured the country that a repeat of 1962 will not be allowed to happen again.

Officers from Indian and Chinese Army at the Nathu La border during Indian Independence Day celebrations this year

“No it will not happen,” General Singh said categorically when asked if 50 years after the humiliating defeat at the hands of the Chinese Army, Indian Army was better prepared. “Dushman ko apne watan ke bheetar ghusane nahi denge (We will not allow enemy to enter our country),” he added firmly.

The Army Chief asserted that the Indian Army was augmenting its capabilities but it is not country specific. “I am assuring the nation as Chief of Army Staff that 1962 will not be repeated,” the Army Chief said when reminded that next month is the 60th anniversary of the war. “That's the assurance I am giving. Plans are afoot on all borders,” he said.

Asked about the presence of Chinese soldiers in the POK region, he accepted that there was information which suggested their presence, but he said: “We are told they are there to give protections to some of the Chinese projects. Some railway, roads and hydel projects are underway and Chinese soldiers are giving them protection. But we have conveyed our concern to them.”

Chinese Defence Minister Gen Liang Guanglie had said earlier this month during his visit to India that Peoples Liberation Army never deployed its troops in POK.

The brass tacks General gets to work

It’s a month since General Bikram Singh took over the command of the Indian Army from General V K Singh. Since then the general, fondly known as ‘Bikki’, has remained under the radar and is working even on the weekends to get settled at the earliest.

Like his predecessor, he is very religious while being at the top of the merit lists in whichever course he ever attempted. Both are also known as very calm people. However, the similarities end there. According to sources who have worked closely with both, while General V K Singh was a bit “impulsive”, and was known for his “quick decision-making”, General Bikram Singh is “patient”.

Unlike his predecessor, the 27th Indian Army Chief, General Bikram Singh has maintained distance from the media. He has not given single interview so far and has refrained from commenting on the various controversies involving the Army that erupted in the last one year. According to a source close to him, “The media will see less of the Army Chief now. Even though he handled the media during the Kargil conflict, this Chief will be concentrating on his primary job.”

The results of this restraint, say officers around him, is that he is putting all his energy into chalking out his vision to be implemented by the force in the next two years or so. He is already in the process of putting final touches to his vision for the contentious Kashmir situation. “Even though the new vision will not alter the Indian Army’s stand on Kashmir drastically, it will have a touch of his thought process,” sources said.

“Since his taking over, the General has been working even on weekends. He schedules all outstation visits only on Saturdays and Sundays. On weekdays, he holds back-to-back meetings at his office,” the source added. General Bikram Singh’s first visit was to Kashmir, where he met the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, to discuss the latest situation in the Valley.

His assumption of charge has brought a great deal of difference to civilian-military relations as well. Unlike the former army chief, General V K Singh, who had never served in the Army Headquarters even once, before he was selected to head the force—General Bikram Singh is well versed with the ways of South Block. “The Chief has served five postings in the Army Headquarters in Delhi, that too in important branches like Directorate of Military Operations. He knows how to make the system work,” the sources added.

All eyes are now on his first modernisation review meeting with Defence Minister A K Antony in the first week of July, when he will assess the progress of various defence acquisitions and work towards fast-tracking crucial ones. “He understands that at times, we in the armed forces do not project our requirements appropriately and on time. He has been working in this direction to fine tune this anomaly,” said the sources.

The two year-tenure of General V K Singh has been very eventful, and many incidents—like going to the Supreme Court over the row over his age, and sending a censure notice to a Lieutenant General during the last week of his tenure—reflected his predilection to arriving at a decision fast. However, General Bikram Singh is known to consult everyone before taking a “well-considered decision”. He is known to encourage all officers participating in any meeting to put forth their opinion. “He (Gen. Bikram Singh) knows how to take everybody along, even while taking a decision, which is a very good quality in a leader,” said the source.

Since the General took over on May 31, his schedule has been choc-a-block. “He has a contemporary vision on every issue, and often tells all around him to shun archaic views,” the source added, while rubbishing suggestions that he will stumble on issues like the Siachen glacier, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Kashmir.

The new Army Chief, a fitness freak, is a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva and fasts on Mondays. Presently the general is staying in Delhi Cantt. He is known to surprise the troops often; during his morning walks in the cantonment area, he walks into nearby army units to see how things are functioning. For the soldiers, seeing their chief is a pleasant surprise.