The stand taken by General V K Singh, when Eastern Army Commander and Designate Chief of Army Staff, to recommend disciplinary proceedings against the tainted Military Secretary and Principal Staff Officer of ex Chief Deepak Kapoor, Lt General Avdesh Prakash , was a momentous one. Vijay Kumar Singh’s reputation of being an honest and upright officer preceded him in South Block and he has since maintained this public perception. The Sukhna Land scam, which pre dated the current Adarsh Society scandal was a precursor of things to come and oxymoronically raised the bar and level of corruption, which now engulfs the Army. Sukhna involved three star General Officers, whereas Adarsh, three ex Chiefs (one from the Indian Navy) and many more three and two star General Officers. While Sukhna and Adarsh were both premised on the pretext of an often misunderstood, misused and abused word, ‘Welfare’, the latter outdid the former as it is predicated on the emotive and sensitive matter of honoring and rewarding our very own Martyr’s. Nirmal Chand Vij and Deepak Kapoor, apart from all others have committed the most despicable and lowliest of acts, ever to have been done by a soldier, an officer and to top it all an Army Chief. These people have not only lied about their annual gross incomes, but also, presumably accorded their tacit and constructive support to engineer and manufacture the entire ploy and to profit from the same. No punishment can be enough for these shameless officers, who have literally and metaphorically built their houses on the graves of Soldiers and Martyrs. They have fallen below the level of those criminals who commit thefts and are not ashamed to be called as such. This only because there is no pretense in the thought and deeds of criminals, but is cleverly disguised and covered up in the “Officer and a Gentleman” masquerade of Vij and Kapoor, and their ilk.
The present Chief’s upfront and bold stand to bring to book the crooks and the guilty, notwithstanding their rank and office, is likely to become his ‘Defining Moment’. In my 37 years of commissioned service, I did not see or hear a single Chief, who went to the media and accepted the moral rot which has besieged the Army. Corruption, improbity and absence of rectitude in personal and public life of senior officers has derailed the lofty and above board perception, which the people of the country had for the Army. Perception is the reality and mirrors the truth, obtaining in the organization. To bring about a change in this understanding, demands of those who are within as also without, to relentlessly pursue and mobilize sustainable opinion which can engender a MOVEMENT TO CLEAN THE AUGEAN STABLES OF THE ARMY. It can be non other than the Chief himself, who will be required to give credence and requisite momentum to his spoken words. He must not be accused of being long on rhetoric and short on action.
It is for General Vijay Kumar Singh, Chief of Army Staff, to seize this opportunity,when the institution of the Chief has been badly mauled and disgraced, to display according leadership and come down heavily with a sledge hammer upon the alleged criminals. Sir, Winston Churchill’s words are quoted with a telling and profound effect in this regard, “There comes in the life of each individual a special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents, What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared for the work, which would be his finest hour”. General Singh, your defining moment is here and now. Do not let the demands of the onerous task of doing what is just and right, overwhelm your discretion and rob you of doing a historical deed of perpetual significance. Resurrect the spine of the Army’s officership, by meting out exemplary and humiliating punishment to all the scamsters, in not only the ongoing scams under investigation, but also others involving such officers in various shades, colors and degrees of corruption as violate the code of conduct for an officer. The threat to the country’s peace and integrity may be from within and without, but the threat to the Army’s reputation is surely and only from the laundry list of the likes of Vij, Kapoor, Kaul, Avdesh, G I Singh, Sahni and their growing ilk, who subvert and debauch the SYSTEM.
Brigadier (retd) S D Dangwal
Dehra Dun-248001
Tele no 07895131861
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