Public Perception

ANOTHER VIEW POINT

It is being publicly talked about that, the most important aspect of General V K Singh’s date of birth controversy is not what has been spoken about till now, but is something even more intriguing. The fact about the officer’s Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) application for taking the National Defense Academy (NDA) entrance examination, showing the date of birth as 10 May 1950 is not an oversight by the Master who filled up the same. It was instead a deliberate and well thought of move to enable the then young boy to become eligible for the examination, which had its lower age cut off as 01 Jan 1951, i.e. those born after this date became ineligible for taking the UPSC conducted NDA entrance exam, being under age. The officer after selecting himself into the NDA awaited his Matriculation Certificate, certifying his having passed High School, which followed later. To make the said selection final, from the earlier, provisional. Now, the authorities in the NDA owing to either oversight or otherwise missed out on the fact of VK Singh’s ineligibility to join the Academy being underage. And, he continued to remain there. Thus, the entire process of his selection and joining the NDA was vitiated and against the existing UPSC rules on the age criteria.

Can one imagine what this will do to the entire argument? Which till now seems to favor the General. Exclusively, on the basis of the recorded evidence as available in his birth certificate, father’s service record and the crucial matriculation certificate. Should this deliberate scheming to accrue undue advantage to V K Singh, even if it was manufactured by others, be true. Then, where does the issue settle itself? It is my sincere hope and belief that, this was not the case, because then it will be the saddest day for the Army, which will have done irreparable damage to both, the Institution of the Army Chief and the Army. Think about all the grandstanding which we have been witnessing day in and day out on a vital aspect of Honor and Integrity. Where will it take us? I shudder to think of the under fire bureaucracy in the Ministry of Defense, cock a snook at the Army and further ridicule its holier than thou posturing.

Therefore, it’s not a question of round one going to the Chief, but instead of the General knowing deep within his own soul the truth, notwithstanding the slew of available documentary evidence to support his word and make him more Honorable than the Army he commands.

Brigadier (retd) S D Dangwal,VSM

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