Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.
See Premium Plans
 
DearAll,IhadsentthefollowingarticletoTheTribune,buttheyhavenotpublishedit.IhadalsosentaslightlydifferentandshorterarticletoDNAMumbai;theyhavepublishedit.Bothareappendedbelow,butifyoureadtheonesenttoTheTribune,youneednotreadtheotherone!Regards.VijayOberoiSENTTOTRIBUNEON29-05-12ANEWCHIEFTAKESOVERByLtGenVijayOberoiInafewdays,thesecondlargestarmyintheworldwillhaveanewChief,asthepresentincumbent,GeneralVKSinghdemitsofficeandhissuccessor,GeneralBikramSinghtakesover.ThechangeofguardoftheIndianArmyisamajoreventinthenationanditiseffectivelycoveredbythemedia.Thistime,however,somuchhasalreadybeenstatedinbothprintandelectronicmediathatthereisunavoidablepolarisationregardingthishighoffice.Itistimetoharmonisethevariousviews,sothatthechangeofcommandisassignificantasithasalwaysbeen.Thereisallroundrejoicingwhenanewbabyisborn,althoughinsomecasesitisprecededbyanxiety,barbs,innuendosandattimessomevitriolicassertionstoo.Mercifully,mostoftheseareforgottenbecauseofthemiracleoflife.Beinganoptimist,Iamsurethechangeofguardinthearmywillalsobesimilar.Ithastobeso,forwearetalkingaboutthefuturesecurityandwell-beingofthenation,aswellasofthemostenduringandthemostrespectedinstitutionofourcountry.Whilemanyhavegivendiverseopinionsonthesuccessionofthechiefs,Iamfirmlyoftheviewthatthechangeneedstobewelcomedbyall.Change,irrespectiveofthecircumstancesinwhichittakesplace,alwaysaugerswellforthefuture.Boththeoutgoingandtheincomingchiefsaremenofhonour,whohaverisentothishighestappointmentbydintofhardwork,immaculatecharacterandthehighestlevelofprofessionalacumen.Therehaveundoubtedlybeenaberrationswhereinpetty-mindedindividuals,albeitholdingpublicappointmentsatextremelyhighlevels,havemuddiedthewatersonparochialandothergroundsandhaveplayedpartisanpoliticsofthelowestvariety.Theywillgettheirretributioninduecourse,butitisimportantthatwemustneitherlingeronnorcarrythepastbaggage.Anentirelyfreshstartisessential.Iamconvincedthatthosewhohaveplayeddirty,aswellastheirloyalistsandobsequiesfollowerswillthinktentimesbeforeindulginginsuchlow-levelanddespicableactionsagain.Thenewchiefmusthaveafreehandincommandingthisgreatarmyofours,unfetteredwithobligationsontheonehandandtheburdenofreproachontheother.Thenationingeneralandthemilitary,whichincludesboththeservingpersonnelandtheveteransinparticular,havetobefullysupportiveandhonourthenewchief,foritisonlythenthathecanactwithcourageandconviction.Itneedstoberememberedthatwearetalkingaboutanorganisationthatisfartooprecioustobeharmedinanywayoritsfunctioningdilutedevenbyaninfinitesimaldegree.Whenthepresentchiefhadassumedthecommandofourarmyalittleovertwoyearsback,IhadwrittenthefollowinginoneofmyarticlesinyourpaperinMarch2010
Letmeremindthenewchiefthatevenifinfuturehegoesontoholdotherprestigiousappointmentsinoroutsidethegovernment,theywillneverbeabletomatchthisappointment
inprestige;insatisfaction;andtheaffectionhewillgetfromhisvastcommandandindeedfromthewholecountry.Hewillalsohavetoreciprocatetothemaximumextentbyhisdeeds.Consequently,hemustcommandwithhonourandneitherletcarrotsbeingdangledinhisfacenorpressuresandthreatschangeorinfluencethedecisionshetakes.
Thepresentchief,inmy
 
opinion,hasdoneevenmore,althoughtherearesomewhomaynotagreewithme.Inowurgethenewchieftoalsokeepthisinmindandfurtherhonethiswonderfulmachinethathasservedthenationwithdistinction.Inrecentmonths,therehasbeensometalkofpolarisationwithinthearmyandoftheexistenceofsmallcoteries.Suchactionsandeventhinkingneedstobedisabusedandnippedinthebudwithaheavyhand,asitisagainsttheapoliticalcultureandethosofthearmy.Ihavenodoubtthatthenewchiefwilldosoashispredecessorhasdone.IknowGeneralBikramSingh,justasIknewhispredecessorbeforehebecamethechief.Ihavegreatrespectforbothonaccountoftheirdiligence,characterqualitiesandprofessionalismofthehighestorder.TheycouldnothavereachedthishighestrankandpositionintheIndianArmywithoutthesesterlingqualities.Letmeciteanexamplethatwillperhapsshowcasethethinkingandmakeupofthenewchief.Aboutayearback,IhadabriefhaltatKolkataonmywaybackaftervisitingfivestatesofthenortheasternpartofourcountry.Overadrinkthathehadgraciouslyorganised,IaskedBikramwhathewasplanningtodoaboutthedateofbirthissuethathadalreadystartedappearinginthemedia,buthadnotreachedthecrescendoitreachedlater.Hisspontaneousreplywas-
Ifitismyluck,IwillcommandthearmybutifIamnotlucky,sobeit;Iwillnotdoanythingthatwillshowthearmyinanyadverselight
!Althoughtheoutgoingchiefisaccusedbysomeofrockingtheboat,mytakeisthattheboatneedednotonlytoberockedbutshakendrastically.Hehasexposedcorruptionintheministryofdefence,thedefencePSU
sandthearmsmafiathatwasshort-chargingthearmyandthenation;wasprovidingshoddyweaponsandequipment;andsiphoningoffthemeagerfundsavailableforthemodernisationofthearmedforces,whichweresharedbythecorruptofficialsandothers.Themiserablestateofmodernizationinthearmedforcesistestimonytothis.Thechiefhadalsoundertakentoimprovetheinternalhealthofthearmy;hehasdonesowithmissionaryzealandsparednoone,seniororjunior.Thetransformationofthearmyisanotherlongoutstandingmeasurethathascommenced.Constraintsofspacedonotpermitmetoaddmanyotherachievements.Thenewchiefwillneedtopursuethemwithvigour.Thebottomlineisthatwenowhavetothrowawayallthenegativesofthepastandsupportthenewchiefintakingthearmytoevengreaterheights.Knowinghim,Iamsanguinethatthiswillhappen.ThearmyGeneralVKSinghhandsovertoGeneralBikramSinghwouldbeachangedandbetterarmy
assertive,apoliticalandclean;anarmythatwillcontinuetoservethenationloyally,professionallyandwithoutevenawhiffofparochialactionsornepotism.ThewriterisaformerViceChiefofArmyStaff..ARTICLEPUBLISHEDBYDNAMUMBAISetasidedifferencesandsupportnewarmychiefLtGenVijayOberoi|Thursday,May31,2012GeneralBikramSinghisslatedtotakeoverasarmychiefonJune1,asGeneralVKSinghdemitsoffice.Thechangeofguardisamajoreventforthenationandiscomprehensivelycoveredbythemedia.Thistime,however,somuchhasalreadybeencoveredinthemediathatonewonderswhatisleftunsaid!However,theunavoidablepolarisationregardingthishighofficeneedstostopnow.Thechangeofcommandmustbeassignificantasithasalwaysbeen.For,wearetalkingaboutthefuturesecurityandwell-beingofthenation,aswellasofthemostenduringandthemostrespectedinstitutionofourcountry.Whilemanyhavegivendiverseopinionsonthesuccessionofthechiefs,Iamfirmlyoftheviewthatthechangeneedstobewelcomedbyall.Beinganoptimist,Iamoftheviewthatchange,irrespectiveofthecircumstancesinwhichittakesplace,alwaysaugerswellforthefuture.Boththeoutgoingandtheincomingchiefsaremenofhonour,whohaverisentothishighestappointmentbecauseoftheirdiligence,highestcharacterqualitiesandgreatprofessionalacumen.Therehaveundoubtedlybeenaberrationswherepetty-mindedindividuals,albeitholdingpublicappointmentsatex
Search
Search History:
Searching...
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
  • p.
    • Notes
    Load more