General V K Singh says it is not just a question of 'fixing' him: Email interview with Chitra Subramaniam
February 25, 2014
In an email interview to TNM, General VK Singh explains why he wrote letters to the Home Minister.
General V K Singh's interview.
Question- You have given a letter to the MHA. What is your expectation from the Home Minister?
Answer- Home Minister Shinde must realize the gravity of the complaint. It is only the State that can do a detailed investigation on issues/offences like sedition, treason etc. Among other things, it is also gross violation of the Official Secrets Act. In any democracy, Civil-Military relations are a fine balance and in this case, we have people who have deliberately played havoc with a clear agenda. It's not just a question of 'fixing' VK Singh, its a clear violation of journalistic ethics. The facts are so glaringly obvious that any reasonable enquiry will immediately expose the entire nexus between the Arms lobby and certain key bureaucrats/politicians who have then used certain pliable media people to do their bidding. My expectation is that the entire matter should be fairly and expeditiously investigated and exemplary action taken against the culprits so that any further festering of the grievous wound on the nation is prevented.
Question- Have any efforts been made by the MHA to connect with you, informally or otherwise, on your letters?
Answer- UNFORTUNATELY, NO.
Question- How long are you willing to wait?
Answer- I have waited enough. This mysterious delay in investigating the complaint and ascertaining the fact has emboldened the agenda-men to pursue with their treasonous activities without fear. The recent Indian Express reportage containing total falsehood and manipulation is a case in point. Shekhar Gupta had blatantly distorted the interview of former DGMO Lt. General Choudhry and what is worse, creating bad blood between the Army and Air Force by quoting former IAF Chief out of context. Today, a paranoid Shekhar Gupta is desperate to link the dots - any dots. One can only pity him. But he and his ilk cannot be pardoned.
Question-Within the limits of what you can share, what is your next step?
Answer-This demand for an enquiry is not about me. It has more to do with protecting the Institutional Integrity of the Armed Forces and the security of the nation. What we are dealing with here is nothing short of treason. Surely, it must be investigated. You find something against me, I'll take it on the chest. But if these people are guilty, as they most certainly are, why are you shying away from taking any action? I think in most parts of the world treason is perhaps one of the most heinous of crimes. We will proceed within the confines of law after taking appropriate legal opinion.
Question-There are two issues here. a) your personal credibility and b) the credibility of the Indian army. Both are serious and together raise many issues. Can you outline some of these?
Answer- I think I have already partly answered that. The single biggest fallout of the age issue was the institutional damage that was done by those who played this card with scant regard to its consequences. It's a well documented fact that this issue only came to the fore after I was promoted to the rank of Lt General. I didn't know the whys or the whats of it then. I had no choice but to represent against this blatant manipulation and fight it from within the system. I fought it as best as I could as a Corps Commander, as an Army Commander and then as the COAS. I exercised all the options that were available to me within the system. If the system could do something like this to the Chief of Army Staff, what message is being given to the rank and file down the chain of command? Yes, the credibility of the Indian Army is indeed at stake.
Question- A situation like this would not be allowed to linger in any self-respecting democracy. Either the COAS or equivalent is right or he is wrong. Why is the PMO silent?
Answer-I think the PM and the RM have to realize what is at stake here. What are they afraid of? Ten years at the helm of affairs is a long time for any Prime Minister. If not him, surely the PMO and those who surround him owe it to the country to uncover the truth. You start investigating the people I have named in the complaint and see which apples drop near the tree. This is not being done. There is something very rotten in the PMO.
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