Corruption in Armed Forces: Sort out the Generals first

BY SHAILESH RANADE

The past two years have been a disaster for the Armed Forces, especially the Army. The drubbing they have received is worse than nuclear explosion over Hiroshima during WWII. In five years flat, Japan was up and running and catching up with the developed economies. The Indian Armed Forces are not likely to recover any time soon. In fact the situation is likely to get worse. This is because the destruction is not of government property like ships, tanks, and aircraft but of the only asset that the military officer has – moral fibre. When the officer loses his moral fibre, he is not in the military anymore. He only dresses like a military officer.

I hear arguments like, “the officers and men come from the same decaying Indian Society”. We don’t expect them to be honest, “when there is muck all around”. All these arguments are completely flawed. When a person joins the Academy as a Cadet, he is exposed to a culture which is completely different from the other careers that he can choose. If the same person were to choose Engineering, IT, Medical, Mass Media, Bollywood etc, he is in effect a part of the same decaying, scheming society that is run by the mafia and black money where cheating is the norm.

Indian-Generals-1

Everything the military man does is different. He stays separate from civilian populations. His mess is different. He dresses differently. His eating habits are different. He excels in table manners. His hospitals will be of better standards. He has no problem with availability of bread and water. His cantonment will be the most beautiful and cleanest place in town. His justice system is different and more efficient. More importantly, his work is different. Often 24x7x365. He can be recalled from leave if required. In disturbed areas or in times of war, he may not return home to his family. He also gets a gun salute at his funeral and flags will be flown at half mast.

The military man is made of different stuff and needs to be different. How is it that an “honest” Cadet turns into a “thief” General in 30 years? In fact I am willing to stick my neck out by stating that there are a lot more thieves in the higher ranks than have come out in the media. These are NOT aberrations any more. It is a trend. A disturbing trend, indeed.

The fish rots at the head first. So it is with the Armed Forces. (In this piece, Generals also include Admirals and Air Marshals. There are many more corrupt Generals than the latter two, hence the generalization). To win the war on corruption, the country needs to sort out the Generals first.

Thieving: It is often believed that Generals do not follow the rule book. When an Officer reaches the Flag Rank; he is free to do as he pleases. In fact it is his privilege, as some of his personal staff will mention. Mess Secretaries will often complain that Generals will take along tooth brush, toothpaste and bath room slippers when they vacate their rooms. When they vacate their houses, they will take along the carpets, curtains, and paintings etc which have been bought from Unit Funds. If the civilians don’t believe this, just watch what happens when the Flag Officers vacate their bungalows. It is brazen daylight robbery. Most Generals are simply petty thieves.

Punishment: Generals are often not punished for their misdemeanors or professional misconduct. Punishment is restricted to middle levels like Brigadiers and Colonels. Enough cases come to my mind. The loss of INS Andaman and Vindhyagiri in peacetime did not see any Admirals sink. The Kargil War did not see any Generals get the boot. The crash of 482 MiGs over the last 40 years has not grounded any Air Marshal.

ACRs: If a junior officer is ambitious to make it to Flag Rank, only two options are available.  Either he has to be the son of a senior military or government officer or he has to hitch a ride on the shoulders on a General by becoming his Staff Officer or ADC. The other attributes in the ACR do not matter. To have an outstanding ACR, you need to please only one person – your boss. The reviewing officers who “concur” would probably not know the officer on whom the ACR is rendered or he is not being honest. It would be a good idea, to have 360 degree reporting. The men who you Command should know what kind of a person they are promoting to General rank. ACRs should also be publicized. If an officer has done some good work, then the Unit, Division or Command should know about it.

Pay and Allowances: Military is the only career in the world where you can start only at the bottom. A person can never join the military at the level of a Brigadier or a Colonel. The reverse is possible. Enough military men have joined as Vice Presidents, General Managers, and Directors etc. Some have become entrepreneurs. I know of a JCO who is now a MD and employs 200 people. A few have joined politics. While a military man can join any profession he chooses, the reverse will almost certainly end in failure. Imagine hiring a Vice President from a top MNC Bank and making him the GOC of a Strike Corps or a Carrier Captain. The poor chap wouldn’t have a clue. The military man, by nature of his training is vastly superior and is often the last resort for any assistance. His pay and allowances therefore should not be linked to other sundry and mundane government jobs. If the military needs more pay, just give it without asking questions. Only a fool will chop his right hand. Can our Service Chiefs please speak up and convince the government? Incidentally, anyone ever heard of a Service Chief resigning to uphold the honour of his service or the welfare of his men?

Warrant of Precedence (WoP): Much is said about the WoP. A four star General is currently at No 12. Does it really matter whether he is at 12 or 25? In the US, the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff is at 50. In the UK, thanks to the Royalty, the Chief of Defence Staff is way behind. Since these are only Ceremonial positions, the pay and perks should not be linked to the Order of Precedence. It does not matter whether the General sits in the 1st row or 10th row. If a General who leads a million men into battle feels belittled, he may not attend such a function. But then he may forego his ambassadorship or governorship (next point).

Post Retirement Sinecure: A scrutiny of the list of Governors in India tells one a lot about the kind of people occupying these positions. Are these “gifts” for services already rendered? Frankly would a General really relish the job of a Governor where he is not better than a glorified servant? A few years ago, an Admiral willfully demoted himself to the level of a lowly Joint Secretary to occupy a position in New Zealand. What happened to the honor code? What hints are the men in uniform getting? And then they have the gall to crib about Warrant of Precedence?

Post Retirement Jobs: Senior Officers are expected to do something respectable once they hang their boots. They are expected to join professional bodies, give opinions, lecture on strategic issues, guide the youth, work for the under privileged etc. Instead we find that they have no qualms about pimping for arms lobbies and all kinds of nefarious activities. Flag Officers should be banned from positions in the Government and Private Sector. Give them a decent pension till they kick the bucket. If they want to make money as honest citizens, please leave the fauj as Colonels.

Land/Estates: Senior Officers have suddenly become dalals when it comes to land deals. The Adarsh, Sukhna land scams are well known. There are other areas too where defence land has been grabbed by private parties only because the lording General was hand in glove with vested interests. Apart from the odd Colonel in Adarsh, all the Officers involved are Flag Officers. In fact there are 3 Service Chiefs in the Adarsh Scam. “At no time did they know what Adarsh was about” says one Chief. Really? How innocent?  Speaks volumes about their situational awareness. These senior officers had the power to punish and dismiss personnel. Now they themselves are being marched before a Judicial Commission.

Statutory Complaints and Court Cases: Ask any Major General or equivalent. He will say that the military is a glorious profession. And when he is not promoted further, all hell breaks loose. A glorious profession suddenly becomes the worst profession in town. Generals too miss promotions and choice appointments. What follows is a flurry of complaints and court cases. Why be a bad loser and wash dirty linen? Not getting promoted does not mean the end of life. But it shows our senior officers as selfish, self serving individuals.

Generals are supposed to be held in awe. His every word is a Command. An order may even lead a jawan to his death. However, jawans these days are quite news conscious. They see their Generals spread-eagled on the front covers of national magazines. The Generals’ lack of morals greatly affects the morale of his juniors. In the future, jawans may begin to question every word of their senior officers. In fact the next war may have already been lost. The situation is critical. The next generation of Generals may well imbibe Tagore’s: “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”. Time to forget Chetwode.

I am sorry if this piece hurts honest Generals. I am sure there would be a few still left.

(Shailesh Ranade is a Guest Blogger with the Canary Trap. The opinions expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Canary Trap or any employee thereof)

55 responses to “Corruption in Armed Forces: Sort out the Generals first”

  1. Jasbir Singh Avatar
    Jasbir Singh

    The Army is up the shit creek. The accompanying pic does’nt leave much to imagination.

  2. Rakesh Avatar
    Rakesh

    I am a Naval Veteran of 25 years. I have not seen any Flag Officer who has been outside the ambit of Mr Ranade’s article. They either stole, told blatant lies, submitted fake claims, went to Courts, cheated in ACRs, took up silly jobs post-retirement jobs in the ship building industry, had fascination for free “duty free” liquor, made their furniture in dockyards etc. These were “in things”.

  3. Sachin Gulati Avatar
    Sachin Gulati

    For heavens sake, the Armed Forces are our last resort. The stink from the gangrene is unbearable. Immediate surgery is essential to remove the decayed parts.

  4. K Rastogi Avatar
    K Rastogi

    Our Senior Officers are lying scumbags who deliberately falsify reports to please their bosses. The whole system is rotten and sick to the core. I will not be surprised if an Army Chief gets Court Marshalled and goes to jail in the near future.

  5. Mohan Kumaraswamy Avatar
    Mohan Kumaraswamy

    Mr Ranade has kicked us in the right place.
    Atta scam, Rum scam, Sex scandal, Adarsh scam, Sukhna scam, Tatra Scam, Tehelka scam, Barak Scam, Scorpene scam, Gorshkov scam, NDA scam, Denel scam, Coffin scam, Awantipura scam, Diesel scam, ACR scam, Tilpat Range scam, Kalpatru Builders scam and even Scrap scam. Is anything left?
    The Armed Forces have seen it all. Its called Command Failure in developed countries.

  6. Sudhanshu Gore Avatar
    Sudhanshu Gore

    The root cause is the rat race coupled with the easy cash available from Unit Run Canteens. Like other professions, money power is used to move up the pecking order. This is where the Canteen comes in. Funds are used to bestow gifts and throwing lavish parties. The better the party, the better your ACR scores. Therefore you have Golf parties, Card parties, Tambola parties etc. Canteen Funds are not suject to external audit. The end result is an unethical and a thoroughly corrupt General. So it is with the Air Force and Navy.

  7. Radhika Kanwar Avatar
    Radhika Kanwar

    Is there any Senior Officer who can guide us like a beacon ? The last stalwart who could call a spade a spade and put the politicians in their place was Sam Manekshaw.
    We need an Army equivalent of Vinod Rai and Seshan. All talk of morale being high is military claptrap. The jawans have a sixth sense too.

    1. fazal Avatar
      fazal

      The last two generals who had vision and the tenacity to follow through as well as work for the organisation are Gen Sundarji and Gen B C Joshi. Another General who could have made a difference had he become the COAS but did not due to politics is Gen Aditya Singh. The loss is ours!!!

    2. Kunal Palande Avatar
      Kunal Palande

      Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat is quite highly rated in Naval Circles. He took on the combined might of the Defence Minister and Defence Bureaucrats. Unfortunately he was not supported by the then Army and Air Force Chiefs. The Admiral was sacked but that only raised his stature in the eyes of his men. In the end thats what matters to a Chief. What do the men feel about him ?

      1. Parasher Avatar
        Parasher

        Very true. In the end, every Flag Oficer must ask himself ” What do the men feel about him?. Thats what differentiates the men from the boys.

    3. Saint Sin Avatar
      Saint Sin

      Yawn. Sam ? remember Asia Pacific Company which bounced ?

  8. A Pillai Avatar
    A Pillai

    In the Navy we have a book called the Navy List. It is basically a list of all the Officers in the Navy according to seniority. Therefore, it starts with the senior most, namely the Chief, and runs into hundreds of pages to the lowly Sub Lieutenant. This is easily the most read book in the Navy. If one was to borrow a Navy List and glance through it, one would find red lines and crosses across names that have been superseded or not likely to make it further. The scheming and posturing starts as Lieutenant. The sole aim is to get ahead of your peers by hook or by crook. The most successful of them becomes an Admiral. He owes this position to the methods truly amplified by Mr. Ranade and NOT due to some war fighting skills or a Nelsonian brain.

  9. LP Singh Avatar
    LP Singh

    There is no pillar of the Constitution and no department of the government which is free from unethical practices. We had only two great pillars till recently – the Judiciary and the Armed Forces.
    Mr Shanti Bhushan recently stated that 8 out of 16 of the previous Supreme Court Chief Justices were definitely corrupt. Please note: Chief Justices and not just Justices.
    That left out only the Armed Forces. But with skeletons tumbling out at regular frequency, it appears that the “honest” Defence Officer is only a mirage. With a cohesive force such as the Armed Forces decaying, the death of India as a nation seems imminent.

  10. Amrendra Barua Avatar
    Amrendra Barua

    Gen VK Singh did sort out some Generals. Unfortunately time was not on his side. The UPA government colluded with alleged criminals by not extending his tenure. The entire Army is now divided vertically between the honest and dishonest. The PM, Def Min and all right thinking people should know what is good for the country.

    1. rahul Avatar
      rahul

      What stops him from filing a PIL???

  11. Aditya Avatar
    Aditya

    Mr Ranade’s article is a bullseye. Every line is correct. However the accompanying picture reveals more than the Playboy centrespread.
    Canary Trap scores a perfect 10. Congrats.

    1. Pushpa Avatar
      Pushpa

      As a Veteran’s wife, I strongly protest the non-inclusion of “Adarsh” Admirals and “Spying” Air Marshals. My blood boils when I see pictures of these thugs on any cover and for having spoilt the fair name of the Services.

  12. Abhilash Sharma Avatar
    Abhilash Sharma

    This article reminds me of the discussions on TV during Gen VK Singh’s last days in office. These discussions invariably had the same Senior Officers. As one military commentator put it:
    One General was a pencil chor. One Air Marshal had gone to Court. One General had run away with his senior’s wife. His family was also involved in the notorious Citi Bank fraud. One General had a fake Law Degree. One General was fired for womanizing. Despite their inglorious past they had the gall to preach to us lesser mortals. And worse, they were indicting the brave VK Singh. Ulta chor kotwal ko dante.

    1. Vivek Avatar
      Vivek

      The TV anchors must exercise due diligence. Its like getting Raja to talk about the telecom revolution in India or Ramalinga Raju to talk about outsourcing.
      It would be a good idea to have a list of discredited Senior Officers.

  13. Tikku Avatar
    Tikku

    In 1962 we had the moral courage but no equipment. In 2012 we have the equipment but no moral courage. It doesn’t require a genius to suggest that the situation is more dangerous now. The common factor is spineless military leadership.

  14. rajan Avatar
    rajan

    BE PROUD THAT THIS NATION SURVIVES IN THE WORLD SCENARIO AS THE BEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD ALSO THE MOST CORRUPTED DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD WHAT IS YOUR COMMENTS ON NATIONAL LEVEL/INTL LEVELS CORRUPTION BY BABBOJIS AND ANGOOTA NETHAS UNDER THE LORD MACALLES CULTURE IAS/IPS
    DONOT TOUCH THE SINCERITY OF OUR ARMRD FORCES THEY ARE TRUE TO THE CORE OTHERWISE THIS KASHMIR PROBLEM AND MANY NATIONAL PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN BOOTED OUTBY THESE JAWANS AND OFFICERS
    WHY DONT YOU JOIN ISI /ALQUIDA AND SUCH ANTI NATIONAL FORCES FOR YOUR HAPPINESS GAD BLESS OUR COUNTRY WE HAVE ENEMIES WITH IN

    1. Chatterjee Avatar
      Chatterjee

      The lower levels are by and large free of corruption. High level corruption has made the Army sick and may dent its sincerity. Perhaps you have not read the newspapers recently. There is no denying that the army is doing good work. They dont have to be corrupt at the same time and spoil their image.

  15. John Avatar
    John

    The latest is the ECHS Scam. Veterans have been denied treatment at empanelled hospitals because the bills have not been cleared. Even medicines are not available. ECHS was forced upon the Veterans and they had to pay a hefty contribution upon retirement. For a Havildar it is Rs 15000, while for a Lt Col it is Rs 60,000. Where has the money disappeared?

  16. Nitish Avatar
    Nitish

    Corruption has seeped into all spheres. Its almost impossible to do anything normal in life these days. Let God sort’em out. “The Lord knoweth them that are his”.

  17. Bhatia Avatar
    Bhatia

    Many people think that a brainy fauji is an oxymoron. Dispel the notion straightaway. The Indian Army always thinks out of the box.
    With a view to fight terrorism and tackle border intrusions, `special financial powers’ were delegated to Army Commanders to meet operational requirements. Some Engineer Regiments went out and procured nearly two dozen “silent reconnaissance vehicles for missions beyond enemy lines”. Another Commander sanctioned purchase of “Battery Operated Wheel Chairs” for transporting injured soldiers in military hospitals. These sophisticated equipment were actually “golf carts” disguised suitably to fool the auditors. These were all sent to golf courses in Delhi, Ambala, Chandimandir, Jalandhar and Amritsar and not meant for any terrorist busting activity as such.
    Other similar euphemisms are “Efficiency Enhancer” for an expensive office chair and “Dust Freeing Equipment” for an air conditioner.
    The Senior Officers have their own ways of meeting their pleasure requirements with public money.

  18. Mishra Avatar
    Mishra

    Are bhai pol mat kholo. Kahan muh chupaain

  19. Samiksha Avatar
    Samiksha

    There are enough Generals who write on military matters. Not one of them has ever commented on this grave issue. No need to rock your own boat, I guess. Play Ostrich gentlemen.

  20. AK Avatar
    AK

    Ranade is generally correct but yet very wrong; it is sad that even many honest Generals are also put in the same basket stinking of corruption. For example a few years ago in Jaipur we had a General who at the time of his departure on retirement, called all officers with ladies to his Command House for a cup of tea. During the tea, he asked all of us to go around and see how the command house, an institution in itself, was kept.
    We found everything spic n span. The curtains, many books, elegant furniture, excellent collection of many wines, scotch & single malts whiskies etc, expensive gifts given to the general by foreign generals who visited Jaipur…. there was everything in that house when he left in front of us.
    Then next day came his successor, whose family lived on the house for over two years. This general also added some nice items to the house. He, however, liked the items in the house so much that three months before his retirement he had everything (including the items bought in his own time) condemned and disposed off…. Do you need BRAINS to know that condemnation was a blatant act of corruption to show nothing on charge to hand over and take everything along? You don’t believe me; just go to his house in Gurgaon you will find everything there.
    ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’
    The first general and many of his kind must be hurt by Ranade more than the enemy bullets could have hurt them ever…. You know the epitomic- pinnacle of corruption displayed by Ranade also was on Tehelka cover beside occupying prime time on most TV News channels when Adarsh was the breaking news story; rumour alleged that this guy (I can’t call him a general) as brigadier was written off by a straight forward no non-sense GOC who wrote in his ACR that he needed to learn ‘how to command a platoon before he can command a formation’. Only a person of his caliber could have managed to get such ACRs set aside, to climb the height he did only to bring so much of vulgar shame and disgrace to the finest organistion in the world, called The Indian Army.
    Ranade, let me also tell you that what is happening in the Army is what the nation has asked for. Pay us poorly, slide our status with every pay commission resulting in even placing us, the Army Officers to serve under even gazetted class II officers as is happening in some places in MES and or under the civilians whose ACRs were earlier written by us as is happening in some cases in DRDO /other organizations where civilians and Army persons are serving together, what do you expect….. ? You have seen nothing……. at this rate ….. one day you will find the rank and file also following the Big Generals…. Whom will you sort out then? This could happen… because that is the way our nation functions….. You can’t be Anna while serving in the Army…. But let me end with the brighter side in sight that is the demand for transparency and also the internet /media to bring out the wrong doers to face the public …… this will also get our Army to act against anyone who still dares to follow the icon of corruption you have displayed…
    As a loyal army admirer let me tell you ‘All Will be Well’ even if presently I can’t say ‘All IS WELL’.
    AK

    1. Pancholi Avatar
      Pancholi

      You would have done the public a favour by naming the honest general.

    2. SRC Avatar
      SRC

      I agree with AK a lot.
      Shailesh Ranade would do well to write about why things have come to such a pass in the higher echelons of the Armed Forces.
      Why doesn’t he bring out the corruption that is rampant in the bureaucracy of civil servants.
      Why doesn’t he talk about the Presidents house being denuded of the official gifts and artifacts to be taken to a supposedly private museum.
      Why doesn’t he talk about the systemic deprivation meted out to the Armed Forces with each Pay Commission.
      Why doesn’t he talk about the fact that some civil servant (definitely with the connivance of his seniors) robbed the Service Officers of their Rank pay granted to them by the 4th Pay Commission. Why has he not been taken to task. Also, why the Government is still not paying the amount that has not been paid along with the 6% interest which the Hon’ble Supreme Court has given a verdict more than 2 years back.
      It seems it is a fad to write negative things about Generals/Admirals but why doesn’t he write about Secretaries who amass properties out of proportion, Secretaries who manipulate to become heads of committees/commissions so that they can keep drawing pay and perks even after retirement, Secretaries from whose plane currency notes fly when the plane in which they were travelling crashes and many such examples.
      Ranade as well as the people in Government & bureaucracy must remember the famous line by Kautilya to the King of Magadha, ” The day the soldier has to demand his dues will be a sad day for Magadha. For that day on you will have lost all moral sanction to be King.”

    3. rahul Avatar
      rahul

      AK are you hinting that the General was absolutely clean. Can you please let me know why his wife moved around in the Army vehicle and why did he have the so called ‘ORDERLIES’ since the start of his career. No central Govt rules of the Army Act (PDF available online) or any memorandum of the Govt of Army makes any provision for that. If he was so clean, why did he misuse/abuse the precious resources that came from taxes we paid. If he wanted more he should have asked the government to make provision for the same. So did he care for his men when he lived in Command house… an accommodation beyond the entitled scale whilst the same entitled scale was scavenged from the scale of his men. Why did he not dare to ask the government for more??? The armed forces are paid poorly coz they did not put their foot down when required. Being a Governor was more important than organisational pride. Tell me AK if you are a sincere officer and indeed a gentleman why did you not question the second General when he started his so called malicious process. Were you not capable of standing up to the reputation of an Officer? Tab kya akaal ghass charne gaye thi…… Baat karta hai!

  21. Himankshu Nag Avatar
    Himankshu Nag

    Some lessons from Sun Tzu for our leadership.
    – Those whose soldiers are strong but whose officers are weak, they crumble
    – When the generals are weak and lack authority…officers and soldiers lack consistency
    – Look upon your soldiers as you do infants, and they willingly go into deep valleys with you; look upon your soldiers as beloved children, and they willingly die with you.
    – When the civil leadership is ignorant of military affairs, the soldiers get confused. Once the armies are confused and hesitant, trouble comes from enemies

  22. Malthi Avatar
    Malthi

    I thought the military was full of saints. It now seems we have crooks defending our borders.

    1. AK Avatar
      AK

      Hey Malthi, Please don’t compound our HURT by writing that. It is sad that a few of us, particularly Lt Gens/ex COAS are /were like this. It hurts us much more than it could hurt you or any one. Some of us have never thought of any profession other than Army. My family History of Fauj is four generations; what do I answer my older generations?
      Please try and understand that greed has got better of some of us as they interacted and saw too much happening (in the darkness for others) in the bureaucracy /politician levels. In fact some of these guys were lured by the corrupt forces of so called bureaucracy-politicians nexus to make a fast buck. But worst was the guy shown by Ranade; as per Tehleka magazine he invited these forces and their agents to the top office. If Tehleka story was not correct he should have taken it to court. But no…. he prefers to keep quiet and left many us with our blood boiling at the shame he brought to us as organisation.
      Some one here commented, why don’t the generals speak out? Let me tell you by the time people put in 30 plus in uniform you are mature enough to realise that nothing can come out of such acts; besides they are compelled to keep quiet rather than showing own organisation, which they love, in poor light.

  23. Col Pant Avatar
    Col Pant

    Adarsh was the Perfect Scam. It was planned and executed by the military under the very nose of the local Army GOC and Naval C-in-C. The civilians came in much later. Therefore for the Service Chiefs to feign ignorance is an attempt to save their skin and possible public humiliation.

    1. Akbar Ahmed Avatar
      Akbar Ahmed

      absolutely!

  24. Kaushal Avatar
    Kaushal

    This article would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. The fact that someone wrote the article indicates how disappointed and ashamed some people in the military feel. This whole thing is so loathsome, sickening, repulsive, revolting, repugnant etc.

  25. Sharmila Chaturvedi Avatar
    Sharmila Chaturvedi

    Thanks to the falling status and no Mai-Baap, the Armed Forces are the last resort of the unemployed in India. It is just seen as another sarkari job. Nothing to do with honour and glory.

    1. Akbar Ahmed Avatar
      Akbar Ahmed

      Its just another kendriya sarkar ki naukri

  26. Tarun Avatar
    Tarun

    It is possible that these Service Chiefs have reached where they are today through a rotten decaying military escalator. I have only one advice for them: It is better to live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a sheep.
    Are you upto the job. You decide.

  27. Shivraj Singh Avatar
    Shivraj Singh

    When I was a cadet, my Divisional Officer taught me that the military maintains a neutral stance with respect to politics. Writing letters to politicians is strictly abhorred. One Navy Chief crossed this lakhsman rekha when he wrote to the Chief Minister of Haryana on his official letter head on May 22, 2009. “It is very heartening to see the excellent results of the Congress party under your stewardship, with a clean sweep of all Lok Sabha seats comfortably. Please accept my heartiest congratulations on this wonderful performance in the general elections. I am sure this is public affirmation of the systematic implementation of your development plans in the state,”
    Now it gets worse. The Admiral was actually seeking a plot of land to “help me firm up my settlement plans” after retirement.
    He is also the same Chief who went to NZ as High Commissioner. Mr Ranade is correct.

    1. Pancholi Avatar
      Pancholi

      The cost of Carrier Gorshkov went up from the original Rs 4000 crores in 2004 to Rs 12000 crores. Since October 2007, the MoD has not cooperated with the CAG. The queries by CAG were always stonewalled. Now you know why this gentleman went to NZ. I believe he has since returned, but we still dont have the carrier.

  28. Pradeep Avatar
    Pradeep

    The top 90% is corrupt. The balance 10% which is honest will fall by the way side. Gen VKS was lucky.

  29. Sobti Avatar
    Sobti

    Can some military expert kindly identify the men in the picture above wearing military dress?

    1. kartik Avatar
      kartik

      one of them is the famous Gen deepak kapoor

      1. AK Avatar
        AK

        Come on Kartik, Bringing so much shame to the Army; appearing on Tehlaka cover page for being corrupt…. you still call him a famous general?

  30. Capt (Retd) Pisharody Avatar
    Capt (Retd) Pisharody

    While ANNA HAZARE and RAMDEV are sorting out the civilians, it is left to us veterans to sort out our Generals, both serving and retired. These Generals made themselves fat by feeding themselves off the troop rations and other desperately needed equipment. While ANNA HAZARE names and shames the civilian leadership, we should also name and shame our discredited Senior Officers. There are enough names circulating on the web.

  31. kartik Avatar
    kartik

    Thieving: It is often believed that Generals do not follow the rule book. When an Officer reaches the Flag Rank; he is free to do as he pleases. In fact it is his privilege, as some of his personal staff will mention. Mess Secretaries will often complain that Generals will take along tooth brush, toothpaste and bath room slippers when they vacate their rooms. When they vacate their houses, they will take along the carpets, curtains, and paintings etc which have been bought from Unit Funds. If the civilians don’t believe this, just watch what happens when the Flag Officers vacate their bungalows. It is brazen daylight robbery. Most Generals are simply petty thieves.

    NO ONE CAN WRITE THE TRUTH LIKE THIS. IT SEEMS YOU HAVE GOT REAL GUTS

    1. Mani Avatar
      Mani

      Very simple to prove. Check the account books and ledgers. In my home curtains last for 10 years. Carpets last for 15 years. Paintings last for life. In Flag Officer houses, these last only as long as the person is living in that house.

  32. Deshwal Avatar
    Deshwal

    THUMBS UP TO THE ORDINARY FAUJI ON THE SARHAD. THUMBS DOWN TO THE CORRUPT OFFICERS ON THE GOLF COURSE.

  33. SRC Avatar
    SRC

    Can Shri Shailesh Ranade write an article like the one being appended below :

    In an article written two days before the swearing-in of Barack Obama, his
    wife Michelle devoted 515 out of 863 words to the soldiers and their
    families. She wrote – “So as I watch Barack take that oath, I’ll be thinking especially
    about those members of our American family who stand guard across the world
    and the loved ones who await their safe return.…. My husband and I are
    deeply grateful for the sacrifices that these families make to protect all
    American families. And we join them – today and every day – in praying for
    their loved ones and their safety. They don’t ask a lot in return, just a
    Washington that understands the challenges they face as part of their
    extraordinary commitment to our country…My husband understands that
    commitment, and he will ensure America lives up to its end,” she wrote.

    “On Tuesday night, my husband and I will tuck in our daughters like we
    always do. Their bedrooms will be different, their home unfamiliar. But they
    will drift off to sleep protected by that same sacrifice that has kept all
    of our families safe and safeguarded our freedom for generations — the
    sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and their families….For that, we
    could not be more grateful – or more proud,” she added.

    Now let us compare the above with the state of affairs in India . Can anyone
    recall a similar expression of sentiments by a national figure? Except for
    perfunctory platitudes on Independence Day, the Government has singularly
    failed to show compassion for the soldiers or tried to redress their genuine
    grievances. Apathetic political leadership and bureaucracy have made no
    attempt to understand the intensity of sense of hurt of the soldiers at
    their continued neglect and deliberate degradation.

  34. Subedar Major Bhattacharya Avatar
    Subedar Major Bhattacharya

    Hamari Army kahan pahunch gayi hai. Tejinder Singh Saab ne gen vk singh se kaha tha ki aap ke pehle general ne khaya hai aur aap ke baad bhi khayenge. Yeh to cancer jaise faill raha he

  35. Bakshish Singh Avatar
    Bakshish Singh

    Senior officers have started placing their personal career prospects above national or institutional interests. They prefer to keep quiet rather than speak up for the service. It is now for the honest lower echelons to speak up and disclose the murky details. No corrupt senior officer should feel he is safe. Please blow the whistle. The Sukhna Scam is a great example where the army offficers themselves blew the whistle.

  36. Vinay Avatar
    Vinay

    It is good to see a lot of these articles appearing on the web. Serving Oficers and Veterans have finally woken up to this shameless state of affairs. Any insider will tell you that there is massive corruption in the Army, Navy and Airforce. The core is completely rotten and if not checked soon, will rapidly spread to the healthy, innocent younger officers. Only our own corruption can destroy us and cause our armed forces to be defeated without fighting.

  37. […] Corruption in Armed Forces: Sort out the Generals first […]