With websites including Flipkart, Rediff and E-bay taking pre-orders and announcing November 7 as the launch date, General VK Singh’s autobiography is expected to arrive in the capital during the Diwali week with a bang. Aptly titled ‘Courage & Conviction’, the former Army Chief graces the cover in ceremonial Blue Patrols.
The book is being published by David Davidar’s publishing house, Aleph, which has a distribution and marketing tie up with Kapish Mehra’s Rupa & Co. Though General VK Singh and his co-author, Kunal Verma refused comment on the contents of the book, most industry watchers are unanimous in the opinion that the book will leapfrog to the top of the best seller rankings. Those who are privy to the books contents claim that not only is the matter explosive, the autobiography has been superbly written, giving a clear picture of the General and what he has stood for, in a manner that has been the hallmark of the man.
Ever since VK Singh took charge of the 1.3 million strong Army from General Deepak Kapoor, it is perceived by many that elements within the Army, tainted by the Sukhna and Adarsh scams, launched an all out campaign to destroy the man. Despite clear cut proof (in the form of his school leaving certificate) that he was born in 1951, Deepak Kapoor’s predecessor, General JJ Singh decreed that VK Singh was born in 1950, hence restricting his tenure within the Army and clearing the way for General Bikram Singh as VK Singh’s successor. It is widely believed that elements within the PMO encouraged JJ Singh to set into place an ‘established line of succession’, that also saw the abrupt end to other officers who were ahead of Bikram Singh in the race for the top job. It remains to be seen if VK Singh actually names JJ Singh and the others in the book who allegedly tweaked events to stymie the General, widely seen as a no-nonsense soldier who would fight for what he believed in.
Ever since Independence, civil-military relations have been extremely tenuous with the bureaucracy slowly and steadily playing on the political establishment’s inherent phobia to increase its own hold on the Armed Forces. This combined with the pressures from Defence lobbies have further crippled the Indian defence establishment that faces two hostile countries on its Western and Northern borders. Unlike VK Singh’s predecessors who were quite content to keep their mouths shut in the hope of plum after retirement jobs, the General has been extremely vocal about the shortcomings in the Army and had pointed this out to the Prime Minister in his subsequently ‘leaked’ letter.
VK Singh was blamed by many Parliamentarians of leaking the letter, with Laloo Prasad Yadav even calling for his immediate sacking. The Press Trust of India (PTI) had subsequently reported that the leak had emanated from within the PMO itself and had named a lady bureaucrat.
An extract from the book released by Aleph earlier in the book in its catalogue had VK Singh talking of his experience of the Bangladesh War where as a young officer he was a part of 2 Rajput that liberated Chittagong. Details pertaining to ‘Race improvement camps’ where pregnant Bengali women begged the Indian Army to shoot them and Pakistani brutality and war crimes will almost certainly impact neighbouring countries. Bangladesh is expected to go to the polls later this year.
As speculation mounts on the contents of the book, certain editors and journalists who have been used by those hostile to the General to make wild charges against him are perhaps the most nervous. Frantic attempts are being made to get advance copies. Given the tweets by the General in the recent past to ‘expose’ nefarious financial deals of a newspaper editor may also figure in the book.
Aleph has made elaborate security arrangements to keep a tight lid on the contents of the book. It is believed that a dummy manuscript has been planted in certain circles to not only throw off some investigative reporters, but also make them look extremely silly for a completely different version is likely to emerge in print.
7 Comments
What else you expect VK to write, that he lied?
The highest court of India has called him ‘Liar’ indirectly, and now this politically motivated blog wants us to beleive this ???
I am also a victim of age not corrected, in the Army. I was born on 14 Apr, but where as it is entered as 1 apr. All my representation has gone to deaf ears. So its wrong to say that he is wrong. Its the way even the most discipline force works. Then you can imagine about the CIVIL services.
Democracy is about hearing perspectives and coming to a conclusion . it should not be onesided. vk singh has his rights to say.
I am also a victim of age not corrected, in the Army. I was born on 14 Apr, but where as it is entered as 1 apr. All my representation has gone to deaf ears. So its wrong to say that he is wrong. Its the way even the most discipline force works. Then you can imagine about the CIVIL services.
I am sure that our David Davidar who is also from the same school from where I also was EDUCATED. He will also agree that Sainik Schools don’t teach wrong things in life.
Did any one write your ACR as 1 Apr. Did you get any award as 1 Apr. Shame biased man supporting conspirators.
http://papyrustony.blogspot.in/2013/10/kuldeep-nayar-v-k-singhthe-indian.html— VK Singh retired and then joined politics So do you grudge that? .He also chose to take on the established lobby which runs the Country (or should it be ‘ruins’ the Country ) .You have forgotten Lieutenant (Junior Grade ) John Kennedy here . 15 American Presidents served with Army/Army Reserve , followed by 9 who served State Militias , 6 in the Navy/Naval Reserve and 2 with the Continental Army . And the President of the U S of A is also the Supreme Commander.We too have something like that , with powers vested in our President and the Raksha Mantri whose knowledge of military matters———-forget it ,we will not discuss it further.Then we have the MoD which has nothing in common with the Services or any interest in military matters or defence of the Country!!There is also a Government which is hell bent on taking the Nation to the stone age. The whole issue arose as one man finally decided to stand up to his convictions. Why, Sir , does the paid media single out service people for joining politics-why not IAS,IPS or any government functionary for that matter ? There is nothing to be surprised in the canard being spread by vested parties , see what happened to Khemka, Durga Nagpal and Satyandra Dubey . Sad , very sad.And would you rather praise the Bureaucrats,Godmen and Politicians rather than a man on whom not a single aspersion of dishonesty and lack of probity could be slapped on??!!
Should we not as citizens of this Country find out how many of our politicians and bureaucrats , who interfere in every democratic process , have any military service and how many of our MPs/ MLAs have siblings who have joined the Forces???After all , the netas want to serve the Nation don’t they??It is very easy for the hierarchy to destroy a man and his reputation.You actually give credence to the garbage about that hush hush intelligence unit and its task of toppling a state government and snooping on the conversations of the PM,CM ,RM et all . Are you really believing the hysterical outbursts of Farooq Abdullah and his son that the erstwhile Chief and the Army were planning a ‘SASISH’ of sorts!?From where do the funds for Army run medical camps for the civilian population come from?Who funds the building of bridges in remote areas for the civilian population?Who makes and funds playgrounds in isolated villages and hamlets??Who pays for the J&K youth taken on ‘All India Tours’ as part of the Sadhbhavna initiative??It is the Army which is funding all this or if you want , you may say that the Army is indirectly funding the State or the Government or its Ministers!!!You really think that the correct decision was taken by the Court in the DoB controversy??Read the whole issue again and you will realise how the Govt and the MoD mishandled the entire thing!!
http://papyrustony.blogspot.in/2013/09/yellow-journalism-at-its-best-chapter.html
“Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue. When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion–when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing–when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors–when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you–when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice–you may know that your society is doomed. Money is so noble a medium that does not compete with guns and it does not make terms with brutality. It will not permit a country to survive as half-property, half-loot”–AYN RAND
NOTE: This article is no defence of Gen VK Singh or for of any wrong doing or misdemeanor attributed to any serving or retired Military Officer. It is just to bring out the injustice in having two sets of rules, one for the Mantri ‘s and one for the Common Man.It is also to bring out that the Media and Journalists , need not be always unbiased and objective , as we are prone to believe