Army Chief, Gen Bikram Singh, who took over the top post on 1st June, has started making his own choices for some of the most crucial appointments in the top hierarchy.
According to well-informed sources, Gen Bikram Singh intends to replace the current Director General Military Operations (DGMO), Lt Gen Ashok Choudhury.
Lt Gen Choudhury, whose name was twice proposed by the previous Chief Gen VK Singh for the post of Director General Assam Rifles–but was rejected by the Defence Ministry–may be shifted out as GOC of an area in the East.
If that happens it would be one of the rare such moves as three star officers who function as Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) in the Army HQ, normally retire from there.
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| Gen Bikram Singh in Eastern Ladakh on Saturday: Photo: Courtesy: Indian Army |
This transfer–if it materialises–would be seen as a downgrade for the current DGMO.
Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia, currently Director General, Infantry is tipped to replace Lt Gen Choudhury. Lt Gen Bhatia, a paratrooper, was the 33 Corps Commander before taking over as DG Infantry late in 2011.
Lt Gen KS Bajwa, currently Commandant Infantry School at Mhow may take over as DG, Infantry.
Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, currently at the Strategic Forces Command, may take over as DG, Assam Rifles.
It is not known who will replace him at SFC and Lt Gen Bajwa at the Infantry School, if the proposed postings go through.
Interestingly, Lt Gens Bhatia, Bajwa and Ranbir Singh have worked closely with Gen Bikram Singh during his stint as Eastern Army Commander. While Lt Gen Bhatia was GOC, 33 Corps, based at Sukna, Lt Gen Bajwa was Chief of Staff and Lt Gen Ranbir Singh was MGGS ( Major General, General Staff) with the current Army Chief in Fort Williams.
The new appointments, proposed last week, are currently with the Defence Ministry.
Once implemented, Gen Biram Singh would have put the stamp of his authority over the top hierarchy.
While eyebrows may be raised over the downgrading of the current DGMO–if that happens–the Army Chief is well within his rights to choose his own team.
Past Chiefs have brought in their own choices in crucial appointments. Apart from these top changes, several new divisional and Corps Commanders will be selected in the next six months as tenures of incumbent officers get completed and new promotions take place.
August 20, 2012 -
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August 20, 2012 -
So much so for Merit and continuity being the prime consideration for key appointments as DG MO and DG Infantry.As rightly said in the blog, DG MOs retire and are never downgraded and DG Infantry is a key appointment in view of the F INSAS program..What do we read out of this?Just a new team in place – for pliable decisions or do the proposed 3 Star officers have greater merit and integrity than the incumbents?One would dare say, Gen BS may be setting a rather tricky precedence.God Bless the Indian Army
August 24, 2012 -
The current DGMO has been viewed very much as a VK man and though nothing has been proved in the public domain, there is a cloud of suspicion regarding his role in the troop movements of 16/17th Jan.Every COAS likes to have his own men in key positions and more so in the DGMO position. So in moving Lt Gen Chowdhary, I dont think Gen BS is doing anything his predecessors havnt done. However the DGMO is a PSO -a quasi official level in between corps commanders in the field/DG's at AHQ and the Army Commanders. I could well understand him moving to another not so prominent a PSO position like QMG/MGO. But as your report says he's most likely heading East to take over an area- what are the options …101 Com Zone , Goc Bengal Area – the rest of the Army will see it as a demotion and a slap in the face of the General Officer.Maybe Gen BS knows more than us about Gen Choudhary and has got him by the short and curlies. Maybe he doesnt want to rake up the whole VK issue again and is putting Lt Gen Choudhary out to pasture. Otherwise any self respecting General Officer in this situation would resign.Look at the case of Lt Gen RK Kochhar who was a PSO as QMG in the late sixties and put in his papers when he was being posted as Corps Commander.There is definitely more than what meets the eye and we ,the public, look to investigative journalists like you to get us the answers.
August 24, 2012 -
So, the army is again in the news? Or as my friends would tritely say; when did it ever move out of the horizon? Either way, our so called investigative journalists never seem to tire of our soldiers. I guess, where else would you get juicy gossip. For a long time the military was pasted on the TV screens virtually on a daily basis – DOB controversy, state of weapons, information leaks, lands scams and lately – suicides and mobile tower activists – the list goes on! whew! And now, here we are, trying to smell a rat in placement of senior level officers! Come to think of it folks, isn’t three months a fairly long time, Am sure BS knows what he’s doing. Let’s grant some wisdom to our military hierarchy! If someone moves out, is n’t it only too logical for someone else to move in? But I guess there is no end to our appetite for speculation; for isn’t there a Sherlock Holmes lurking in each one of us? There are far more cataclysmic events happening in India and the world – shouldn’t you shift gear and offer wisdom on those issues – what say?
August 24, 2012 -
Sunder,Since you know the military better than me, please tell me an instance where a senior officer in important posts such as DGMO, DGMI, Vice Chief or even QMG, or MGO been moved out barely eight months into their job?I can recall Lt. Gen DH Summanwar, then DGMI, being unceremoniously being packed off to Pune after then then Chief Gen JJ Singh refused to hold his hand over a trivial incident that had a verbal sanction from him. That time, the media had gone to town. Now, one factual report by me (without any garnishing) has got many veterans and serving officers upset. But I urge you to read the complete blog, particularly this portion:”While eyebrows may be raised over the downgrading of the current DGMO–if that happens–the Army Chief is well within his rights to choose his own team.Past Chiefs have brought in their own choices in crucial appointments.”Nowhere have I questioned the new chief's right to appoint his own men. So why this angst?I have said this earlier: I will fight the injustice meted out to the armed forces to the best of my ability but don't take away my right to question or comment on the armed forces.
August 25, 2012 -
Nitin bhai,Nice discussion up there. While all of you have valid points, the wrong part is that your blog entry, which as per you is 'factual', has left a lot of things up for discussion. no one writes such 'facts' when the Babu mandali changes staff under them, or when the Neta party churns up their entire departments. Its all well till the time it becomes news and the wise men discuss it at night at 9 pm and make much about nothing. I am sure there is a lot to report out there besides in-consequential 'tabadle'.Rajeev.
August 26, 2012 -
Dear Nitin, I am a student from North East, passout of Sainik School and only recently gave up on my dreams and aspirations of joining Army, after not making the cut in NDA & IMA. I am dissapointed on not being able to join Army, however, my love for uniformed services has however not diminshed. I am part of modern youth, who are in touch with the world through news and analysis, available through many sites and blogs on net. I am now based in Delhi. What has hurt me based on the content of your blog is invocation of “Trivia” into the administration and postings of senior army officers. After going through your blog, it makes me wonder, if the reportage is a result of lack of juicy and spicy news. Well, what then is the “investigative journalist” left to report on, other than come out on stories trivialising the institution of army chief. Is the chief an interior designer, who is left with no other job but “re arrange the furniture” and interiors of his office after becoming chief? I am exasperated by such reports. I have always followed your blogs and articles. I also admired your reports on NDTV as balanced. You did a gr8 job during the General V K Singh's tenure. But now I am left to wonder, if it is “nostalgia” or the affliction of “stockholme syndrome” vis-a-vis your balanced reportage during general singh's period? A journalist should never be seen as part of any particular “camp”. This sort of below the belt reporting, suggests very much the same. It is difficult to comment on general Bikram's actions as he seems more focussed on running the army rather than addressing his army through media. The contrast of his tenure vis-a-vis his predecessor, in terms of media srutiny is quite distinct. Why not give the present chief a chance to function in the way he seems appropriate rather than functiong the way you deem fit, with the officers you think are right. Leprom Arobindo
August 26, 2012 -
Dear Rajeev,Its not my remit to write about what happens outside my 'beat.' That having said I can cite at least half a dozen detailed analyses/news items when Pulok Chatterjee took over as Principal Secy to PM. Or when Chidambaram took over as finance minister and changed the entire team of bureaucrats. Or more recently when Arup Patnaik was kicked upstairs as DGP in Maharashtra.The problem with members of armed forces is that most want write ups about themselves all right but only if they are flattering.So when we write about changes made by Chief XYZ in policy matters, nobody seems to mind since it shows the particular chief in good light. But the moment a write up like this appears, people close to the powers that be are up in arms!Please learn to accept praise and criticism in equal measure
August 26, 2012 -
Dear Arobindo,I am glad some one as young as you is keeping track of the goings on in the armed forces. That having said, I am afraid you haven't fully understood the function of the media. I am, by no stretch of imagination, an “investigative journalist,” as you seem to think. By nature, journalism is all about digging out facts and interpreting them and therefore has an in-built element of investigation.I want to ask: Why do you think this is “below the belt” reporting.” A DGMO is not an ordinary position. How many times have you heard DGMOs or for that matter PSOs being changed? There have been objections from Army HQ too to my report. But when I ask them to refute factual points in my blog, there is none forthcoming. If the Chief has the right to reshuffle his pack–as I have acknowledged in the blog itself–than don't take away my right to interpret the moves at the highest level.As for Stockholm syndrome vis-a-vis VK Singh, you will have to go back a little and realise that I have interviewed, written about and commented upon at least seven Chiefs across three services since 2006. If I was seen as part of one camp alone, as you seem to suggest, then as diverse personalities as Gens JJ Singh Deepak Kapoor and VK Singh, Adm Nirmal Verma, ACM SP Tyagi, FH Major and PV Naik would not have granted me interviews, not once but at least twice. Also when Gen VK Singh showed undue favours to his Rajput Regiment officers, I was the first one to point that out, for your information.The problem is: Armed Forces are too thin skinned and want only positive coverage ALL the time, which is not possible.That having said I can cite at least half a dozen detailed analyses/news items when Pulok Chatterjee took over as Principal Secy to PM. Or when Chidambaram took over as finance minister and changed the entire team of bureaucrats. Or more recently when Arup Patnaik was kicked upstairs as DGP in Maharashtra.The problem with members of armed forces is that most want write ups about themselves all right but only if they are flattering.So when we write about changes made by Chief XYZ in policy matters, nobody seems to mind since it shows the particular chief in good light. None of you commented when I took up the issue of OROP and NFU not even a month ago?But the moment a write up like this appears, people close to the powers that be are up in arms!Please learn to accept praise and criticism in equal measure.At the end of the day, postings of DGs in Army or the other two services is “not a matter of rearranging furniture,” as you seem to suggest. I will be happy to hear from you.Best
August 26, 2012 -
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August 26, 2012 -
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