It is nothing less than a national shame that of all the people Pakistani press and media is speculating on the age controversy of the current Indian Army Chief Gen VK Singh and its affect on the morale of the rank and file of the second largest Army.

THIS IS happening when this entire issue is a non-issue. It is common knowledge to all that the SSC, Higher Secondary or 12th Standard Board certificates serve as unimpeachable records confirming one’s date of birth .The Supreme Court, too, has ruled so in unambiguous terms. Gen Singh entered Birla Public School with his date of birth (DOB) showing as 10 May 1951. His provisional matriculation certificate also carries the same date.

The date change controversy originated with one of his teachers, BS Bhatnagar, who was keen on sending the maximum number of students to the National Defence Academy (NDA). The forms with the wrong birth date 10 May 1950 were filled by him. Bhatnagar went on to become principal of Lawrence School, Lovedale, and has since admitted that the error was his.

In Army, right from the time an officer enters the training academy till he retires and even after that, all records are maintained by the Adjutant General (AG) Branch. It is this Branch that enjoys the legal sanctity on age authenticication. The AG branch based on his matriculation certificate has all along recorded Gen VK Singh’s age as 10 May 1951.So where is the controversy ?

The controversary has been created by the Military Secretary Branch in 2008, whose Army List depicts date of Birth of Gen VK Singh as 10 May 1950.This Branch works in close coordination with the Army Chief and only a very trusted hand of the Army Chief gets posted as Military Secretary. It deals with postings, promotions, deputations, and retirement of all officers and is not the legal repository or otherwise of personal and family details of an officer. In other words Army list does not get precedence over the records maintained by AG Branch.

In the Indian Army, after the rank of Major, all promotions are done by a system of deep selection. Each such selection is made by a promotion board. To reach the rank of Lieutenant General and then Army commander of Eastern Command Gen VK Singh underwent six promotion boards. In each of these Boards his DOB was shown by MS Branch as 10 May 1951.Then why this controversary now ?

Reasons are not far to seek. When Gen VK Singh took over as Army Chief Indian Army was buffeted with the famous Sukna land scam, whereby a private party was given the right to set up an educational institution on government land. Since the Army had an important corps stationed near Sukna, its NOC was vital to this project. The person who allegedly played a key role in the scam was the Military Secretary Himself. He, along with many other senior Army Officers, are currently facing court martial. All these were the blue-eyed boys of then Army Chief General Deepak Kapur of the Adarsh Society scam fame.

Further, it was the current army Chief Gen VK Singh who then was the Eastern Army Commander under whom this Sukhna Corps came. Gen VK Singh enjoys a very up right and honest image. Against very heavy pressure to let go these scamsters lightly, he insisted on heavy punishment to set an example. Needless to say this was against the wishes of Gen Deepak Kapoor who initially wanted only administrative action. It was only after the intervention of the Defense Minister AK Antony a politician with clean and honest image that Kapoor relented.

It is this lobby, which is involved in these behind-the-scene maneuvers against Gen VK Singh.

They have been rattled by this upright and honest team of Defence Minister AK Antony and Gen VK Singh. Gen VK Singh when he took over as Army Chief had pledged that he will cleanse the Army of these scams and under hand deals. Till now he has lived up to his promise. Gen VK Singh is also proving anathema to those Arms dealers, their political masters and lobbyist who are unable to get shady arms deals through. Reportedly, some ambitious senior army officers who immensely benefit from the early departure of Gen VK Singh are directly hob knobbing with Law Ministry for his early departure.

One fails to understand why the current UPA Government is allowing this controversary to rage thereby badly affecting the morale of the Army and impinging on its discipline. If Gen Kayani the Pakistani Army Chief can get a three-year extension, the Chief Secretary of India can get one year extension - then what stops the current government from accepting the legitimate age of Gen VK Sing as 10 May 1951? Let there be no delay now. Let our enemies not benefit from this most important national security issue.