IT IS a matter of great concern that Army Chief General VK Singh is setting a very wrong precedent by moving to the Court of Law, instead of making an appeal to her majesty, the supreme commander of the armed forces, President Pratibha Patil.

Now what is the difference between an Army Chief and an Indian Politician? He too behaved like a politician who for any issue not appealing him will move to a court. In the past decades, we didn’t have proper control on the issuance of birth certificates and parents would provide wrong dates and even years.

Now we have a proper system in place but still some parents would enter the wrong date of birth of their wards so that they meet the required age bar in some reputed schools. Same is the case with our army chief, General VK Singh, who is seen as a victim of such an attempt. At the time of joining Indian Military Academy, Dehradun or National Defense Academy, Kharkwasla, Pune, wrong date of birth has been recorded, either intentionally or by a slip.

Now the question arises that when our General got to know about this discrepancy, why he did not take up the matter with the Ministry of Defense at that time itself? What forced him to wait?

It sounds completely bizarre that a man of such a big rank only raises the issue; when he is due to retire. The norm is that he has to approach the President of India, who heads the armed forces, after the defense ministry but he has chose to supersede the august institution.

It is completely astonishing that an army officer, with the rank of the chief of staff approaches the court of law. A common man might wonder at the sudden disappearance of all the training, he was imparted at the IMA/NDA.

For a brave and a respected officer, the best alternative, instead of knocking the door of the Supreme Court should have been a quiet, graceful and voluntary retirement.