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| War within friends; not foes | | ( Generals are Generally Right even if Querulous) | | Retd Col J P Singh | 4/7/2012 11:08:58 PM |
| It is no secret that putrid stench of corruption is all pervasive in all systems of our govt including in all defence deals form Bofors to Rafale fighters aircrafts to Tatras and sub marines and that is why octogenarian Gandhian Anna Hazare is agitating and fasting at the risk of life. Nation took it with a pinch of salt when Army Chief made a sensational disclosure that he was offered 14 Crore by Lt Gen Tejinder Singh, Retd to buy 600 Czech Tatras for the army and he personally intimated Raksha Mantri about it. No action by Mr Antony further intrigued the public. Is the bribe offer to Army Chief not an extremely serious issue or an issue not connected to the security of the nation? Can anyone really bribe the army chief, if so, can Pakistan and China be an exception? Can Army Chief take drastic action against corrupt practices in defence deals controlled by ministry of defence when a tactical movement of two army units towards Delhi can be perceived as coup attempt? Castigating Chief for inaction against an agent of MOD is unjustified. To keep quiet on such serious issue and let Raksha Mantri simmer gently with bureaucrats and politicians on the prospects of sacking him, because he is a hard nut to crack, would also have been unsoldierly by a head of 3rd largest army of the world.
Army is the user of Tatra trucks. MOD is the buyer. BEML ( Bharat Earth Movers Ltd) under the MOD is the seller. BEML purchases these trucks from abroad at Rs 40 lac per vehicle when same truck indigenously manufactured by Tatas and Ashoka Leyland is available for Rs. 20 lac. Our Defence Ministry fixes its price at 1.10 Crore to sell it to the army and tells army to buy it. Being a user, army has to initiate procurement action and place an order with BEML and accept whatever is given or be a victim like Gen V K Singh. Beyond that army has no role. It can only plead before Defence Minister or his bureaucrats; if the deaf ears hear their voice, otherwise accept whatever is offered / told. In this particular case MOD is the conspirator, the colluder and the collaborator. Why are the Tatras being purchased by BEML acting as middleman between the Army and MOD and why there is a retired Lt Gen in such deals when the customer, the user and the dealer is same ministry? When one Czech Tatra costs Rs.40 lac and indigenous one costs Rs. 20 lac, why is it priced at 1.10 Crores? Why can't army buy them directly? Why can't army buy them from Tatas or Ashoka Leyland and improve them to meet their requirement. Mr. Antony must answer these questions and we must get the right answers.
Ironically nation is facing a strange situation where two honest and truthful persons ie, Antony and Gen VK are pitched against each other instead of being together to fight the menace of corruption and sanitise the system. The war within friends seems to have begun with General's age row. Are both honest people or one of them trying to clean his backyard or trying to whip up public outrage against the other?
The topic is under debate while common man anxiously awaits outcome. Vested interests in the ministry are busy in defending the indefensible and creating a wedge between services HQs and the govt. The fact is that successive govts have been making money on defence deals without paying attention towards modernizing the armed forces while China and Pakistan are way ahead of us in their defence preparedness. The present govt seems to be busy demonising the army with falsities like attempted coup.
Public anger rocketed sky high when the Bofors' scandal surfaced. Rajiv Gandhi govt was accused of taking kickbacks from a Swedish firm supplying Bofor guns to Indian Army. This public anger translated into election defeat for the Congress govt in 1989. VP Singh govt which came to power on this emotive issue failed to put an end to the menace of corruption. The coalition govt fell allowing Congress to come back to power thus putting a permanent lid on Bofors' case. Even the other govts which followed, played nasty politics with Bofors issue to come to power. None did anything to end the menace of corruption in defence deals. As a result today we have bribes and kickbacks being offered to Army Chief to accept sub standard Tatras at an alarmingly high price and similar malpractices prevail in other services. The main problem is that the requirements and recommendations of services HQs are not understood by MOD because services officers are not part of decision making committees hence the middle men get their way through. Moreover MOD and services HQs are not functioning as a team thus creating the institution and importance of middle man. Can systems like this be allowed to continue?
The defence procurement scam comes to light on the heels of leaked CAG report on coal mine licencing. The leaks reveal that certain favourite private firms and public sector undertakings made windfall gains from mining contracts.
According to this leaked report the loss to the exchequer is Rs.10.67 crore which is six times greater than the 2G scam. What adds piquancy to the situation is that the ministry of coal was under Prime Minister at the time of allotment of contracts. Therefore public will like to know who is responsible for corruption. Is it the govt or the armed forces?
There was public anger again at its peak after 2 G Spectrum and CWG scams. While the Apex Court put the govt in the docks, angry public participated in Anna led anti corruption agitation. Govt scummed and agreed to pass an effective Lokpal Bill. Though pledged but failed to deliver. Credibility of the govt sinks low by each day. What comes out clear is that politicians hate the very idea of anti corruption mechanism which can send them to prison for their crimes. Luckily the final verdict lies in the hands of public through secret ballot. Hence nothing much is lost for the nation except queries by patriotic young men and women on their wisdom to die for the motherland when those on whose wish they die are making money at the cost of their lives.
Anna and Army Chief represent a common idea and are seen as Gandhians. Only such people can highlight mischief of politicians and bureaucrats and will be heard. Potentially Anna's agitation has made its voice heard to quiet an extent and enabled public to punish the corrupt in UP, Goa and Punjab. Public anger must be kept intact. If one is a concerned citizen, as most of us are, how can we not be affected by the revelations of malpractices made by CAG, Chief and Anna. The responsibility of those who matter and are heard is greater towards the nation if we have to develop and compete. Windows of opportunities are still open to the politicians to fulfill their pledges. Army Chief deserves to be complimented to raise the pitch and go down the history as a whistle blower, as a hero and as a person who mattered.
At the end of the day there is no gainsaying that dirty linen has to be washed but it should not be done in public because it shatters public faith in own systems and political leaders consequently weakening the nation. It is high time that the govt puts its own house in order and accepts recommendations of various committees on reforms in defence systems. It is the time when defence procurement procedures become more honest and transparent and soldiers develop faith and confidence in their leaders.
( Author of this article is a columnist and is available at [email protected] ) |
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