Indian general, USAWC Class of 2001 grad, inducted into IF Hall of Fame

Suzanne Reynolds, USAWC Public Affairs Office

General Vijay Kumar Singh, the Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, the highest position in the Indian Army, became the 33rd International Fellow to receive the honor.

Singh was voted for induction by the fellow members of his USAWC class and the ceremony took place in front of the current USAWC class.

“General Singh had demonstrated professional competence and courage in leading his nation’s armed forces and, in doing so, honors his alma mater, the U.S Army War College,” said Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin, the Commandant of the Army War College. “His connection to this institution and to you, has never been more important, as our nations and partners face the dangers and new threats of the 21st Century.”

"It is an honor for an IF to be inducted into IHOF at US Army War College, Gen. V.K. Singh is a visionary and inspirational leader," said Brigadier Balbir Singh, current Indian International Fellow, Class of 2011. "I had the unique honor to work with him closely. His clarity of thought, professional acumen and humane approach always inspired me to perform better. The Indian Army will grow from strength to strength under his dynamic leadership," said Brigadier Singh.

After being honored Singh discussed strategic leadership and management with the students. He told them to always lead by example, and to avoid the status quo. “As a strategic leader you should not lead without a strong conviction and do not be indecisive,” said Singh.

Singh also discussed the difference between management and leadership. “Management is about coping with complexity, while leadership is about coping with change including that brought about due to complexities.”

He also told students the importance as strategic leaders to understand how to effectively use the media and how it will assist you.

In shaping and managing future leaders, Gen. Singh told students to, "lead by example, what you do is what others will do and emulate."

“Throughout his career, Singh has been at the forefront of change and transformation. In addition to his experience as a commander, staff officer and instructor, Singh has been deployed many times beginning with the 1971 Bangladesh War, and most recently during Operation Parakram in 2001.

He has also commanded the prestigious Strike Corps in Western Sector, before taking over the command of the Eastern Army in March 2008.

Singh became the 26th Chief of the Army Staff on March 31, 2010. He was the first commando to be appointed to that post and as a veteran of many battles, brought vast experience of counter-insurgency operations to the position.

Singh is a graduate of the Indian Defense Services Staff College, an honors graduate of the United States Army Infantry School, as well as, the U.S. Army Rangers Course.

Singh was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India in recognition of his exceptional and distinguished services on the eve of Republic Day 2009.

As the first Indian officer to be inducted into the U.S. Army War College International Fellows Hall of Fame, Singh joins a uniquely prestigious alumni group.
Indian general, USAWC Class of 2001 grad, inducted into IF Hall of Fame

General VK Singh to take over as new Army chief today

By ANI Wednesday, March 31, 2010
New Delhi
General VK Singh will take over as the new Army Chief here today. The 59-year-old General takes over from General Deepak Kapoor, who retires from service today.

He will be the 26th Army Chief and will stay at the helm of the 1.13 million personnel-strong Army for over two years.

An honours graduate of the US Army Infantry School at Georgia in the US, General Singh is an alumnus of the Wellington-based Defence Services Staff College, the Mhow-based Army War College and the US Army War College, Carlisle.

A third generation army officer, General Singh was commissioned into the Rajput Regiment on June 14, 1970.

He had participated in the 1971 war against Pakistan and in the operations of the Indian Peace-Keeping Force in Sri Lanka in the mid-1980s.

He also commanded the Jalandhar-based 11 Corps and Ambala-based Strike Corps and was an instructor in the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) headquarters in Bhutan.

He is a recipient of the Param Vishist Seva Medal, the Ati Vishist Seva Medal and Yudh Seva Medal. He is also one of the honorary ADCs of the president of India, who is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces. (ANI)
General VK Singh to take over as new Army chief today

Lt Gen K Balaram: A Tribute

Dear Friends,
I am sad to inform you that a great soldier of Indian Armed Forces– Lt Gen K Balaram, PVSM, is no more among us. I am waiting for detailed information from Dte Gen of Signals on the subject. Two emails through which I learnt about General Balaram’s demise are appended below.

We pray to The Almighty to give peace to the departed soul and strength to all dear ones and near ones to bear this irreparable loss.

Those of you who wish to write a "Shradhanjli" for Gen Balaram, may kindly send it for being posted to our weblog -
http://reportmysignal-shradhanjli.blogspot.com/

The Shradhanjli be kindly emailed to - Col James Kanagaraj, The Moderator at - reportmysignalblogspot@gmail.com
In sorrow
Chander Kamboj

From: raj kadyan
Sent: 16 February 2010 12:55
I just learn from Barin's email that Gen Balaram has passed away. He was an epitome of propriety and high value system in the Army. A man of impeccable integrity who always stood by his principles. The posterity will remember him for his contribution to the Army.
The IESM pray for peace for his soul.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM

From: Barin Ghose
Sent: Tue, 16 February, 2010 10:05:04 AM
With the passing away of Lt Gen Balaram an institution associated with personnel of the Army and the Armed Forces has ended.
I was associated with him when as Chairman PPOC he guided the Pay Commission Cells of the three services in the submission of their memorandum to the 4th Pay Commission. Of specific rememberance to me was his interest in the job evaluation of the other ranks to establish their pay groups. He had the interests of army personnel close to his heart.
He became the first and perhaps only AG to be granted Vice Chief status
The last time I interacted with him was at a seminar at USI when he was Chairman of the Panel to discuss our approach to the recently composed 6th Pay Commission. It was like old times when he ticked me off for exceeding the time limit by 35 seconds.
May his soul RIP (Rest In Peace)
Vice Admiral Barin Ghose (Retired)
Head Pension Cell

From: Arun Saigal
Sent: 16 February 2010 19:26
Dear Kamboj Sir,
It was with a lump in my throat that I read out the sad news of Lt Gen Balaram's passing away to my wife this morning. Another stalwart has gone...
I would like to share a memory with you.
Maj Gen Balaram succeeded Maj Gen Mohinder Singh as Commandant Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) Wellington in 1982 soon after we reported for the staff course. Maj Gen Mohinder Singh used to run DSSC with a firm hand. For mid career young officers it was a great achievement to be selected for the course and a feather in one's cap to be graded DS (Directing Staff) material. Gen Mohinder Singh's legacy was that officers must be taught to obey rules and regulations scrupulously and any deviation or slackness would invite adverse comment / negative marking. The introductory talk by the BGS to us was overawing. It was the jewel which crowned the very surgically precise joining instructions which we had received earlier. Constantly improved over years of feedback and experience, the DSSC joining instructions are a role-model of outstanding staff work and minor SDs. Everything in them is well thought out. Detailed instructions & guidelines are articulated in well formed centre headings, group and para headings, using words & language which leaves no room for doubt.
The list of Donts spelt out by the BGS in his welcoming speech was exhaustive. It made us white uniform walllahs sit up and re-think whether we were really going to enjoy a year's sabbatical from the navy. We had all dreamt of a welcome break from the tough navy life and a year of regular family life in the exotic surroundings of a beautiful, quaint old hill station in the Nilgiris where time is reported to stand still.
Soon we began to reminisce about our initial days at NDA and about taut army discipline once again You see, the naval service is quite informal in many respects. One does not have to stand to attention all the time while speaking to senior officers; passing salutes are generally exchanged only upto noon and when they are, it is not necessary that you have a cap on your head, and so on. The coastal climate does not encourage one to invest in three-piece suits or many silk Saree's for the spouse....We felt a wee bit stifled at regimented routine and the lack of creative freedom.
But our fears were short-lived. Maj Gen Balaram came on to the scene without a swagger and swatch. A quiet unassuming, studious looking senior officer, he quietly observed the daily life for a couple of days and then made an unforgettable speech which showed how humane and perceptive he was. We took our seats in the main auditorium well before the appointed time, decked in our Sunday best, dreading what was to come. Though young in service, we were well-aware that traditionally a new hand at the helm always meant an across-the board tightening-up in any service. There was an unusual silence as we awaited the customary pep talk and a pronouncement of a fresh list of dos & don ts by the new commandant.

But what he said that evening remains forever etched in my memory. He spoke in fatherly terms and advised us to make use of the opportunity to spend a year with our family in that wonderful place to renew bonds with family and make new friends. He advised us to study hard, think creatively, question the 'greens' (the staff solutions) and come up with better ones. In our spare times we should play hard and utilise the recreational facilities of the institution to the fullest. He told us that our Directing Staff were mature senior officers who knew how to recognise the potential in us and that we should not be too-conscious of our gradings by them. We should consider them our gurud who were there to guide us to develop skills and abilities to become assets as future staff officers in higher formations.

He informed us that recognising that we were all fairly senior and mature officers, he had issued a specific directive to his staff earlier in the day. The staff were there to assist and guide us to develop our full potential. Henceforth, they were required to minimise the burden and routine chores of 'personal adm' from our shoulders so that we could devote our energies to the primary task of studying. He streamlined the requisitioning of transport to ferry the sick and the womenfolk from far off residential areas like Gorkha Hills and ensured easy access to medical facilities for the families so that we did not have to absent from class for these purposes. The doorstep supply of service rations and daily necessities from the market (Needs, near MRC) etc etc also became well organised and left the men-folk with more time and energy to think and turn in better solutions.
Above all (and this was a stunner) he said he had issued instructions that no one in the college had the power to say 'No' to the mature and responsible officers undergoing staff course. The buck for turning down a request for a sudden trip to Coimbatore to receive a family member, to take a couple of days leave to see an ailing parent, to requisition transport etc etc stopped at the Commandant's desk. If you got a No, it meant that it was his considered decison as head of our family and must be obeyed. All other officers of the DSSC had the power only to say YES and with that was implied their responsibility to ensure that students never faced problems - personal or professional.
It was a great thought. We worked hard and we played hard. Personally, I felt that the overall quality of our professional output notched up many times.
I practiced his philosophy about the power to say no in subsequent life and always had good results. It was a facet of leadership that he had passed on to us.
In the evening of his life sometimes I met Gen Balaram in a seminar or in the lawns of the Delhi Gymkhana Club. It was always an honour to re-introduce myself every time and to thank him for that unforgettable year in DSSC. Ever the courteous and caring senior officer, he never forgot to enquire about my well-being and about my family as if he knew them. Though in failing health himself, he always said that although he was not sure what he could do for me, I should feel free to call on my former commandant for a helping hand.
If memory serves me right, once after his retirement he was hand-picked by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to personally assess the ground truth and give her a factual account of what had happened in Orissa - I seem to recall that it was a case of starvation deaths or atrocities on dalits and that the administration was trying to cover it up. She probably trusted the General's sense of fairplay and his integrity to put in a true report of the reality as he saw it.
As a naval officer I salute my old commandant. I am fortunate that I got a chance to meet him. May his soul rest in peace and may his spirit guide us to develop our faculties for original and creative thinking. Perhaps I may yet invent a follow-on to the famous Balaram aerial!
Best regards,
Arun
(Cdr Arun Saigal)

Useful link for ESM Organisations
Utilization of manpower in the Army: Lieutenant General K Balaram PVSM (Retd)

Army Day 2008

It started on the eve of the Army Day 2008… The “MyNews” programme on NDTV’s 24X7 news channel got me all in a bind. The presenter of the clip on the IA website trashed in roundly in so many words! Said this was shocking in these times of modernization of the IA, when the Brass is talking of nothing but this, that all the new items, that, the official website has is, is the photo of the new Chief Deepak Kapoor, and nothing else! The operations of the Army are covered only upto 1961! One would imagine that after this the IA was just sitting pretty! WW II exploits get a good showing but then the IA was a tool of the Imperialist Brits!

There is not even a passing mention of the fallen unknown soldier! NO mention of the fallen dead post 1961, though Kargil OP Vijay does indeed get to have a notable mention. No wonder then that the COAS laments in one of the major front page stories of the TOI that day that, ‘We may have to, go in for compulsory military service in the IA.” They are a 12000 short out of 40K sanctioned for the officer cadre. 3000 want to quit service for better pasture in the corporate world with large pay packets, perks and what have you & not a whisper of any risk what so ever, or hard life, in fact it is quite the opposite and all cushy and comfy. NDA has managed to snare only 190 cadets for the 400 vacancies, & the IMA only 90 Gentle-men Cadets to report for 250 that can be accomodated! Time was when the cream of the Indian male youth stepped over each other to try one more time for the NDA/IMA, to just to make it on the merit list and get a call up notice from the UPSC.

Now, all the vacancies go a-begging! Blame it on service conditions , the prolonged ‘no-war, no-peace’ situation in J&K, the rash of insurgencies in the NE, the deathly grip of the IAS mandarins to run down the defence Services in the order of protocol ( though the Pay Commissions do throw a morsel or two, and the ranks of red-tab-walas keep swelling by the day, but not the prestige of their ranks) with the Chiefs and the Brass that matters, looking on as mute spectators ( & keeping quiet in the hope of landing gubernatorial posts post retirement.) The one time exalted badges of rank of Lt Col’s are pooh-poohed and there indeed is also talk of having to do away with this rank altogether!! Any surprise there fore if the Indian male avoids the Army like the plague, but opts for the creature-comforts of the civvie-street? The Nation treats the soldiers like the Christmas tree; first it decorates them, then when the danger is past, it throws them away! This does not augur well for one with a runaway economic growth on the GDP, but one where 98% of the populace lives below the poverty-line of less than a dollar a day, and the Maoists and the Naxals are looking askance, everywhere! They will need the Army to quell more dissatisfaction very soon, so the mandarins would be advised to not to rest on their laurels, no, not just yet.

The morning papers carried no announcements of Army buses being arranged to pick up old soldiers for witnessing the Army DAY parade in Delhi Cantt, like times of yore hither-to-fore. The cable wala had a bad connection on the DD network, so no live coverage was possible to be watched; switched on the AIR but was able to hear it broadcast only briefs of the PM’s confabulations with the Red Chinese top honchos within confines the Chinese Great Walls of the People’s Hall of Fame, in the Forbidden City of the Middle Kingdom! Just Looked around, rifled a few drawers and located a cassette of martial military music & played it over & over again and over again all day. Then went over to the MCD offices in Rajouri Garden to collect my dead mother’s Death Certificate. It took me all of three hours standing in a snaking queue to get the supervisor to sign it. In the Raj-days, it would be delivered to a soldier’s abode or hutment, in person by the chaprasi of the patwari!

The papers carried a full page ad (Rs 5L at least) on the ARMY DAY..”harbingers of peace and stability”. The Honourable RM spoke of Sabhavna & ‘Samaritan’. No one mentioned the 1962 Sino-Indian War or of recovery lost territory from China, lest it give offence to Jin Biao! Chou en Lai & Mao Tse Tung are happily turning in their graves smirking and sniggering at Panditji, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh & Co.

Mind wanders to the by-gone Army Days… the one in 1980 had two of my regimental officers , one Capt Jayant Thapa, SC, belonging to the 5th of an unbroken six generation line of distinguished soldiers in the IA ( & 3 Gurkhas) and one Capt Chhap Narayan Gurung, my St Joseph’s school-mate from Dehra Dun, and the son of a Direct Regular Commission (DRC) Maj MB Gurung ( who could, till the very last, lift with his left hand only, a 303 rifle from the muzzle-end & not show any sweat for it!) doing the duties of Officer Stick Orderlies duties on the Saluting Dais.

One had one of my youngsters Maj (Later retired as a Maj Gen, with a chestful of very high decorations) Randhir Sinh, get his investiture of a well earned Sena Medal (1990s or so for conducting successful Counter Insurgency Operations whilst serving with 4/3GR deployed in the 8 Mountain Division; being commanded by none other than the intrepid ex-4/3rd CO, Mike Lahiri; Area of Responsiblity in the Imphal Valley, Manipur. In the 1971Bangla Desh Ops, Randhir was Mentioned in Depatches. He was the ADC to the”best Field Commander on the sub-continent — declared by Sam Bahadur, FM “) Lt Gen Sagat Singh 3 GR, the then GOC 33 Corps that crossed the swollen Meghna, in a dash to Dhaka, that totally unnerved the Paki garrison under Gen Niazi. He surrendered along with 90,000 Pakistani troops soon afterwards. Much later, Randhir got to get the AUYSM for successfully commanding the Indian 202 Mountain Brigade in Siachen.

Then there was that Army Day where Col P Sangam, CO 2 Sikh, along with his Subedar Major collected the Best Battalion Trophy from the then COAS. He was my Adjutant in 19 Assam Rifles, and a man for all occasions, …picked him up as my adjutant despite five of my regimental officers serving with 19 AR then, and immediately went into their bad books! But Sangam proved himself and passed all my tests, & surpassed all my expectations, in the wildest my dreams! Why, he ran 19 AR for me!! He was commissioned into the ASC; went on for his cross attachment to the 2nd SIKHs, won over the towering khalsas with his deft stick work on the hockey field , & by his officer like qualities, ( sadly most of which are absent, as per a report in the TOI in many of IA top of the rung serving officers of the day…the two- way facing Leh GOCs, both asked to hand in their papers, one for eyeing the foreign female tourists, the most recent one who got very fresh with a lady Indian Army Officer, his very subordinate; the rum seller of the Barielly , the daal & egg selling DGs’, petrol sellers of Ladakh, even a corps commander who got nailed by the IB itself…) & applied for permanent transfer to the SIKHS, was gladly granted by AHQ and he was more than happy. Served there with distinction, respect and with the dint of hard labour sweat of his brow, toil , and the love of it. The Colonel of the SIKHs gave him then & there, his command! His happiness knew no bounds. In between he volunteered for The Indian Antartica Expedition to Dakshin Gangotri, was accepted, and thus had a ball there as well. Later, he commanded a brigade with aplomb and retired as a deputy GOC! People asked me as to why I had taken him as my adjutant to which I say why not, he is Charlie Squadron NDA, a product of which I am too!

In another one, Mota Yogi was seen hogging all of the TV screens as he hovered helpfully near the saluting base. No one can miss Yogi, as he is a rather healthy JAT from Bulandshahar. He is Six foot six in his stockings on bare feet & tips the scales only at 200 pounds or there about. Only the 4/3rd johnnies missed him in Karu; Ladakh; that night when they broke out in open mutiny in 1979. Yogi escaped a fate worse than death by hiding behind a very ,large boulder of a glacial moraine. Lucky him. Satish Bahl & Dasgupta got the worst side of khukris from their own troops, instead, and were left for dead!!! Satish Bahl was transferred to the JAK LI, where he rose to his potential & retired as a Brigadier with a high decorations. Dasgupta went over to the MECHINF. He commanded one of its Battalions as a Full Colonel. One of his sons has since been commissioned into this unit.poem is reproduced..’ …”..on http:// amarjawanjyoti.com”

Maj Gen Vinod Bhanot, 3 GR, AVSM, VrC,my NDA course-mate, commanded the Army Day Parade in the 1990s when I was into my 4th year of my retirement. He also commanded two Battalions of the 3rd Gorkha Rifles: the 3rd and 5th ; one soon after he recovered from a heart-condition, also a platoon in the 5th whilst attacking in a pitch black night up the high altitude heights of the Hathi Matha feature, extremely cold and wintery climes in the 1971 war in the West, in Ladakh. He fought valiantly and was decorated with a VIR CHAKRA for his efforts. This Battalion got the REGIMENT its second post Independence Battle Honour: Shingo River! The first one was won by 2/3rd in the 1947 Battle of PIRKANTHI They got URI as the Battle Honour for attacking and capturing this feature in a silent night attack, banking only on the sheer audacity of their drawn eleven inch khukris, therefore.

Another GOC I have time for is Maj Gen C S Nugyal of the Sikhs. He was the pioneer in the holding of the Saltoro Ridge in Siachen and for bringing the hi-altitude warfare into the public domain via his advised longish article in the India Today. He also earned a Magregor Medal from the USI for outstanding recce of the year. He liked a poem I had written and wanted his son to read it too, so impressed was he with it. This is reproduced below. Randhir who sought the command of the Siachen Brigade and got it too, liked it as well.

The ceremonial parades are all but a thing of the past in the IA. But for those during the National Days in the Capital, the ceremonials for the State VIPs, only the Training Centers & Cadet Academies have it otherwise. Time was when, even as late as 1969, we turned out in Sam Brownes and Gorkha Hats to parade with the men every Saturday, in Babina, when with the 2nd Independent Armoured Brigade ;Fluer de lis, then being commanded by Brig A N Jatar, Maha Vir Chakra.

AK Sam Sharma
Lt Col (Retd)
January 15, 2008

The Writer Lt Col AK ‘Sam’ Sharma is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Kharakvasla. Col Sharma was commissioned into the 3rd Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in Februray 1964, He retired in 1997 after serving for 33 years. A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he holds a MSc Degree in Defence Studies from the Madras University. This officer has been on the instructional staff of two of Indian Army’s premiere training institutes: the College of Combat; now known as the War College; (Directing Staff Junior Command Wing-1972-1975) and the Infantry School ( Senior Instructor, Platoon Commander’s Wing 1984-87) both located in Mhow (MP); where he taught tactics at the unit and sub-unit levels to students, some of who were from friendly foreign armies. He has also served at the world- renowned Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

Credit: http://frontierindia.net/army-day-2008