Lt Gen Nathu Singh: Courage and Candour has few equals or parallels

Dear Brig Kamboj.
1... edited... I have read with great care to what has been written about Lt Gen Nathu Singh. He was a great son of India, nationalist to the core and a true patriot. He was fortuitous that he had the benefit of a Royal and of the Nehru till he fell foul with Pandit Nehru post Independence.
2. His 2nd/3rd Son-Ran Vijay Singh as a Rear Admiral from the Navy. He was 1st/2nd JSW and was a Flier. Post Retirement, Family stays at Sanik Vihar Delhi. His Wife her Son to play with our Son at Vizag and the remain friends. I believe his Eldest Daughter is married Shri Arjun Singh. There would be many Naval Officers who can brief you better. Commader KK Punchi an Aviator for one.
3. History would record that one of the great blunders of UPA-2 would be not to grant OROP, indifference to difficulties of Veterans-particularly of Junior Officers and Other Ranks. Their this action has allowed IESM to be born. This Movement has created a forum and a platform for personal accounts, the real happening of historical events which were suppressed or not aired by ESM themselves in the best traditions of the yore. Whilst still remaining apolitical, they have been forced to demand their rights. But most importantly in this age of Internet and TV, they have united the ESM as never before. Not putting Henderson Brooks Report or the military history in public domain has become irrelevant. Sardar Patel's Letters and Gen Thakur Nathu Singh have found their rightfull place in military folk lore.
4. Lastly permit to say whilst doing invaluable service, IESM is still to attain full contours of democracy and inclusiveness and functions more like Mini Army Headquarters with writings in the-President is pleased--style. Of course there are many distinguished Air Force and Naval Officers on your honour rolls but few writes come from them. It cannot be that they do not know English. Similarly like Parliament the Other Ranks should be writing like US Army. Vernacular Languages can be accommodated in your signals with Computer translations. Then it would be become truly representative.
With best regards,
Cdr Prem P Batra Retired

Dear Brig Kamboj,
I do not know how many of you readers have had an opportunity to meet Gen Nathu Singh in person. I consider it my privilege to record my meeting with this illustrious soldier. It was in the year 1987. I was a Col in the Pay Cell. One fine morning, I was summoned by the Adjutant General, and told to go to the MH in Delhi Cantt and 'brief' Gen Nathu Singh on the effect of the Fourth Pay Commission on the pension of the KCIOs. Armed with all the details and the relevant files, I went to the Senior Officers' ward and reported to the general. The next two hours were moments to remember. I have not forgotten a word of what he said.
His pension meant nothing to him. He was an angry old man. He just did not like the way service officers were treated by the nation. What he said about about Field Marshal Cariappa is unprintable. According to him, the down slide of the service officers in the table of precedence started during that period. But the words which have got etched in my memory are the concluding part of the meeting. Gen Nathu Singh asked me if my 'Joru' ( wife ) was employed somewhere. When I answered in the affirmative, he said, "Chhore, too eik joroo ke liye nahiN kamaa sakta. Hamaare time meiN ham chaar joru ko samhaal sakte thei!" ( My dear child, you are not able to earn enough for just one wife. In our times, the salary was sufficient to support FOUR wives!"
When I debriefed my boss, his reaction was, "Forget what he says. the old man has gone senile". Be that as it may, I think he was a fine soldier. I will write some other time, about why some British officers had to be retained to provide leadership to our armed forces for several years after our Independence . Many of us remember RSM Ayeling in the NDA, and it is common knowledge that the Chiefs of the Air Naval and the Air Staffs were British until long after Aug 1947.
So much for Gen Nathu Singh. As per him, the history of the Indian Army would have been different if the first COAS was some one else.
But as Ghalib says:
Hui muddat ki Ghalib mar gaya par yaad aata hai,
Voh har ik baat par kehna ki yoon hota to kya hota!"
With fond regards,
Maj Gen Surjit Singh (Retd)
PS
The first two lines of the above ghazal are even more poignant for the Ghalib fans let me record them:
Na thaa jab kuchh, Khudaa tha,kuchh na hota to Khudaa hotaa
Duboya mujh ko honee ne ,na maiN hota, to kya hotaa?

NATHU SINGH AND CARIAPPA
Dear Brigadier Kamboj,
I was Gen Oberoi's CSO in Western Command, and I dare not contradict him. But since this concerns military history, I can't let it pass.
The story about Nathu Singh being offered the post of C-in-C is true. But it was not Nehru, but Sardar Baldev Singh who did it. Nehru did not like Nathu one bit. In the meeting that Gen Oberoi mentions, Nathu Singh objected to his proposal of keeping British officers in India, I am giving below extracts from Nathu Singh's biography that is part of my book LEADERSHIP IN THE INDIAN ARMY - BIOGRAPIHES OF TWELVE SOLDIERS. I have copies of the correspondence between Nathu Singh and Nehru and Baldev Singh.,The original Nathu Singh papers are with his son, Th. Amarjeet Singh, in Jaipur. Colonel Guman Singh, his son in law, has also given me some papers.
I have met Gen Nathu Singh. In fact I spent two weeks in MH Jodhpur in 1993, when we were both in adjoining rooms, but shared the same bathroom. I am attaching his biography, to give the real story.
regards,
VK Singh
Lt Gen Nathu Singh- A short resume by Maj Gen VK Singh

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Pulse of profound Patriotism and Professionalism vibrates in Lt Gen Nathu Singh's Nationalism exibited through his courage and candour that has few equals or parallels...
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Spare the Army

I am pained to see The Tribune publishing articles against the Army day after day- Click links below to follow the storyline:

At stake, the Army’s izzat

Indiscipline in forces a reflection of society Aug 25

Army’s image on the decline Aug 28

There is no decline and no threat to the Army’s image. It is as disciplined and operationally prepared as ever.

Yes, there have been unfortunate cases of some senior officers involved in corruption or scams, and some cases of fake encounter. There would always be a few black sheep in every organisation. What is important is that action is taken against these black sheep. The Army spares none. Does that happen in the bureaucracy or politics?

The Army is not only guarding borders, but also proves to be a saviour during natural calamities and helps in maintaining internal security. During the recent floods in Haryana, it were the men in the olive green who helped the civil authorities in rescue operations, and restoring the essential services. In Leh, the Army and the Air Force proved to be saviours of the people during the devastation that followed the cloudburst. It is the Army men who are dying every day, fighting the militants, in the valley. It is easy to criticise, carry out protests, and sit on dharnas. Army men do not do that. They continue doing their assigned tasks selflessly. It is the finest organisation and strongest pillar of the country. Individuals are never bigger than the organisation. Let us respect the soldier and discard the black sheep.
Col R D SINGH, Ambala Cantt
The Tribune: Spare the Army

Rank Honour and Status of Armed Forces Reduced

Ref: click here

Some of the veterans may disagree with what I have to say on the episode of rank inapporopriateness by the serving Air Force officers but I am compelled to state my views.

Sachin Tendulkar being conferred with the rank of Group Captain, though honorary, by the IAF is an example of how serving (high ranking) officers try to focus limelight on themselves through cheap publicity stunts. Any serviceman, whether a commissioned officer or NCO will bear out the fact that entry into the service is earned through a tough selection process and after that ranks and promotions are obtained through merit, hardwork and dedication to the service. What criteria did the IAF consider while Tendulkar was made a Group Captain? I have all respect and admiration for Sachin for his excellence, achievement and dedication in the field of cricket , but I say that he has not done anything for the cause of any of the defence services or nation to deserve this honour from one of the defence forces. He could be conferred with any of the civil awards like Arjuna award for sports but not a military honour.

To cap it all, the Air Force has gone head over heels to please the aam (cricket mad) janata by promising to give him the "Wing" simply after one sortie in a Sukhoi aircraft as a passenger! As an engineer, I have flown as a passenger in a fighter aircraft but that did not make me eligible to get a wing. Some of the engineers do get their "official" wings but only after being selected for the "pilots course" and earning it after undergoing the regular necessary pilots training course like other aspirants for the "F" branch. Many of my "F" branch friends will aver that a wing has to be earned -many aspirants are denied this if they fail to meet the crucial flying proficiency tests- and cannot just be bought cheaply in a camp tailor shop and pinned on to the chest.

And another thing. Those who have seen the photograph of the Air Force chief with Sachin Tendulkar in the Times of India (Mumbai edition, 04 Sep, 2010 in the section "Times Nation") saluting him after getting his tapes, will notice that the chief is returning the salute without (R) without his cap ON !!! A good example of service etiquette to be publicly displayed before the service personnel under himl! I had never seen that so far.

Sorrowfully, this is one of the many instances of why and how the prestige of the Armed Forces is lowered. Why blame only the Babus if we ourselves do not want to hold it high?
Shashank Bendre
Wg Cdr (Retd)