Adherence to core values and improving internal health while working to equip the force with all necessary gear will be the focus of the new Army Chief General Vijay Kumar Singh.
“We have a strong tradition, core values and a way of working which I want to emphasise. We have to set our own culture right so that the image and dignity of the solider improves … as a third generation [Army] officer I feel a lot of things can be done … the armed forces have their own values system which has to be different from [that of the] civil society,” General Singh said in his first interaction with journalists after assuming charge as the Chief of the Army Staff.
As the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Army Command, Gen. Singh convened a court of inquiry that indicted three Lieutenant Generals and one Major General in the Sukna land case in Darjeeling, involving development of land outside the Army area with a private realtor.
Gen. Singh said his emphasis on internal health meant that no organisation could do without internal audit to find out how things were moving and it should not be interpreted as any crackdown against graft.
On the modernisation of the Army, he said it was intricately linked to procurement and what the indigenous industries could offer. Currently the country was producing lot of equipment for defence in collaboration with foreign technology, which could be utilised. He also saw room for improvement of internal processes to speed up the procurement process.
Gen. Singh said there were some hollow areas that needed to be plugged. “Say in a combat unit not all equipment that is authorised is present. It could be as mundane as knee or elbow pads to go with weapons and ammunition. We will be looking to ensure these deficiencies get made up and we can be better in a shorter time frame.”
Having been in Command on the Eastern sector before the new assignment, when asked to share the country's preparation and of China, Gen. Singh said Beijing was modernising its armed forces capability in a digitised arena and India too was moving towards being a networked force that could operate in joint services environment.
On the latest Annual Report of the Defence Ministry mentioning development of infrastructure by China in Tibet Autonomous Region, he said, working on the other side was easy as Tibet was a plateau as against hills on the Indian side. While the sector remained important, he said, it did not mean India had shifted its priority since challenges existed all around.
Asked about the possibility of having women in combat roles, Gen. Singh said the issue required greater deliberation and the process had to be gradual. In addition, he said, a study could be done in countries where women were in combat roles on how they were deployed and how they had fared.
As for the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, against which an agitation continues in the Northeast, Gen. Singh said it was to protect the country's Army deployed in areas where situation had gone out of control. However, if the political leadership felt it was not required, it would take a decision.
Similarly, in the case of naxalism, he said the issue was related to law and order that was a State subject and the police forces should tackle it. The Army could assist in whatever fashion it was asked to, and at present limited to training.
