This gentleman has broken the golden rule!!!

An officer and a gentleman. That is what is often mentioned about military officers. But India’s Army chief General V.K.Singh, after reportedly affirming his willingness to treat his birth year as 1950 when he was being promoted earlier as Lieutenant General, has thrown all the norms of grandeur and discipline, to the winds and has taken the government to the Supreme Court saying his birth year was 1951.

There were discrepancies about his date of birth in different records, one saying his daste of birth was May 10, 1950 and another May 10,1951.

His statutory application was disposed of by the government saying his date of birth could be reckoned as May 10,1950.

Defence Minister A.K.Antony has made the decision after proper vetting by the Attorney General. He had taken the wise decision in accordance with the recommendations of the Attorney General.

There are a lot of people in India who have different dates of birth in different records. The school records may have one date and other records a different date.
For example, in olden days, when the school re-opened on June 1 and the student should have completed six years as on that date, many children with a different date of birth were admitted with date of birth in May so that they could be admitted to school in June. Those days there were no system of issuing birth certificates by local bodies. They continue with their studies and shaped their career and future in accordance with the bogus date of birth. That was something done in good faith.

After having got the topmost promotion and after enjoying all the spoils of office, it was unbecoming of General V.K.Singh to have dragged the government and his superiors (like the President of India who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces) to court.

The General going to court over a matter like this is not something like getting his right secured at the last minute. He should have taken the authorities to court before his becoming the Lieutenant General. Then his future would have been bleak in the Army. One must respect one’s own word. We usually say “ I have only one word”. This gentleman has broken the golden rule.