INDIAN NAVY
Sunk!
continued...INTERVIEW: GEORGE FERNANDES
"If I am communal, no one
is secular"
 As a minister, George
Fernandes' unconventional ways have always stood him out. Whether it is sipping tea with
the jawans in Siachen or railing against multinationals, the 69-year-old defence minister
rarely stays away from the public eye. But last week, after the sacking of the chief of
the naval staff -- unprecedented in the country's history -- he adopted a low profile. Editor Prabhu Chawla, however, caught up with
him at his office at South Block. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:
What was the need for such an extreme step?
I must confess, it wasn't a pleasant task. I am feeling miserable and sad for
this action. But there was no option. I spoke to Admiral Bhagwat on a number of occasions.
I felt he was crossing all limits. I requested him to correct himself but he wouldn't
listen. He was refusing to comply with government orders and even defying the Cabinet.
Cabinet's decisions can be questioned only by Parliament and none else.
Why couldn't you sort this issue out through a
dialogue with the naval chief?
I wanted to adopt that course. He had free access to me. He could walk into my
room by just knocking twice. But he wanted things to be done his way. He was so defiant
that a dialogue with him had become almost impossible after a point of time. It was
evident that if any government decision was not acceptable to him, he would indulge in
defiance. No government can succumb to the pressure of an individual. The choice was
between chaos and discipline. And we chose to enforce discipline.
Won't this lead to a tussle between the bureaucracy and the forces?
Not at all. Our defence forces like discipline at all
levels. In fact, the Government's effort to enforce discipline would be welcomed by all.
Moreover, Admiral Bhagwat was threatening his own colleagues with court martial. There was
a lot of resentment against his actions. The Defence Ministry was getting a large number
of complaints against his style of functioning. He was a chief who had lost the trust of
his own colleagues.
Are you also in favour of civil supremacy over the
defence forces?
I have had the best of relations with all the service chiefs. I revived the Tuesday
morning meetings in which all of them were free to raise any issue bothering them. It
provided an opportunity to the defence forces to share teh decision-making process with
the civil servants. So, it is not a question of bureaucracy vs defence forces. I am in
favour of total supremacy of the Cabinet. I also believe that there is a need for an
integrated ministry of defence in which the forces have more say in matters which are
directly handled by them.
But then why did you transfer defence secretary
Ajit Kumar as well?
All of us in the Government felt that in the given circumstances, it would be proper to
shift the defence secretary as well.
But is it proper to ignore the advice of the naval
chief while choosing his subordinate staff?
All decisions are taken according to the rules and procedures. No one can be allowed to
enjoy a veto power in a parliamentary democracy. In fact, in the affidavit that Admiral
Bhagwat himself had filed in 1990, he had stated that the cabinet was supreme.
You are being accused of taking the decision under
communal pressure.
If George is communal, then I am afraid there is no secularist left in this country. The
charge is ridiculous and it just reflects the level of frustration.
Niloufer
Bhagwat: The Bitter Half
Sushil Kumar: Officer and Gentleman |
