| In the beginning of the week it seemed to be dull and
predictable from a news point of view, what with Parliament in recess and even the prime
minister taking off for a holiday. The only sour note was introduced by those high priests
of intolerance in Gujarat who took to burning churches. But overall, the only item of news
that gripped the public imagination was the emerging car wars. However, just as the staff
was getting ready for a relaxed new year, came the sensational news of Admiral Vishnu
Bhagwat's dismissal. It was the first time a chief of staff has been shown the door. We have grown accustomed to treating the armed forces as a holy cow.
Despite periodic arms-purchase scandals -- the jeep scandal involving V.K. Krishna Menon,
HDW and Bofors -- there was a conviction that the defence establishment is above the rot
which has infected other institutions. No wonder the defence budgets were quickly approved
each year without so much as a scrutiny. It was a naive belief. As our cover story
indicates, the same politicking that is the bane of Indian existence has permeated into
the forces. Politicians, babus and lawyers have been joined by the officer corps itself in
undermining the last institution we thought we could be proud of.
Senior Editor Manoj Joshi, who had earlier documented the
changing social profile of the armed forces for India Today, has been following the
Bhagwat controversy for months. With Editor Prabhu Chawla who interviewed Defence Minister
George Fernandes and ferreted out sensitive information from over-secretive players, the
duo have told a very sordid and disturbing story. Joshi, the man we regard as an honorary
fauji, was not amused. "This is a story I have taken no pleasure in writing. I wish
it had never happened," he said.
It did happen and the reverberations of this controversy is
certain to be felt for long. We arrived in 1999 with a bang. Let's hope we enter the next
century on a less disturbing note.
(Aroon Purie) |
