Anger is a wasted emotion, a dear friend instilled in my mind. So let me try not to be angry about the conduct of the leader of India's professional army, even as he refuses to reach Poonch blaming inclement weather.
But how about Gen Bikram Singh appreciating that by playing into the hands of a supine political executive he is demoralising the nation?
Can't he just reach where his men already are? By train, if necessary, and a Jonga if his 4-star air-conditioned Ambassador breaks down on the way.
Must India's army chief behave like a wannabe defence secretary –in uniform, one who can talk in anguished tones after our men are killed on Indian soil, but too busy doing God knows what to walk what was talked?
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The discrediting of an army chief is a serious matter. But it's going on without a thought.
Wasn't it less than seven months back, following the beheading of his men at the LoC, that the good general stated that the army would retaliate at a date and time of its choosing?
On that winter day, the government fielded its highest ground forces man to make that vacuous announcement.
Mind you, the bluster sounded good at that time and mollified the strategic community. But to the generals in Rawalpindi, it exposed yet again that Gen Singh, and the political leadership that he must report to, doesn’t have any worthwhile response on the ground.
That dirty job of offering their lives as cannon fodder is left to the poor jawan. I discount the heroic Arnab Goswami who delivers us a skirmish or two with two army generals from the other side, sitting side by side in a two-shot frame, hitting back at one Gen Bakshi who Times Now insists on fielding on such occasions.
Needless to say, as the Newshour winds down, the nation's politico-military leadership heaves a sigh of a job well done, knowing that the citizen will get busy with other things.
What Gen Singh and his script writers forgot in January was that Pakistan will 'provoke' us soon enough.
I fear for the day the defence minister, the army chief, or even the prime minister is met with jeers and black bands by our bravehearts in the defence forces. But the manner in which everyone is discrediting each other with masterly inaction, that unfortunate day can't be too far.
The critical disclaimer is that this isn't a cry for war. Or even the NDA. I can't but remind the NDA of its own bluster during Operation Parakram, and long waits those of us in the reporting community would undertake outside meetings of the cabinet committee on security, with defence minister Jaswant Singh doddering out with nothing substantive to brief us.
"The general (Musharraf, at that time) is indulging in military malapropism," Jaswant Singh declared once sound bite-seekers pinned him to say something at least! I still remember the satisfaction on his smug face for having stumped everyone with his 'pucca' angrezi. Nothing seemed to matter beyond that.
So, if both sides of the political class are the way they are, what right can I have to be angry with a chief who can sleep in his Rajaji Marg fortress? That said, I can see him rehearsing how to play to the gallery one more time, knowing that he can't and won't be doing a single goddamned thing!
