G
eneral (retd) V.K. Singh’s recent allegation against the Indian army yet again underscores his lack of judgement and tact. But this is only the latest in a series of episodes where he has deliberately courted controversy. The ex-army chief’s conduct in office, particularly his decision to take the government to court and his attempt to torpedo the appointment of his successor, did considerable damage to the army’s institutional ethos. Having shed the uniform, the general has sought to reinvent himself as a star muckraker and scourge of all the ills afflicting the country. As a citizen, he is of course free to play any role in public life. But as a former service chief, he is the custodian of a tradition that has its own demands. In any case, is the tack taken by him really worthy of his expertise and standing? Take, for instance, his claim that the government had lost its legitimacy and that Parliament ought to be dissolved. Apart from the contempt that it displays for our political institutions, it raises important questions. Could the general’s views have been all that different when he was in office just a few months ago? Doesn’t it suggest a disturbing lack of allegiance to the principle of democratic control of the military?