In a move that evoked criticism for junking the long-enshrined seniority principle in appointing service chiefs, the government appointed Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat on Saturday night as the next Army chief superseding two Lieutenant Generals. He will replace General Dalbir Singh Suhag on December 31.
Lt General Bipin Rawat (infantry), who took over as the Army vice-chief in September 2016, bypassed Eastern Command chief Lieutenant Genera Praveen Bakshi (armoured corps) and Southern Army Command chief Lieutenant Genera PM Hariz (mechanised infantry).
However, the government stuck to the seniority principle in appointment of the next IAF chief, by announcing that Air Marshal Birendra Singh Dhanoa will replace Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha on December 31.
Even though it's well within the right of a government to appoint whoever it wants as the next chief, successive dispensations have almost always followed the seniority principle. All eyes are now on Lieutenant Generals Bakshi and Hariz to see whether they will quit in protest - as Lieutenant Genera SK Sinha had done in 1983 after being superseded by Gen AS Vaidya - since serving under a junior is unacceptable in the extremely hierarchy-conscious force.
Exceptions to seniority-based appointments have been few and far between. when Indira Gandhi superseded Lt Gen SK Sinha to appoint Gen AS Vaidya as the Army chief in 1983. Similarly, Air Chief Marshal SK Mehra became IAF chief, superseding Air Marshal MM Singh in 1988. Lt Gen Sinha, of course, quietly resigned but went on to become governor of Assam and J&K, and also served as India's ambassador to Nepal.
Opposition protest
The Opposition immediately attacked the Modi-led government for "further politicising" the armed forces, which are justifiably proud of their apolitical and secular credentials, after it first went to town over the "surgical strikes" against terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. But conversely, say some experts, military chiefs are meant to oversee the management of national security and strategy in tune with what has been decided by the top political executive.
Added a top government official, "There are seven Army commanders (of six regional and one training command) and a vice-chief, who are all of equal rank. Lt-Gen Rawat got the sword of honour at the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun and has had over 10 years of hands-on counter insurgency operations and Line of Control as well as commanded an infantry battalion along the Line of Actual control with China in 1986.
But Congress leader Manish Tiwari, on his part, said: "Why has seniority not been respected in the appointment of Army chief? Why have Lt Gens Bakshi and Hariz been superseded, PM? Why has third senior most officer, Lt-Gen Rawat, with due respects to his professionalism, superseded other two in a hierarchical force?"'