Why General VK Singh Must Resign

[Zarvan]

Ashutosh

• 
  
  (Ashutosh joined the Aam Aadmi Party in January 2014. The former journalist took on former Union minister Kapil Sibal and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in the national election from Chandni Chowk in Delhi.)
  
  "Not even a king has the right to subordinate the interests of the state to his personal sympathies or antipathies," writes one of the greatest diplomats of the last century, Henry Kissinger, in his book, Diplomacy. But modern-day diplomats with no understanding of diplomacy and foreign policy are out to make themselves more important than the national interest. Alas! They are also joined by a few TV anchors who find solutions for foreign policies in two minutes. Unfortunately, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, General V K Singh, joins the gang too. The General found his visiting the Pakistan High Commission was a "disgusting" affair, an affront to his #Duty as a minister.
  
  VK Singh is guilty of violating the fundamentals of diplomacy. A diplomat never says NO, forget using harsh words with his enemy in public. General VK Singh is no novice, and he can't get away by saying that he is a first-time minister who is learning the ropes. He was the Army chief, who carries the image of an honest soldier, and as somebody who did not shy away from fighting the establishment. In my old incarnation as an editor, I had always admired him. I had interviewed him many times and was always fascinated by his earthiness and a no-nonsense approach, but today, as a student of diplomacy, I must say he has disappointed me no end and he has no right to continue as minister. He is guilty on four counts:
  
  1. Our constitution has adopted the Westminster model of governance which works on the basic premise of collective responsibility of the cabinet. V K Singh has not attended the function in Pakistan High Commission in his individual capacity. He was there as the representative of the government of India, as a member of the cabinet. And after coming back from the function, if he finds his going there #disgusting and if he tries to project that he was not willing to go there, but had no option but to visit as a part of his duty, then he has breached the basic rule of the collective responsibility of the cabinet. His tweets are clearly proof that he has violated that golden rule and he has no business to continue as a minster. Either he should be sacked or he should resign.
  
  2. He has also shown defiance towards the chair of the Prime Minister. PM Modi had greeted his counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the occasion of Pakistan's Republic Day. The PM did not find anything wrong or disgusting in his goodwill gesture to Pakistan, but his junior minister ,on the other hand, detests having to be present in the Pakistan High Commission. Public defiance of the Prime Minister does not send a right signal to bureaucracy and public at large. This is a clear case of insubordination.
  
  3. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, it is incumbent upon him to work for the furtherance of the national interest vis a vis other countries. It's not necessary that he interact with friendly nations only. The biggest challenge a diplomat faces is when he has to negotiate or interact with an enemy/ unfriendly country. Pakistan, all said and done, is an enemy country, and as a diplomat, it is his responsibility to work for the betterment of the relationship between the two hostile nations. His tweets are hostile in nature and will not help build the relationship between the two nations. It shows that either he is not aware of his responsibility as a Foreign Minister, or his insecurities have taken over. Kissinger has very succinctly written - "The public does not in the long run respect leaders who mirrors its own insecurities or see only the symptoms of crisis rather than the long term trends." Mr V K Singh you forgot to see big picture.
  
  4. This incident further proves that Modi government has no long-term foreign policy vision vis-a-vis Pakistan. Modi supporters went gaga when he invited Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony. But the euphoria was short-lived. His government's decision to scrap secretary-level talks with Pakistan because its envoy had invited Hurriyat leaders for talks in Delhi was too whimsical. The government could have conveyed displeasure in strongest possible words, but scrapping of the talks was an immature decision, and speaks of the fact that government does not have a long-term perspective. The foreign policy of a country can't be the prisoner of a kind of ideology or an old-fashioned mindset in the post-Cold War world.
  
  Even if Pakistan is the cause for many headaches for India, as a nation we have no alternative but to engage it in some form or the other. The continuous hostility will only bleed India. It's in our interest not to escalate the tension on our borders. Such acts will not help in de-escalation. In this context, I am further reminded of Kissinger - "Napoleon's tragedy was that his ambitions surpassed his capacities." Fortunately or unfortunately, neither Modi is Napoleon nor is VK Singh, despite being a former general.
  
  
  Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
  Story First Published: March 25, 2015 11:13 IST
  Why General VK Singh Must Resign

 

[third eye]

A diplomat never says NO, forget using harsh words with his enemy in public. General VK Singh is no novice, and he can't get away by saying that he is a first-time minister who is learning the ropes.

VK Singh is not a Diplomat

However his remark was unbecoming. But resign for not liking to attend a function in the Pak embassy and saying so ?.... The author needs to see a doctor before he hurts himself.

 

[anant_s]

says a man, whose party chief didn't bother to attend National Republic Day.

 

[HariPrasad]

Ohhhhh!!!!!!

so now the supporters of Mullahs who announces prize for killing are teaching us the national interest.

says a man, whose party chief didn't bother to attend National Republic Day.

He(Gandu Kejai) went to dubai for funding from ant national elements.

 

[MokshaVimukthi]

Considering his atrocious English, the real question is, who wrote that article for him ?

 

[noksss]

VK Singh is not a Diplomat

However his remark was unbecoming. But resign for not liking to attend a function in the Pak embassy and saying so ?.... The author needs to see a doctor before he hurts himself.

Come on man he is from AAP

 

[Stephen Cohen]

AAP and aapturds can go to hell

 

[Bang Galore]

VK Singh is not a Diplomat

Isn't that the truth.......

However his remark was unbecoming.

Luckily that remark was very ambiguous allowing for possible defence about what he meant. Frankly I'm not sure what he meant - whether he meant he was disgusted with the media (which is what is said now) or whether he really meant to say he was disgusted at attending the function.

 

[third eye]

Luckily that remark was very ambiguous allowing for possible defence about what he meant. Frankly I'm not sure what he meant - whether he meant he was disgusted with the media (which is what is said now) or whether he really meant to say he was disgusted at attending the function.

Any which way, he ought to have kept his remarks to himself & not tweet them.

 

[Stephen Cohen]

Isn't that the truth.......



Luckily that remark was very ambiguous allowing for possible defence about what he meant. Frankly I'm not sure what he meant - whether he meant he was disgusted with the media (which is what is said now) or whether he really meant to say he was disgusted at attending the function.

He was disgusted with Kashmiri separatists attending the function
And he being an Army Officer had to go to such a function

But such a task came with the new JOB of being an MOS in --- MEA
This task came with the territory

Sushma swaraj ; Doval baba ( he is in China ) and PM of course would not attend
Foreign secretary Jaishankar is busy with PM 's France Germany Visit

SO the task came to him

But being a battle hardened soldier ; he could have kept quite
He has faced many tough situations before

 

[Sage]

VK Singh is not a Diplomat

However his remark was unbecoming. But resign for not liking to attend a function in the Pak embassy and saying so ?.... The author needs to see a doctor before he hurts himself.

If a General and an Ex-Chief of the Indian Army does not know even this much of 'diplomacy' to attend a function of a neighbor country and then declare it 'disgusting' while he still holds a portfolio ...I think ...VK Sings must be sent to a rehab center on the contrary ...He did enjoy there ...His full-mouth-stretched 'Buahahaha' cannot be called a fake one !

 

[Tshering22]

(Ashutosh joined the Aam Aadmi Party in January 2014. The former journalist took on former Union minister Kapil Sibal and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in the national election from Chandni Chowk in Delhi.)

VK Singh is guilty of violating the fundamentals of diplomacy. A diplomat never says NO, forget using harsh words with his enemy in public. General VK Singh is no novice, and he can't get away by saying that he is a first-time minister who is learning the ropes. He was the Army chief, who carries the image of an honest soldier, and as somebody who did not shy away from fighting the establishment. In my old incarnation as an editor, I had always admired him. I had interviewed him many times and was always fascinated by his earthiness and a no-nonsense approach, but today, as a student of diplomacy, I must say he has disappointed me no end and he has no right to continue as minister.

First of all at Ashutosh.

He can never write such a fantastic worded article.

Second,

For the underlined part:

That's the whole point why PM Modiji appointed him as independent charge minister of state.

His knowledge on the psyche of the adversary, enemies of the state, his experiences as an Army commando and his ability to assess the depth of a situation is what made him get this prized position.

My brothers have served under him on many counts and say that the entire Army holds him in high regards for his no-nonsense, clean and strong attitude.

He and Kiren Rijiju though junior to Rajnath and Swaraj, report directly to the PMO. Their powers are only second to Ajit Doval, our NSA and another expert in this area.

He was disgusted with Kashmiri separatists attending the function
And he being an Army Officer had to go to such a function

But such a task came with the new JOB of being an MOS in --- MEA
This task came with the territory

Sushma swaraj ; Doval baba ( he is in China ) and PM of course would not attend
Foreign secretary Jaishankar is busy with PM 's France Germany Visit

SO the task came to him

But being a battle hardened soldier ; he could have kept quite
He has faced many tough situations before

Do you really think that he has gone out of the way?

Westminister model or not, we are forgetting that the era of following foreign 'models' of diplomacy has gone.

It is now what suits India the best.

This isn't a blunder; he meant it. And given his background and the power structure that is behind him, let's just say that the Boss wanted him to convey this in crisp words.

 

[third eye]

attend a function of a neighbor country and then declare it 'disgusting' while he still holds a portfolio

The disgust to share a platform with separatist is understandable.

Being a soldier he called a spade a spade.

 

[janon]

If a General and an Ex-Chief of the Indian Army does not know even this much of 'diplomacy' to attend a function of a neighbor country and then declare it 'disgusting' while he still holds a portfolio ...I think ...VK Sings must be sent to a rehab center on the contrary ...He did enjoy there ...His full-mouth-stretched 'Buahahaha' cannot be called a fake one !View attachment 207346

That laughter was directed at the Kashmiri separatists present there.

 

[kaku1]

Ashutosh

• 
  
  (Ashutosh joined the Aam Aadmi Party in January 2014. The former journalist took on former Union minister Kapil Sibal and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in the national election from Chandni Chowk in Delhi.)
  
  "Not even a king has the right to subordinate the interests of the state to his personal sympathies or antipathies," writes one of the greatest diplomats of the last century, Henry Kissinger, in his book, Diplomacy. But modern-day diplomats with no understanding of diplomacy and foreign policy are out to make themselves more important than the national interest. Alas! They are also joined by a few TV anchors who find solutions for foreign policies in two minutes. Unfortunately, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, General V K Singh, joins the gang too. The General found his visiting the Pakistan High Commission was a "disgusting" affair, an affront to his #Duty as a minister.
  
  VK Singh is guilty of violating the fundamentals of diplomacy. A diplomat never says NO, forget using harsh words with his enemy in public. General VK Singh is no novice, and he can't get away by saying that he is a first-time minister who is learning the ropes. He was the Army chief, who carries the image of an honest soldier, and as somebody who did not shy away from fighting the establishment. In my old incarnation as an editor, I had always admired him. I had interviewed him many times and was always fascinated by his earthiness and a no-nonsense approach, but today, as a student of diplomacy, I must say he has disappointed me no end and he has no right to continue as minister. He is guilty on four counts:
  
  1. Our constitution has adopted the Westminster model of governance which works on the basic premise of collective responsibility of the cabinet. V K Singh has not attended the function in Pakistan High Commission in his individual capacity. He was there as the representative of the government of India, as a member of the cabinet. And after coming back from the function, if he finds his going there #disgusting and if he tries to project that he was not willing to go there, but had no option but to visit as a part of his duty, then he has breached the basic rule of the collective responsibility of the cabinet. His tweets are clearly proof that he has violated that golden rule and he has no business to continue as a minster. Either he should be sacked or he should resign.
  
  2. He has also shown defiance towards the chair of the Prime Minister. PM Modi had greeted his counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the occasion of Pakistan's Republic Day. The PM did not find anything wrong or disgusting in his goodwill gesture to Pakistan, but his junior minister ,on the other hand, detests having to be present in the Pakistan High Commission. Public defiance of the Prime Minister does not send a right signal to bureaucracy and public at large. This is a clear case of insubordination.
  
  3. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, it is incumbent upon him to work for the furtherance of the national interest vis a vis other countries. It's not necessary that he interact with friendly nations only. The biggest challenge a diplomat faces is when he has to negotiate or interact with an enemy/ unfriendly country. Pakistan, all said and done, is an enemy country, and as a diplomat, it is his responsibility to work for the betterment of the relationship between the two hostile nations. His tweets are hostile in nature and will not help build the relationship between the two nations. It shows that either he is not aware of his responsibility as a Foreign Minister, or his insecurities have taken over. Kissinger has very succinctly written - "The public does not in the long run respect leaders who mirrors its own insecurities or see only the symptoms of crisis rather than the long term trends." Mr V K Singh you forgot to see big picture.
  
  4. This incident further proves that Modi government has no long-term foreign policy vision vis-a-vis Pakistan. Modi supporters went gaga when he invited Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony. But the euphoria was short-lived. His government's decision to scrap secretary-level talks with Pakistan because its envoy had invited Hurriyat leaders for talks in Delhi was too whimsical. The government could have conveyed displeasure in strongest possible words, but scrapping of the talks was an immature decision, and speaks of the fact that government does not have a long-term perspective. The foreign policy of a country can't be the prisoner of a kind of ideology or an old-fashioned mindset in the post-Cold War world.
  
  Even if Pakistan is the cause for many headaches for India, as a nation we have no alternative but to engage it in some form or the other. The continuous hostility will only bleed India. It's in our interest not to escalate the tension on our borders. Such acts will not help in de-escalation. In this context, I am further reminded of Kissinger - "Napoleon's tragedy was that his ambitions surpassed his capacities." Fortunately or unfortunately, neither Modi is Napoleon nor is VK Singh, despite being a former general.
  
  
  Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
  Story First Published: March 25, 2015 11:13 IST
  Why General VK Singh Must Resign

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