General message: back to core values, build bond between officers and men

When Army chief General Bikram Singh addressed troops at the Siachen base camp on Saturday, his talk with officers and men had the same underlining message that he has been driving home for the past three months — no one is bigger than the organisation, there is "no looking back", and emphasis should be on returning to the core values of soldiering.

The period that preceded his tenure had seen the Army embroiled in scandals and a brewing internal feud, with then chief Gen V K Singh on the warpath against the government. Since he took over, Bikram Singh has not taken much to public interactions but has been quietly visiting units and Army bases across the country and addressing troops. These talks suggest the Army has put a renewed emphasis on officer-soldier relations, strict adherence to financial probity, a new human resource policy, inclusive decision-making and a strong modernisation drive — and an overall emphasis on the core values of a disciplined army.

"No one is or should be above the organisation. The organisation needs to be strengthened. There is no room for individuals," Bikram Singh is reported to have told his officers.

One of the first instructions, for example, that went around after Bikram Singh took over was on the rules regarding direct communication with the Army chief's office. While in the past few years there were several instances of senior officers and even juniors writing directly to the chief on personal grievances and complaints against colleagues, the new instructions strictly forbid such direct communication on personal matters.

Instead, officers have been told that they can write only on professional matters concerning the officer directly to the Army chief. "Clear instructions have gone that all personal matters should come up only through the laid-down system. Any direct communication on such matters with the chief would be a breach of discipline," a senior officer familiar with the matter says.

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