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**India names Lt Gen Suhag as next army chief **
NEW DELHI – India’s Defence Ministry on Monday recommended the name of Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag for the top post of the Indian Army, the Press Trust of India news service reported.
The ministry sent its recommendation to the Appointments Committee of Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, shortly after receiving the go-ahead from the Election Commission, to which the matter had been referred in view of the Model Code of Conduct, the news service reported.
The recommendation had only the name of 59-year-old Lt Gen Suhag, who is the senior-most among the lieutenant generals. Indian Chief of Army Staff General Bikram Singh will retire on July 31 and as per the tradition, the government announces the name of services chiefs two months before the tenure of the incumbent comes to an end.
Lt Gen Suhag commanded India’s 53 Infantry Brigade, which was involved in ‘counter insurgency operations’ in Indian-held Kashmir Valley and also commanded the 8 Mountain Division in the state.
Source
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Another Sikh general set to head the Indian Army. He will be succeeding General Bikram Singh who had taken the army reins from General V. K. Singh. General VK had succeeded a non-Sikh head, General Deepak Kapoor, but Kapoor’s predecessor was again a Sikh — General Joginder Jaswant Singh. Since 2005, General Deepak Kapoor was the only non-Sikh general to head the Indian Army.
I am sure Sikh generals are making their ways up to the top purely on the merits. But somehow it makes an interesting observation how the Sikh community is fitting in the larger picture of security services in the country. It must be an honour for a brave and loving people who are unfairly subjected to silly jokes.
Interestingly, BJP is not in favour of Suhag taking over the army.
