Lt. Gen. Menon quoted in an article in The Wire on the legacy of Gen. Rawat
Lt. Gen. Menon was quoted in an article in The Wire on the legacy of General Bipin Rawat. The article argues that Gen. Rawat’s legacy, among other things, will be marked by his support for the politicisation of the Indian army. In support of this argument, the article quotes Gen. Menon:
Lt General Prakash Menon narrates how appointment norms were tinkered with to put in place loyal incumbents at crucial positions. In the period between 2014 and 2020, supersession for appointments of CNS, COAS and CAS happened. This led to military leaders, especially those seeking appointment as chiefs, seeking political patronage.
For instance, eligibility for the CDS post has been shaped in such a way as to give the political leadership choice to select the loyal ones from a fairly wide range of choices in two domains – serving and retired. Lt General Menon attributes the delay in finding a new CDS to the political leadership’s ‘deep search’ for the right person.