CHANDIGARH: India’s former Army chief General O.P. Malhotra early this week took over as Governor of Punjab replacing the old farmer from U.P. Virender Verma who has been shifted to neighboring Himachal Pradesh.
It is for the first time that a military man has been entrusted with administration in the turbulent State. Again, Malhotra is a Punjabi Hindu whose posting in Punjab discards the tradition that neither Punjabi Hindu nor a Sikh would get this job in view of the delicate communal situation in the State. Sardar Bahadur Ujjal Singh was the last Sikh who served as Punjab Governor in 1965-66.
Malhotra’s assignment begins in step with the Indian government’s decision to move into Punjab at least two battalions of troops ostensibly to check border crossings of Sikh militants from across the IndoPakistan border. But the fact remains that the militarisation of Punjab comes in the wake of Hindu fundamentalists storming the Indian polity forcing even Prime Minister Chander Shekhar to admit that he was a “Hindu first”,
Conservative Hindu opinion makers in the country have started calling for militarisation of Indian polity. Thus writing in the leading The Times of India Swapan Dasgupta recommends: “…There can be no question of any compromise with such elements (Punjab militants). The integrity of India is not negotiable whether in Assam, Kashmir or Punjab. If that involves a partial militarisation of the polity, the nation must be prepared for the sacrifice.”
Whatever the intrinsic worth of Dasgupta prescription, it is a safe bet that Punjab will continue to be governed by the Army. Punjab now is in the same category as the northeastern states such as Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh, Assam etc where the Army’s active presence has been a rule during the past 40 years or so rather than an exception.
The Hindu media is least apologetic about the appointment of a former military officer as Punjab Governor. On the other hand, it is gloating over the coming of the new “liberator”. “Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh has seen politicians and civil servants come and go as governors and it should not unduly disturb any citizen that there is a distinguished soldier at the helm”, writes The Tribune, the bastion of conservative Hindu opinion makers
Virender Verma must have left the Raj Bhavan a disillusioned man, not so much by his transfer as by the treatment meted out to him by journalists when he addressed his last Press conference in the Punjab Government’s Secretariat building on December 14. The Governor had called the Press basically to bring on record certain unsavory facts of his administration mainly to bring home the virtual loot of the State by a combination of corrupt bureaucracy and inept lawyers reflected in about 3000 civil and criminal cases becoming time barred, property of the State in Delhi and elsewhere worth hundreds of crores being encroached upon with impunity and a score of corporations and boards of the government running at an aggregate loss of more than Rs 800 crore. The anguished old man from U.P. made an impassioned plea to the Pressmen to “follow up” the issues he had narrated and to be helpful in the interests of the State.
Verma must have thought that his audience comprised as it did of Punjabis would respond to his pleas. Instead he had to face a volley of humiliating questions such as “when will you resign? Is it your last Press conference? What is your conscience saying? So here any place where your writ was obeyed?” etc.
NEW DELHI: Punjab Governor designate O.P. Malhotra says he would accord top priority returning confidence among the people of the state.
My first priority will be to bring confidence among the people, look at the administration and tackle the situation accordingly”, the former Chief of the Army Staff said,
Gen. Malhotra said he would be leaving for Chandigarh on Tuesday (Dec 18) morning to be sworn in as Governor the same day in place of Mr Virendra Verma, who will occupy the Raj Bhavan in ‘Shimla.
Gen Malhotra said he had no clear idea about the situation prevailing in the state. “What little I know of the situation in Punjab is based on newspaper reports, I can properly assess the situation only when I reach there,” he said.
Gen Malhotra said he would spare no effort to give a good shape to the administration in the state, which has been under President’s rule for more than three years. Asked what efforts he would make to restore a popular government in the state, Gen Malhotra said the exercise could be undertaken when the situation was conducive.
“I must instill confidence among the people first and create a conductive atmosphere in the state. Once that is done, I will make all efforts to restore a popular government in the state, he said.
Asked about the reported movement of some Army units in Punjab recently, Gen Malhotra said there was nothing unusual in it. “But I would not like to say more on this issue since I do not know the factual position.”
He, however, added that when he was commanding the Western Command in Jalandhar, the Army used to move freely in Punjab without criticism from any quarter.
Gen Malhotra said he was going to take up his assignment without ill will towards anyone.
Asked to comment on the recent code of the conduct for journalists backed by the Panthic Committee in Punjab, he said it was a disturbing development. He however assured that his administration would do everything to protect the journalists and ensure freedom of the Press.
It is undoubtedly a challenging assignment though it would be premature on my part to spell out anything. All I can say at the moment is that I would like to do my best to serve the people of Punjab,” the retired General said.
Gen Malhotra, 69, was appointed Governor of Punjab on Dec 7 in what is seen as a move by the Chandra Shekhar government to deal more firmly with the situation.
Gen Malhotra has served the Army with distinction for four decades.
Having a parental background from Punjab, Gen Malhotra, who was born in Srinagar, had his education up to intermediate.
Thereafter, he went to Government College, Lahore for his education in Economics and History,
Joining the Army at the age of 19, he commanded different artillery segments between Nov1950. and July 1961. Besides being the instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he was Military Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Moscow for nearly three years from June 1962 to 1965.
Promoted as Major General in September 1967, he commanded) an infantry division for two years. He was appointed Vice Chief of the Army Staff in January 1977. Gen Malhotra was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva’ Medal in 1977.
Appointed the Chief of the Army Staff on June 1, 1987, he held the post for the next three years and initiated measures for the moderisation of the Army and the welfare of the Jawans.
He was appointed High Commissioner to Indonesia soon after his retirement.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 21, 1990
