Dear Editor,
New Air Force Chief, Denis Anthony La Fontaine, Air Officer Commanding in Chief of the western air command has been appointed Chief of the Indian Air Force, in the rank of Air Chief Marshal.
He succeeds Air Chief Marshal Lakshman Madhare Katre who died following a heart attack in New Delhi on July 1. Mr. P. P. Singh took over temporarily as the chief as he was the senior most officers.
This is another link in the chain of discrimination of Sikh officers in the Indian Armed forces which began immediately after independence when General Kulwant Singh was superseded by a junior officer as commander-in-chief of India’s armed forces because he was a Sikh. And yet it is being declared from house tops that the Sikhs are not being discriminated against!
But General Sinha was also superseded by a Junior General Vaidya with a view to utilize his services for the attack on the Golden temple which the former would not do! How said for the unity of the Indian Army!
Balwant Singh Buttar
Article extracted from this publication >> August 2, 1985
