Veekay's articles : 2025

Monday, December 29, 2025

VEEKAY’S NEWSLETTER -2025 Dear Friends, It is time to update all of you about my activities during the year. For the last several years I have been beset with problems concerning my health and my legal cases. The health issues are perhaps unavoidable, since age is catching up, as it does for everyone else. But the legal issues are an additional burden that not everyone faces at my age. I have crossed the 81st milestone in June, and am now classified a super senior citizen during my visits to hospitals. In addition, there are many domestic issues that are a cause for stress, but this happens in almost all families. In June 2021, I underwent a surgical procedure in the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre during which an implant was put in my back, comprising eight rods, ten screws and two cages. Everything seemed to go off well until it was discovered that two screws had become loose and one cage had shifted. This naturally causes some pain and considerable discomfort. It has severely affected my mobility, indoors and outdoors. I now need some support to get up from a chair, climb even one or two steps and walk around the house. For visits to the hospital or get-togethers, I have to use a wheel chair, which I carry in my car. I need a driver to drive long distances and in crowded areas. These problems have been mitigated to some extent by an attendant, who has been employed on a 24 hour basis. The problem is that most of them don’t stay for long and have to be changed frequently. Another issue was a urological problem due to enlargement of the prostate. I had to undergo surgery, known as TURP on 30th Dec 2024 in Artemis Hospital. Due to various reasons, the problems continued. I visited several urologists in different hospitals. There was little they could do except install a catheter for a week or two. Finally, my good friend – he is also my schoolmate and course mate – Maj Gen AJB Jaini suggested that I should consult Dr SK Rawal, the Head of Urology in the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute. I told him that I do not have cancer, but he insisted, since he was taking treatment from him for a similar ailment. In May I did that. On meeting Dr Rawal I discovered that he was a student of my cousin Dr RP Sahi, a renowned surgeon, in KGMC Lucknow. Dr Rawal praised him to high heavens and we spent a lot of time talking about him. He then got a cystoscopy done. He told me that my bladder had developed pouches and its walls are weak. He advised me not to fret and live with it. That is what I am doing now. There are several other health issues but I will skip them, since almost everyone of our age faces such problems. One as to live with them and that is what I have decided to do now. Coming to the legal problems, the most important one relates to the case filed against me by the CBI at the behest of RAW for writing the book titled India’s External Intelligence – Secrets of the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) published in 2007. (The guys in that organisation insist that the abbreviated form is R&AW, but I have found that in the notification issued for its creation it was written as RAW). The book exposed the corruption, indiscipline and lack of accountability in the spy agency, which resulted in serious lapses in our security. Piqued by the exposure of their names, the sleuths convinced the authorities to slap a case against me under the Official Secrets Act of 1923. I had filed a petition in the High Court in 2008 to quash the FIR and charge sheet. Arguments in the case were closed and the judgement reserved on 11/8/2017. However, the judgment was pronounced only on 31/5/2023, more than five years after it was reserved. As expected, the petition to quash the proceedings was dismissed. Commander Mukesh Saini, a retired naval officer who is himself involved in a case under the OSA, introduced me to a senior counsel in the Supreme Court who was well known to him. I met the lady counsel along with Saini who felt that the case in 100% winnable. Somehow I got carried away by his confidence. The SLP was prepared by the Advocate on Record in consultation with Saini. The hearing was held in the Supreme Court on 25/9/2023. It was dismissed in less than five minutes. The judges refused to hear the arguments of the counsel. As a consolation they ordered that if we file an application for discharge, the trial court will not be influenced by the High Court judgement. This is not the only case that I lost. Based on an application from me, the CMM had ordered that copies of all documents connected with the case be given to me to prepare my defence. The CBI promptly appealed against this order in the High court in 2010. They submitted that the documents are very sensitive and giving copies to me would endanger national security. This case was also decided recently. The judge ordered that copies of documents would not be handed over to me or my counsel, but we will be allowed to examine them whenever required. Since no copies will be given, we are expected to have photographic memories to remember each word of the documents which may run into thousands of pages. Prashant Bhushan who had filed the petition to quash the case in 2008 again came to my rescue. We filed an SLP (special leave petition) in the Supreme Court against the order of the High Court. It was heard on 12/12/2025. I attended the hearing by VC. A two judge bench comprising JK Maheswari J. and Vijay Bishnoi J. issued a notice to the CBI returnable in four weeks. So there is some light at the end of the tunnel. The cases in the National Consumer Commission and RERA are still going on – after all the dictum Tarikh pe Tarikh has to be followed. The members of these tribunals, like judges, are not accountable to anyone. The Consumer Protection Act lays down that all cases will be decided in five months, but the members violate the law with nobody to question them. I have written twice to the Chairman of the NCDRC, but there has been no response. In fact these tribunals are now controlled by the lawyers, who grease the palms of the staff, to make sure that particular cases are always listed at the end, making sure it is not heard. I had noticed this many years ago in a case filed by me against the AWHO in the Delhi State Consumer Commission. After almost a dozen hearings I realised that my case will never be heard, as it is always listed at the end. In the next hearing I mentioned this when the court was about to rise. Justice JD Kapoor said that they have too many cases. I then asked him why cases filed after mine are being listed before my case. He went through the cause list and agreed with me. He promised that he will decide the case in the next hearing, which he did. Let us now turn to more pleasant subjects. This year, my friend Maj Gen Nilendra Kumar (he is an ex-JAG) requested me to take part in a podcast on certain personalities covered in my book Leadership in Indian Army – Biographies of Twelve Soldiers. The first few sessions were conducted in his house in NOIDA. Later, to avoid the long journey, we have been doing it by video conferencing. I find it very convenient since I can do it from home, using my laptop. He tells me that the feedback is very good. We still have a few personalities left, which we will do in the coming months. Another activity that I have recently started is reading Hindi books. I have got hold of six booklets having short stories written by Munshi Premchand, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Jai Shankar Prasad, Sadat Hasan Manto, Leo Tolstoy, and Maupassant. There is also a set of six paperbacks having novels and short stories written by Premchand, including Godaan, Gaban, Idgaah, Poos ki Raat, Thakur ka Kuan, Mritak Bhoj and many others. Of course, I had read most of these stories during my school days. One reason for my predilection for the writings of Munshi Premchand is that his grandson, Alok Rai was my class mate and best friend in school. Alok’s father, Amrit Rai, was himself a well-known writer, who got the Sahitya Academy Award for writing the biography of his father titled Kalam ka Sipahi. Alok’s mother, Sudha Chauhan was the daughter of the poetess Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, who wrote the poem Jhansi ki Rani. Alok and I appeared in NDA and IIT examinations together. We both qualified but he preferred an academic career. He went to Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. He started teaching English in Allahabad University, then went to IIT Delhi and finally to Delhi University, from where he retired. He still lives in his father’s house, Dhoop Chhanh, in Allahabad. We rarely meet now, but keep in touch on WhatsApp. Due to my restricted mobility, we rarely go on sightseeing trips on Sundays as we did till about 15-20 years back. The same goes for the annual holidays in the hills. But I still attend course and unit reunions and get-togethers, as well as family functions. In early February this year we went to Jaipur for a week to attend the engagement ceremony of Bhumika (she is the granddaughter of my wife’s elder sister). Later in February itself we had a course get-together in Chandigarh, hosted by the course mates who live in the Tri-City. It was an extremely enjoyable affair. Unlike most of the others who stayed in a hotel in Zirakpur, I stayed in the N Area Mess, where my attendant could sleep in the adjoining room. The next GT is planned in Goa in February 2026. Since no one in Goa, Poona or Delhi was ready to organise the event, the Tri City dam busters, as our course is known, volunteered to take it on. Hats off to them. In January 2026 we also plan to go to Jodhpur to attend the wedding of Bhumika, whose engagement was held in February in Jaipur. Marriages in Rajasthan last at least a week and the ladies have to carry many dresses, which makes air travel difficult. So we have decided not to fly but drive down, perhaps with a halt at Jaipur. I was posted in Jodhpur in 1992-93 and used to frequently travel on this route, since my family was in Delhi, due to the children’s’ education. I was not entitled to SF accommodation, so my family stayed in Vasantkunj in a flat belonging to Chinu Mohanty. It was lying vacant so I requested him to let us stay for a nominal rent. He agreed and we stayed there for almost two years. A recent development that I find very disturbing is the increasing influence of politics in our lives. My father was not a politician, but he had a large number of friends and acquaintances who were. This was perhaps inevitable, since he took active part in the freedom movement and even spent some time in jail during the Quit India movement in 1942. After he joined the Police 1948, he did not take active part in politics. But his interest in the subject never waned. Politicians of all hues were frequent visitors to our house. Even after retirement, he was a regular visitor to the Coffee House or Benbows in Hazratganj, where he met his friends, many of whom were deeply into politics. During my leave, I often accompanied him on these trips and listened to their discussions concerning the developments in Delhi and Lucknow. But this did not affect his close ties with his friends and acquaintances. Today, the situation is totally different. There are divisions within families depending on political leanings of different members. Unfortunately, even the Armed Forces have been affected by this malaise. There is no closer bond than that between course mates in NDA and IMA. Sadly, these bonds are no longer as strong as they were. There are even instances of friendships being broken. This has affected the ladies and children too. It leaves one saddened. There is little one can do but lament at this development. Another remarkable change is the knowledge and awareness of children today. When we were young, we were not allowed to touch the radio, which was the only electronic gadget in the house. There was no TV, mobile phones, or computers. Today, kids know much more about these things than we do. In fact most people of our age have to ask our grandchildren to help us with these devices. How did this happen? Surely it is not due to better education in schools or enhanced IQ levels. I thinks social media has played a big part in this phenomenon. In our time, we had to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica to find out answers to many questions. Today, Google and Wikipedia provides the answers in an instant. Another new animal that has entered the cattle pen is AI (Artificial Intelligence). It can do anything and might soon control human beings, something we thought only God can do. I have still not been able to grasp how it operates. To tell the truth I feel it is better to remain ignorant of this monster, than delve into the intricacies of its behaviour. This is my 19th newsletter. Those who wish to read the previous newsletters can do so by logging in to my blog veekaysnewsletter.blogspot.com. My second blog that contains chapters from my books and articles on military history is http://veekay-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/. The third blog that has most of my articles is veekaysarticles.blogspot.com/. Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Vinay and Kumud Singh Tele: 0124-4074077 Mob: 9873494521, 9899110913 25th December 2025

Saturday, January 11, 2025

VEEKAY’S NEWSLETTER -2024

VEEKAY’S NEWSLETTER -2024 Another year has passed. Somehow, the years seem to pick up speed as one grows older. There was a time when one thought that he would never grow old. The only time one felt a wee bit older was when he became a grandfather or started using a walking stick. I have gone even further and need an attendant to move around. Most of my time is now spent in court rooms and hospitals, instead of clubs and social get-togethers. Holidays in the hills are now out of the question. I envy some of my friends who pay golf every day and round it off with the two mandatory chota pegs in the evening. But I try to attend all the get-togethers of the Dam Busters (as 26th NDA course is known) as well the 34th NDC course. The biennial reunion of the unit I raised in Hisar in 1982-85 is also de-rigeur. As usual, I will start with the legal cases that have been troubling me for the last 17 years, and then come to the medical issues, which have increased this year. All this took up most of my time, leaving very little for creative pursuits, like writing books or participating in literature festivals. Domestic issues have also taken their toll. These I will omit for the present and leave them for another day. With time such problems often solve themselves. The case filed against me by the CBI after publication of my book titled India’s External Intelligence – Secrets of the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) published in 2007 is still going on and is unlikely to end soon. The agency at whose behest the case was filed has lost interest, but the lawyers will not allow the case to end – they are like daily wagers who get paid for every hearing. Another factor is that almost ten books have been written about RAW, most of them by officers who have served in the agency, including many erstwhile Directors. Even though some of these books are more explicit than mine, it is unlikely that the agency will prosecute them. I have been singled out because I was an ‘outsider’ and not one of their own. There are several other cases that I have filed in the Consumer Commissions, Central Information Commission and RERA. I had purchased a Nissan Terrano in 2016. Soon after I purchased the car I noticed that it had a design defect and could not be used in the Hills. According to the Certificate of Registration, the car has a 1598 cc petrol engine, unladen weight of 1261 Kg and gross vehicle weight of 1755 Kg. Hence, the load carried by the car including passengers, luggage, tools, accessories etc. should not exceed 1755 – 1261 = 494 Kg. According to the Owner’s Manual, the engine output and climbing ability are reduced with altitude. It recommends that the maximum load should be reduced by 10% at an altitude of 1000 metres and an additional 10% for each 1000 metres thereafter. Since most popular hill stations such as Shimla, Mussourie, Nainital etc. are at altitude of approx. 2000 metres, this will result in a weight reduction of 20% and the gross weight will be around 80% of 1755 = 1404 Kg only. Since the unladen weight of the car is 1261 Kg, the load that can be carried including passengers, luggage and tools will be only 1404 -1261 = 143 Kg. Obviously, the car cannot be used in the hills if is fully loaded, with five passengers and luggage. This is a serious design defect in the car, which is being sold as an SUV. After a lot of visits and to the service station I filed a complaint in the District Consumer Forum in Gurgaon in 2018. The case was dismissed by a subterfuge by the clerks in Forum. I then filed an appeal in the State Consumer Commission in Panchkula. After 18 hearings the case was dismissed. I then filed a case in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Delhi. The case is still going on. In July 2024 I wrote a letter to Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi, the President of the NCDRC pointing out some anomalies s under: In the hearing held on 02/07/2024 the counsel for the respondent, Mr Vipin Singhania, appeared without a Vakalatnama. He stated that he will be “shortly filing his Vakalatnama”. He was allowed to do so within three days. The case has been adjourned to 29/11/2024. I have a few questions: • If the lawyer for OP did not have a vakalatnama, why was he allowed to appear in the case? • Does it take three days to get a vakalatnama signed by the client? • Should a case be adjourned for 5-6 months for this purpose? • Section 38 (7) of the Act provides that “Every complaint shall be disposed of as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to decide the complaint within a period of three months from the date of receipt of notice by opposite party….”. Are we not violating this provision in the Act? I have noticed similar or worse anomalies in the State Commissions in Delhi and Haryana as well as the District Forum in Gurgaon. It appears that it is the lawyers who call the shots. This particular case was filed in 2018 in Gurgaon and has still not been decided even after six years. The Consumer Protection Act was enacted to protect the interests of consumers, not the lawyers. The next hearing was held on 28 Nov 2024. As expected, my case was listed at the end and my turn did not come. This has happened with me earlier in the Case filed by me against the AZWHO in the State Commission at Delhi. For almost two years my case was not heard because it was listed at end. When I brought this to the notice of the Registrar, he advised me to mention before The President at the next hearing. I did this and the President after going through the cause list assured me that he will decide the case in the next hearing which he did. Two other cases were filed in the Haryana State Consumer Commission by my daughter and son-in-law against a builder who has not delivered the flat in spite of the entire cost being paid. Seeing that there is no progress in the cases, we withdrew the cases in January and filed fresh cases in RERA in Gurgaon asking for a full refund. It is still going on with no end in sight. The spine surgery done in 2021 is still troubling me. I have to wear a brace and have to take baby steps while walking. Climbing stairs is difficult except with support. Even if there are 2 or 3 steps, I avoid climbing them unless there is a banister or railing. A problem often overlooked by us is the difficulty faced by the elderly while getting up from a low toilet seat. It can be solved by putting a handle on the wall next to the seat, which can be used as a support. I have advised many clubs and messes where I noticed this problem. One of the few who reacted promptly was DG Signals. I noticed this problem during a function in Vatika last year. Next day, I send a Whatsaap message to the ADGSS, Maj Gen Sunit Kumar along with a photograph of the handle. Within four days, the problem was solved and the handle installed. I wish other messes and clubs take similar steps to ease the life of elderly veterans. Another health issue I am facing now is an enlarged prostate. Tests have revealed that it is benign but my visits to the bathroom just don’t seem to stop. I have consulted the senior urologist in RR hospital as well as Colonel SV Kotwal in Artemis hospital. Both have advised surgery. My TURP is planned for 30 Dec. I hope all goes well. We are staying at Abhimaur Vikum in G-31, Palam Vihar in Gurgaon since 2004. We live on the ground floor while our son Abhimanyu lives on the first floor with his wife Jasmine and their son Bhuvanyu (22) and daughter Khushi (2). Bhuvanyu finished his studies from the College of Vocational Studies in Delhi University and is now working with a private company. Our daughter Mauravi and her husband Vaibhav are still living in Trinity Apartments in DLF 5, with their two daughters, Mriggya (22) and Eshaana (20). Vaibhav, a Captain in the Merchant Navy, is presently at home. Mriggya has graduated from the College of Jesus and Mary. Eshaana has got admission in college in Gurgaon This is my 18th newsletter. Those who wish to read the previous newsletters can do so by logging on to my blog veekaysnewsletter.blogspot.com. My second blog that contains chapters from my books and articles on military history is veekay-militaryhistory.blogspot.com. The third blog that has most of my articles is veekaysarticles.blogspot.com/. Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Vinay and Kumud Singh Tele: 0124-4074077 Mob: 9873494521, 9899110913 29th December 2024