THE Daily Mail had exposed earlier the scandal involving the former Indian Armed Forces Chiefs, who had illegally acquired flats in Mumbai. Several generals and admirals were lured to become members of the illegally sanctioned building of Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society, which was built on an illegally acquired plot of land. The building has been declared illegal, as it has been constructed in violation of the environmental laws and FSI regulations. Former Chief of Army Gen N C Vij, former Chief of Army Gen Deepak Kapoor, former Chief of Navy Admiral Madhavendra Singh own flats in the Adarsh Society. Three close female relatives of ex-Chief Minister Ashok Chavan also own flats in Adarsh Society. Each flat has a market price of Rs.8 crore. The reputation of the Armed Forces of India was put at stake, just to serve the interests of the extremely greedy senior Indian armed forces officers, politicians, bureaucrats and their cronies. The now sacked Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, along with many other top leaders of Maharashtra, did not hesitate to use the names of the top defence officers even when they flouted all the rules and regulations to get the high-rise building constructed in the restricted coastal regulation zone. In this process, they have tarnished the reputation of the Armed Forces of India, for whom the building of Adarsh Society has become a massive Tower of Shame.
The flats in Adarsh Society were originally meant for the families of servicemen, ex-servicemen, and the widows and orphans of the Kargil War martyrs. It seems that many politicians and bureaucrats have suddenly been turned into living Kargil martyrs, and their female relatives have been declared as Kargil war widows, in the Greatest Miracle of India produced and directed by the top leaders of Maharashtra. It is the allotment of flats in the 31-storey building of Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society at Colaba, Mumbai, which has produced a Great Miracle of widows who have living husbands like the politicians and bureaucrats. The politicians and bureaucrats are really the most wonderful Miracle Makers who have converted themselves into living Kargil Martyrs, and whose families consist of Kargil War widows and orphans! Is that not the Greatest Miracle of Modern India performed by the top leaders of Maharashtra who have shamelessly stolen the rights of war widows and orphans? Defence minister A.K. Antony will find it hard to probe the case, as he now promises. Adarsh was cleared by two of Anthony’s Cabinet colleagues: power minister Sushilkumar Shinde and heavy industries minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.
In 2003, Shinde dodged all questions on Adarsh; he continues to do so. The contentious Deshmukh just says he doesn’t remember.The Daily Mail’s exposé lifted the lid off the boiling cauldron of greed, sleaze and perfidy of India’s senior military officers and politicians, who did not even for a moment stop to think that they were desecrating the holy blood of India’s martyrs, who had sacrificed their lives in the defence of the country and their widows, orphans and dependents needed a shelter. No wonder that the morale of the Indian troops is so low that their rate of suicide is raising concern in the Indian higher defence command. Additionally, fratricide or murdering their own senior officers in cold blood as well as the rate of mental depravation among the Indian armed forces has caused jitters down their defence planners. After the Adarsh scandal hit the media, thanks to Christina Palmer of the Daily Mail, the youth of India, who were already averse to joining the armed forces, will now keep away. India’s Tower of Shame has indeed defiled its rank and file and depicted how low humanity can sink only to satisfy its lust and greed – Dailymailnews
