A secret that isn't

I do not understand what is ‘TOP SECRET’ about the leaked letter from the Army Chief to the PM. Years ago, there was a shop in a little cute town that doled out “made in USA” and “made in USA” (Ulhasanagar Sindhi Association) stuff in exchange for post dated cheques from unsuspecting young officers. In this small shop there was the usual Indian cosmetics and stuff on display. All real stuff was stashed away elsewhere to be home delivered free. In a dire emergency you could accompany the ‘boy-guide’ to the back alley and collect the stuff immediately. The shop was full of customers (young officers) through afternoon to late evenings every day of the week. The shop owners’ USP, besides prompt service, was his advanced knowledge of postings of officers in and out of the station. He had this information at least 24 to 48 hours before it trickled down to the actual movers and shakers.


What is so ‘Secret’ about the contents of the leaked letter written by Chief t the PM? Whenever I am introduced by friends to the non uniformed fraternity, most ask me ‘Which department?’. When I reply “Artillery”, immediately they sneer “Oh! Bofors!”. Almost always the conversation ended there. Hence I do not have many new friends in the Civvy Street. Then there was this incident on the Golf course on the eighth green on a Sunday morning when the test pilot of ‘Tejas’ decided to test something in the ‘being designed’ aircraft and took one up in the skies. My middle aged civilian playing partner asked “I have been seeing this plane being tested since my school days, will they be of any use to the IAF now?”. The other day the neighbour’s kid, all of six years old, dropped in while I was watching some news on TV. All of a sudden he queried “Uncle why is our soldier using a rifle when the terrorist is armed with an automatic?”


Hence my astonishment and quip as to what is so “SECRET” about the Chief’s letter to the PM. Is the outrage because the ‘secret’ letter is ‘leaked’ or is it because of the ‘public’ secret is being made public? The truth does not astound but the revelation does – a Hippocratic approach to problem solving.


Heard on the streets “Are our Armed Forces being given arms or alms?”