General Dalbir Singh Suhag on Thursday took charge as new army chief, succeeding General Bikram Singh, who has retired. General Suhag was designated as the army chief by outgoing Congress-led UPA government a week before the election result, despite stiff opposition from former army chief General VK Singh, now a Union minister.
On Thursday, Geneal Bikram Singh handed over the chief of Army Staff baton to General Suhag in his South Block officer in presence of their family members and other top army officers.
59-year-old Suhag, a Gurkha officer who had participated in the 1987 Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) operation in Sri Lanka, was till now the Vice-Chief of Army Staff.
He comes from a family of soldiers based in a village in Jhajjar in Haryana. General Suhag is a fitness freak. His 30 months tenure will last till December 2016. With a lean and muscular frame at six-feet, his body is perfect according to the BMI (body mass index) which is 75 kilos. Suhag runs at least 10km daily and does over 200 push-ups. He also loves horse-riding and golf.
Suhag was a Company Commander in 'Operation Pawan' in Sri Lanka in 1987 and commanded 53 Infantry Brigade engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir Valley from July 2003 to March 2005.
An alumnus of Sainik School, Chittorgarh, he joined National Defence Academy in 1970 and was commissioned into 4/5 GR (FF) in June 1974.
The new chief takes over at a time when the force is facing challenges of modernsation of its artillery, infantry and air defence arms and is also preparing itself for facing a possible multi-front war.
Meanwhile, outgoing Army Chief General Bikram Singh said the Indian Army has given a "befitting reply" after a soldier was beheaded by Pakistani troops in 2013 along the LoC.
Before demitting officer, Bikram singh told reporters, "It has been done. Please understand that when we use force, the use is from tactical to operational to strategic levels. When I mention that during that incident, it was aimed at operations at the tactical level, which have been undertaken. I think this has been done by the local commander, the chiefs have nothing to do with it."
An Indian soldier was beheaded and another killed by Pakistani troops who crossed over into Indian territory in the Mendhar sector of Jammu & Kashmir on January 8 last year.
Bikram Singh also played down the transgressions by the Chinese soldiers along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "Both side lay claim over the area and like the Chinese we too patrol the area, however, there are robust rules of engagement," he said.
"I do not foresee a war with China. There is good understanding between the two countries at the macro level. I do not see a contingency with China," General Singh added.
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