Western Command Raising Day sans chief

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 15

Western Command, the Army’s frontline operational command, celebrated its 69th Raising Day at Chandimandir Military Station today even as it continues to await the appointment of a General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) for the past month-and-a-half.

The Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lt Gen IS Ghuman, laid a wreath at the Veer Smriti war memorial to pay homage to the martyrs on behalf of all ranks of the Command. A large number of serving officers and other ranks attended the homage-paying ceremony.

The Western Command continues to be without a GOC-in-C since the previous commander retired on August 31. Lt Gen Surinder Singh, a 1979 Guards officer, is tipped to take over the post, but the Ministry of Defence is yet to issue posting orders even though he completed his earlier assignment as GOC 33 Corps in the last week of August and has since been attached to the Deputy Chief of Army Staff’s Branch at Army Headquarters on a supernumerary post.

The senior-most Corps Commander in the Western Command has been officiating as the GOC-in-C for the past six weeks, a situation cited by many officers as unprecedented and intriguing.

The Command was raised on this day in 1947 as the Delhi and East Punjab Command with its headquarters in Delhi was re-designated as Western Command in January 1948. In 1954, the HQs moved to Shimla. It has played a decisive role in all wars and operations since Independence.

After the India-Pakistan War of 1971, the Northern Command, with its HQs at Udhampur, was carved out of Western Command to assume operational responsibility of Jammu and Kashmir. In 1985, Command HQs moved to its present location at Chandimandir.