As I Knew Him 8230;

Late Lt. Gen Sartaj Singh
Lt. Gen. Sartaj Singh Retd. GM, Padma Bhushan, died on April 23 at Chandimandir. His death is a great loss to the Regiment of Artillery and Chandigarh Consumer Forum. He was ailing for a few months but never showed it. I have known the General since 1947, when I was a subaltern attending the young officers course at the School of Artillery, Deorali. He came back from the UK on completion of Long Gunnery Staff Course and was appointed the first Indian Chief Instructor in the Field Wing School of Artillery. He visited our class on a few occasions. He gave the impression of being a strict disciplinarian and a hard taskmaster. At the end of the course, he interviewed each student.

Though stern in appearance, he had a kind heart.My next meeting with him was in 1965 in NEFA where he was the Divisional Commander. I then Lt. Col. had gone to give a talk on the operations in Jammu and Kashmir in 1965, against Pakistan, to clear any misconceptions that some offices may have had due to rumours and incorrect information. On arrival at the Divisional Headquarters, the General8217;s staff officer was waiting for me to take me to the General. He welcomed me to the Division with great warmth and affection.

In subsequent years, I met him on few occasions, when he was a Corps Commander and later Army Commander. Gen Sartaj Singh was an outstanding General. He was dedicated and devoted to the Army and never compromised the strategy of Defence.After retirement from the Army in 1979, and after a brief stint in the private sector, I settled down in Chandigarh in 1985. I met Gen. Sartaj Singh on the Chandigarh Golf Course. He was the founder Chairman of Chandigarh Consumer Forum, which he established in 1979 for the welfare of the consumers. He never liked to see injustice or harassment being faced by anyone. He took me as a convener in the Forum and subsequently made me the vice chairman.The fine soldier and guiding light of the Consumer Forum is no more with us. We miss him a lot. We pray that his soul may rest in peace.
The writer, Jagmohan Singh, is a retired Brigadier