Pressure on PM when J J Singh’s name came up for Army chief: Chavan

Chavan,however,appreciated Singh for displaying a secular “behaviour” when he held the top Army office.

The book launch came a day after the anniversary of Operation Blue Star and amid claims by Akal Takht chief Giani Gurbachan Singh that there is a feeling of alienation among Sikhs in their own country. General Singh said it takes two hands to clap and that both sides have to move together for a united nation. He claimed that though he is not profoundly knowledgeable about Sikh scriptures,he has been trying to interpret the religion in a modern way.

“To be a good Sikh and a good human being is the same,” he said as he agreed that there is a need to reach out to people in their own languages. “If you don’t do it,people will be ignorant about what you are and what your philosophy is.”

He said his autobiography will also be translated into other languages namely Hindi,Punjabi,Bengali,Assamese and south Indian languages such as Telugu,Kannada and Tamil. He said the idea behind translating his autobiography is to reach out to maximum people and to “pass on the word”.

“Our country has to be carried forward by each and every religion and caste. We must talk of India,” Singh said as he shook hands with officers from his regiment — the Maratha Light Infantry — of which he remains a honorary colonel.