MESSAGE BOARD
NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Navy chief recuperating after bypass surgery

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

Indian navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar will not attend the 50th Republic Day celebrations on January 26. He is recuperating from an open-heart surgery.

This would be the first time in 50 years that the chief of an armed force misses the Rajpath parade, the highest ceremonial function of the Republic Day.

Informed sources told rediff.com that though Admiral Kumar's stature as the chief of naval staff will not be affected by the surgery, he will be medically downgraded. The government would consider appointing an acting chief only if the admiral is unable to return to office "for a very long, long time," they added.

Only if his illness prolonges and Admiral Kumar is unable to return to office for weeks on end, the sources reiterated, will the government appoint the next seniormost officer as acting chief.

The admiral is on leave for a week to recuperate.

The navy chief was operated on January 22 at New Delhi's Escorts Hospital to bypass an artery. Currently, he is resting at home.

Sources termed the operation, carried out by well-known heart surgeon Naresh Tehran, as a "precipitative cardiac proceedure."

They said Vice-Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral P J Jacob is "deputing for the chief of naval staff as and when required."

In case Admiral Kumar is not able to rejoin work for "a long time" Vice-Admiral Madhavendra Singh, now flag-officer-in-commanding of Western Naval Command, would make it as acting chief of staff.

In the Indian Army, if the chief is not able to attend office even for a couple of days, the seniormost officer takes charge. As also whenever the army chief goes out of India. In fact, when the Kargil conflict started in May 1999, it was vice-chief Lieutenant General Chandrasekhar who was officiating as army chief.

Naval sources described Admiral Kumar's case as a unique incident. It is for the first time that a defence chief is undergoing a serious operation.

However, there have been instances when serving chiefs have died. In 1994, army chief General B C Joshi succumed to a heartattack while in office. In 1985 air chief Marshal L M Katre too died while on duty.

Admiral Kumar found out about his illness accidentally on January 16 during a lunch for retired naval officers. A detailed medical check-up revealed that one of his arteries was blocked.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report