Day with a difference

A prominent face missing from the 'At Home for Army Day' event hosted last week by the Chief of the Army Staff, General Dalbir Singh Suhag, was his predecessor, V K Singh, now a minister. Singh reportedly had a tempestuous relationship with his colleagues, especially Suhag. Several other former chiefs - General V N Sharma and General Deepak Kapoor to name just two - were present at the Army House for the event. In a break from tradition, a short film with rare archival footage on the history and valour of the Indian Army was shown to the guests. While the VIPs were prevented from mingling with army officers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did cross the barrier. The event marked President Pranab Mukherjee's first outing since going through a medical procedure recently.