VIDEO: Indian Army Chief-of-Staff arrives

Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army General Vijay Kumar Singh arrived by special flight on his five day official tour of Sri Lanka. The General was met at the Bandaranaike International Airport by Sri Lanka Army chief Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya and his wife this afternoon.

General Vijay Kumar Singh PVSM AVSM YSM ADC, arrived here at the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart, Lieutenant General Jagath.

The Indian Army Chief’s five-member delegation compriss Mrs Bharti Singh, President, Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), Major General Harminderjit Singh Sachdev SM, General Officer Commanding, Infantry Division, Brigadier Jatinder Pal Singh, Military Assistant and Mrs. Aravinder Kaur.

General Vijay Kumar Singh’s visit to Sri Lanka is the first-ever highest level Army delegation from India to visit the island after the end of the recent battles with the separatists. It will further promote goodwill, understanding and military cooperation between the military establishments in both countries.

The visiting Indian Chief of Army Staff General Vijay Kumar Singh is scheduled to have separate meetings with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne, Minister of External Affairs prof. G.L. Peiris, Secretary of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Air Force, Commander of the Army and Commander of the Navy among others. He will also pay floral tributes to the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) memorial at Battaramulla.

General Singh is also to the Security Forces Headquarters Wanni in Vavuniya and visit Indian de-mining sites at Omanthai, prior to his visit to places of religious and cultural interest at Anuradhapura. His itinerary in Trincomalee includes visits to Oil Farm, Monkey Bridge, Naval Dockyard, Naval Museum and sacred Koneshwaram Hindu Temple. In Trincomalee, the visiting Indian Army Chief will also pay a courtesy call on Governor for Eastern Province.

General Singh is to visit the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) at Diyatalawa, the country’s pioneer Army officer cadet training institute, followed by placement of floral wreaths at the SLMA cenotaph, symbolic planting of saplings and viewing of cadet officers under training. A Guard Turnout is to greet him on arrival at the main entrance to the SLMA. The same evening, he is also to pay respect to Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa and visit Peradeniya Botanical Garden.

As the final leg of his tour to Sri Lanka, General Singh is to address student officers at Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) in Sapugaskanda.

General Singh’s spouse, Mrs. Bharti Singh, President, AWWA, on the sidelines of the main programme is to be received during a welcome ceremony as Chief Guest by the Seva Vanitha Army Branch (SVAB). Reception and all other related arrangements at the SVAB are to be coordinated by Mrs Manjulika Jayasuriya, President SVAB in Colombo whereas Mrs Singh’s itinerary arrangements elsewhere are to be organized by respective authorities in those areas. The visiting military delegation is also expected to speak to War Heroes under rehabilitation at Ragama ‘Ranaviru Sevana’ and witness talents of those disable War Heroes during their sojourn at the ‘Ranaviru Sevana’. High Commissioner for India as well as the Deputy High Commissioner for India is also scheduled to have separate meetings with the visiting Indian Army Chief during his stay in Colombo.

General Vijay Kumar Singh with his wide ranging experience of various high profile command, staff and instructional appointments has actively taken part in the Operation ‘Pawan’ in Sri Lanka during 1987 when the IPKF troops were serving Sri Lanka. He also has seen action in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971, just a year after he was commissioned in 2 Rajput Regiment in 1970.

General Singh, reputed as a veteran in Counter Insurgency Operations boasts an illustrious career with outstanding performance on all the courses that he has attended. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, India, US Army Rangers Course at Fort Benning, USA and US Army War College, Carlisle.

In recognition of his exceptional and distinguished commitment he has been awarded with Param Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India on the eve of Republic Day 2009. To his credit, he has also commanded the prestigious Strike Corps in western sector before taking over the command of the Eastern Army in March 2008. In appreciation of his dedication in an operationally sensitive area and his contribution to the Counter Insurgency Force in Jammu and Kashmir, he was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for his exemplary service as General Officer Commanding.

General Vijay Kumar Singh became the Chief of the Army Staff, Indian Army on 31st March 2010. - (Additional text courtesy Sri Lanka Army)