Jaswant is Defence Minister

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 18. The External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, has been appointed the country's new Defence Minister in place of Mr. George Fernandes who resigned on account of the tehelka.com ``expose''.

A press communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan today said the President of India, ``as advised by the Prime Minister, has directed that Mr. Jaswant Singh, Minister of External Affairs, may hold the charge of Minister of Defence, in addition to his current charge.''

The appointment of Mr. Singh, known to be a close confidante of the Prime Minister, sends a double signal - that Mr. A.B. Vajpayee is asserting himself, and that he expects Mr. Fernandes' absence from the Government to be temporary. Officials in the PMO said as much and after the NDA meeting two days ago, it was formally stated that once Mr. Fernandes is cleared by the judicial inquiry he would get back the Defence portfolio.

The Railway Minister's slot, following the resignation of Ms. Mamata Banerjee, is not likely to be filled in a hurry. Apparently, the view is that since the Ministry has two Ministers of State, which was not the case in the Defence Ministry, there was no need to rush an appointment.

As for Mr. Jaswant Singh's appointment as Defence Minister, there were other considerations as well. A former soldier and a product of the National Defence Academy, Mr. Singh is familiar with the inner workings of the country's military establishment. His appointment as Defence Minister, when turbulence in the country's military establishment is visible, is therefore expected to go down well, especially among the three services.

Already the defence forces are well disposed towards Mr. Singh and see in him the attributes of a military ``moderniser''. His inputs, for instance, in the sweeping recommendations on higher defence management which have been made Group of Ministers recently have been well recognised by them. Mr. Singh is also a close friend of the former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Arun Singh, who has been the driving force in initiating these changes.

Mr. Singh may have to work hard to come to grips with the defence bureaucracy which might have reservations about impending ``pro- services'' changes.

Mr. Singh's appointment takes into account the fulfilment of the country's larger national security commitments. The Government appears keen that the Tehelka disclosures, which have rattled the Vajpayee regime, do not unduly obstruct the country's post-Kargil modernisation drive.

In fact, the military modernisation effort has just begun to gather steam. The SU-30 deal which is meant to make the Indian Air Force into a long reach ``strategic force'' has been signed. But major acquisitions are still pending. These include the air- to-air refueling planes which will greatly extend the reach of the IAF far beyond the Indian borders.

The responsibilities which India's nuclear weapon status has bestowed may also have been a factor behind Mr. Singh's appointment. India, for instance, is yet to translate on ground its doctrine of minimum nuclear deterrence.

Known for his ``strategic foresight'' in the Ministry of External Affairs, Mr. Singh, as Defence Minister, may now have his hands on the levers to translate his ``vision'' into reality.

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