GD Bakshi has turned himself into a laughing stock on prime time TV

It was amusing enough to see, and hear Major General GD Bakshi shouting at the top of his voice on Times Now, but now we have this former "fauji" (a decorated hero as they call him) going hammer and tongs at anything and everything that does not subscribe to the RSS ideology or way of thinking.

His tirade against Gandhi and others notwithstanding, it's a pity to see someone who had a supposedly illustrious career in the armed forces bring himself down to a level that can at best be described as grovelling to and bootlicking a certain class of the political dispensation.

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I know a few things about the Army and its officers, and have many of my close relatives still serving senior officers and what I can say is that there's a certain dignity about them and a high level of decorum in whatever they do or whatever they say.

Nothing like that for General sahib, as he loves being called on the idiot box. With his actions, and his talk, I have serious doubts at his capabilities when he was a serving commander in battle. I wonder, also, how he must've managed his officers and men and whether he commanded respect as a human being from those under his charge.

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He may have been an exemplary officer, much loved and respected, but this is again debatable. I have long ago dismissed Times Now and "The Newshour" as a very poorly produced comedy circus whose "journalists" think they are the know-it-alls and above everyone else, but I do sometimes come across news clips featuring these "experts" on social media. Lately, General sahib has been making appearances more often than before and, honestly, he is making more of a buffoon of himself than he ever was.

Of course, there are those in the media, and politics, as well as in the fauji establishment, who take sides openly and never tire of talking about what a great patriot this "expert" was and that is what, I think, drives him to greater lows of stupidity and tomfoolery.

Professional politicians clowning around is acceptable - we do not expect anything better from them - but when it comes to the faujis who have earned respect (and medals) during their careers, it's a different matter.

They would do better to lead a quiet, retired life, play golf, rummy and bridge, and sit and gossip about politics over scotch with their buddies. Leave these discussions and the speeches to the pros.