Storm over a memoir

The controversy that has erupted over former Army chief General M M Naravane’s unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, seems like a tempest in a teapot. The Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, attempted in the Lok Sabha to quote from a published magazine article, citing words by the former Army chief and alleging that a 2020 border incident with China in eastern Ladakh was mishandled. He accused the government of having denied permission to release the memoir in an effort to hide the truth from the public.

After the Treasury benches created a ruckus over the charges made by the LoP, the Speaker prevented Gandhi from speaking, stating that members are not permitted to quote from unpublished material. The next day, an unfazed Gandhi brandished a physical copy of the book outside the Parliament. He spoke to the media and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not “fulfilling his responsibility”.

In the excerpts from the memoir, Gen Naravane talks about the Chinese transgression and his subsequent calls to Rajnath Singh, S Jaishankar, and Ajit Doval. When the Defence Minister returned the call late in the night, he conveyed the message from the Prime Minister – Jo uchit samjho woh karo (do whatever you deem appropriate). This was to be an entirely military decision.

Penguin, the publisher, has clarified that the memoir has not been released in print or digital format, even as Gandhi’s charges remain centred on the book. The excerpts from the unpublished work, published in a Caravan article, add layers to the controversy. One cannot be questioned for drawing parallels with Schrödinger’s cat, at once alive and dead.

Based on a close reading of the article by Sushant Singh, a former Army Officer and lecturer at Yale University, this appears to be a case of interpretation by Singh, and subsequently, the LoP, rather than an apt summary of Naravane’s position on the matter, as expressed in the excerpts from the memoir.

The former Army chief recalls in his memoir that he was “handed a hot potato”, but he has not blamed the political leadership directly or implied a grievance on those lines. This, even the article confirms – “To be clear, at no point does Naravane criticise Modi”.

The article traces events on August 31, 2020, starting with a call from Lt Gen Yogesh Joshi – the Chief of the Northern Command – to Gen Naravane at around 8.15 pm, reporting the movement of Chinese tanks and infantry towards Rechin La in eastern Ladakh. In a later call, Lt Gen Joshi discussed the possibilities of using medium artillery. After receiving the Defence Minister’s input, the Army chief told Lt Gen Joshi to move the Indian tanks to the frontline. The tanks were now eyeball to eyeball. The Chinese stopped, and the immediate threat was averted.

In a candid and detailed 2022 interview with ANI, after his retirement, Naravane recounts what transpired around the border clashes with China that resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers. He comes across as articulate, balanced, and with an impressive grasp of the big picture as well as a deep knowledge of the ground-level situation, like all great military leaders. He explains the SOPs; the ground rules for commanders at all levels are unambiguous. You will not fire unless you are fired at. These rules have been upheld by China and India for decades. This explains why both sides resorted to clubs and rods in some of the clashes.

Did Modi abdicate his responsibility? Clearly, no. The Prime Minister took the right call. It was a tactical decision that had to be exercised by the Army chief, not by the political leadership. Despite the immense pressure the Chinese incursion brought in, Naravane did not blink or dither. He stayed informed on the ground movements and, when given a free hand, made the right and strategically pragmatic call. What matters is that his reading of the situation turned out right.

There may be multiple interpretations of political decisiveness and accountability in this particular case, but it is also important to note that the country has seen independent military action during critical border stand-offs. A case in point is the September 1967 battle following China’s renewed claims on Nathu La and attempts to cross over the LAC, accompanied by gunfire. Maj Gen Sagat Singh, the General Officer Commanding of the mountain division controlling Nathu La, losing no time, mobilised artillery, mortars, and machine guns and pounded the encroaching Chinese, causing heavy casualties.

The Army stood its ground. One must call the bluff of a bully. As Benjamin Disraeli said, “Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke”.

The writer builds bridges, sometimes by tearing down walls. He is a soldier, farmer, and entrepreneur.