ISLAMABAD: The controversy surrounding excerpts from former Indian ArmyChief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir has intensified, sparkinghigh-level political engagements in Parliament amid accusations of nationalsecurity implications and government handling of the 2020 eastern Ladakhstandoff with China.
A political storm has erupted in India’s Parliament over leaked excerptsfrom the unpublished memoir of former Chief of Army Staff General ManojMukund Naravane, titled “Four Stars of Destiny”. The book details sensitiveaspects of the 2020 India-China military confrontation in eastern Ladakh,including high-stakes communications during Chinese People’s LiberationArmy movements. Opposition leaders have seized on the content to questionthe government’s narrative, while ruling party members have blockeddiscussions citing rules against quoting unpublished material.
The memoir, which remains unreleased due to ongoing reviews by the IndianArmy and Ministry of Defence, contains accounts of the Ladakh standoff thatbegan in May 2020. It describes the Galwan Valley clash on June 15-16,where Indian forces suffered casualties, and notes that Chinese troops alsoincurred fatal losses for the first time in decades. General Naravanehighlights restrictions on opening fire and strategic decisions duringtense escalations, portraying a situation where Indian troops respondedcautiously to PLA advancements.
A key excerpt revolves around the night of August 31, 2020, when reportsemerged of Chinese tanks and infantry advancing towards Rechin La pass onthe Line of Actual Control. Northern Command chief Lieutenant GeneralYogesh Joshi alerted General Naravane, who sought orders from higherauthorities. According to the memoir, Defence Minister Rajnath Singhconveyed that the matter had been discussed with the Prime Minister andinstructed the Army chief to act as deemed appropriate, placing the onus onmilitary leadership.
General Naravane recounts a moment of deliberation amid the crisis, withthoughts racing through his mind before directing forward deployment ofIndian tanks to counter the PLA move without initiating fire. Thisincident, he writes, exemplified the delicate balance between restraint andreadiness in high-altitude terrain where elevation provides dominance. Thegovernment’s public stance maintained no territorial incursions occurred,contrasting with the memoir’s portrayal of reactive measures to PLAprovocations.
The controversy gained momentum when opposition figures attempted toreference the excerpts in Parliament during recent sessions. Leader ofOpposition Rahul Gandhi quoted from a magazine article detailing thememoir, prompting immediate objections from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh,Home Minister Amit Shah, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.They argued that unpublished works cannot be cited under House rules,leading to repeated adjournments and heated exchanges.
High-level meetings followed the disruptions, with Prime Minister NarendraModi convening discussions involving key ministers. Reports indicateback-to-back engagements, including a meeting between the Prime Ministerand Minister Kiren Rijiju, as well as consultations between Home MinisterAmit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and the Lok Sabha Speaker. Theseinteractions underscore the sensitivity of the issue, particularly as thememoir challenges official accounts of the standoff’s management andoutcomes.
The eastern Ladakh confrontation resulted in partial disengagements atseveral friction points, yet some areas remain unresolved with buffer zonesin place. General Naravane’s writings shed light on internal deliberations,including consultations involving the National Security Advisor and Chiefof Defence Staff during critical moments. Critics argue the excerpts revealgaps between public bravado and on-ground realities, while supporters ofthe government view attempts to highlight them as efforts to underminearmed forces morale.
Read Top Stories
The book’s delayed publication stems from mandatory clearance processes forretired officers’ works involving sensitive information. Publisher PenguinRandom House was instructed to withhold excerpts pending review, a steptaken after initial media disclosures in late 2023. General Naravane hasstated that his responsibility ended with submitting the manuscript,leaving clearance matters to the publisher and authorities.
This episode highlights ongoing debates over transparency in nationalsecurity matters and the role of military memoirs in public discourse. AsParliament grapples with the fallout, the memoir’s contents continue tofuel discussions on India’s border management strategies and civil-militaryrelations during crises.
Source: https://caravanmagazine.in/security/navarane-memoir-ladakh-crisis
Rajnath Singh, Manoj Mukund Naravane
ogimageimage-name