Tag: Indian history

In The News, My Take

Of Books and Controversies

Mr Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Indian National Congress is the Leader of the Opposition in India’s Lower House of Parliament, the hallowed Lok Sabha, Recently, there was a sensation in the Lok Sabha when Mr Gandhi, whose supporters project him as a youth leader despite his being 56 years old made serious allegations about the ruling Government’s handling of the Galwan Crisis of 2020. He said the allegations were based on the writings of India’s former Chief of Army Staff, General M M Naravane (retd) in his memoirs ” Four Stars Of Destiny”. Initially he said he was quoting from an article in The Caravan. Later he was seen exhibiting a physical copy of Gen Naravane’s book. Interestingly, Penguin Random House India declared categorically that the book had not been published! Apparently the Govt of India has not yet cleared the book manuscript. Rahul Gandhi was seen on television programs saying that General Naravane’s book is published and is available abroad.

From the point of view of an author I must say this: Thanks to Mr Gandhi, millions who had not heard about General Naravane”s book- have now heard about it- and how! As of now, it remains to be seen in what form or shape the book will be officially published. I am sure Penguin Random House India will reap a rich harvest from this book as will General Naravane whenever it is finally published!

General Naravane’s book is not the first- nor will it be the last -book to stir up a controversy. Some books have been controversial. Some have been banned. Some have been controversial and banned!!

Over the decades, many books have been banned in India by ruling Governments. I came across this interesting blog post recently in The Himalayan Writing Retreat –“10 Books Banned In India- To Read or Not To Read? ” .

I had heard of some of them, of course, like “The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie. The Government of India, banned the book in 1988, when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister. You may recall how Sir Salman ( Mr Rushdie was knighted in 2007) was attacked in New York in 2022 -decades after the book was first published! . He spoke about his recollections of that day in a BBC interview in 2025.

Mr Rahul Gandhi’s mentioning General Naravane’s to be published book in Parliament – in a move to attack the “failures” of the ruling Government in dealing with the Chinese perhaps boomeranged on him. The gist of the allegation is that the Govt and Prime Minister Modi was ambiguous in his direction during the crisis. A feeling was sought to be created that the Army Chief felt let down due to a lack of clear direction. The Govt defended itself by saying that approval was given to the Army Chief to act as he deemed fit. The Prime Minister cannot be expected to act like a platoon commander on the ground.

The Parliament ruckus had two interesting-but perhaps unintended – side effects. The first is that a new generation- millions of Indian youth fed largely on social media – is hungry to know how the Congress dealt with such crises in the past. They have heard about the 1962 debacle in the hands of the Chinese in 1962 from their grandparents. They want to know in a crisp conducive to social media manner what actually happened way back in the early 1960s.

The second is that for more serious readers- several books that are based on events on the Indo-China War of 1962 are getting a new lease of life and a huge boost in the bargain. It is well settled that many published books were highly critical of the failures of the then ruling Congress Government of Jawaharlal Nehru. He was Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather.

I have read books like “The War That Wasn’t” by Shiv Kunal Verma; “The Battle of Rezang La” by Kulpreet Yadav; and “JKF’s Forgotten Crisis: Tibet, the CIA & The Sino-Indian War” by Bruce Riedel, to mention but a few. Every author has written of how those days were characterised by poor strategic vision and policies, total lack of preparedness, and oscillating between bravado on one day and abject surrender on another. These led to India’s defeat at the hands of the Chinese. India’s image ( and that of Mr Nehru in particular) took a brutal beating in the eyes of our own citizens if not the whole world. What stood out was the bravery and valour of poorly equipped Indian Army troops fighting against great odds and exhibiting immense courage in most cases.

Authors, Book Reviews

“The Battle Of Rezang La” by Kulpreet Yadav

The defeat of units of the Indian Army at various places by the Chinese in the 1962 War left deep scars in the psyche of most Indians. However, there were a few isolated cases of incredible bravery. The Battle of Rezang La was one of them. I was 11 years old in November 1962 when the epic battle was fought till the last bullet and the last man by the valiant men of 13 Kumaon under the leadership of Major Shaitan Singh.

Kulpreet Yadav’s book, “The Battle of Rezang La” published by Penguin Veer in September 2021 is a must read for all interested in modern Indian history. It retraces the events that took place on November 18, 1962 in the intense cold at heights over 18,000 feet in Rezang La. Men of C (Charlie) Company of 13 Kumaon faced enemy forces that vastly out numbered them. The Chinese had location advantages and far superior weapons and equipment. The Ahirs from Haryana who made up C Company had raw courage and a determination not to yield an inch of Indian territory.

The 1962 Indo-China War started in October 1962 and ended in December 1962 . Short though the period of conflict was, these few months took a heavy toll of India’s soldiers. More often than not they fought with poor clothing, totally ill equipped to fight in the intense cold of the mountain areas they were tasked to defend against overwhelming odds. Of course, the War also affected India’s political and military leadership. Prime Minister Nehru was never the same again, and died within the next two years. The Defence Minister Krishna Menon was sacked and the Army Chief, Gen P N Thapar had to resign. This book details one of the battles forced upon the Indian Army by the poor strategy and vision of Nehru, Menon and Thapar.

The main difference between this and many other battles in the short war was that the Indian officers and men displayed phenomenal courage and fortitude. Kulpreet Yadav (who retired as Commandant in the Indian Coast Guard after 23 years service) writes that the debacle of 1962, where a Nehru-led India lost humiliatingly to China, was not allowed to be discussed in public discourses or books. That facts about the Battle of Rezang La were not known at all to the public at large which vastly disappointed the author. This motivated him to research this battle which has few, if any, parallels in the annals of military history.

In the first week of February 1963, a Ladhaki shepherd discovered the frozen bodies of the Kumaonis. They were found in the positions they had died, carrying their weapons with them. Most of them had many bullets in their bodies. Amongst the dead was Major Shaitan Singh, the Company Commander. He was later awarded the Param Vir Chakra – India’s highest honour for displaying acts of valour during war- posthumously.

On that day in 1963, the bodies of 96 soldier of Charlie Company were recovered from Rezang La and cremated with full military honours amid the chanting of Vedic mantras. The combined funeral pyre was lit by Brig. T N Raina, the Brigade Commander. Many years later, he became the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.

The author did considerable personal research before writing this book. Being from Haryana himself, he met families of the brave Ahirs from that state who made up the complement of C Company of 13 Kumaon. He also talked to officers and men who took part in the battle, though they were not on the spot in Rezang La that fateful day in November 1962.

Charlie Company of 13 Kumaon was given the honour of being called “The Rezang La Company.” Today there is a memorial in their honour in Ladakh. The inspiration is: “To the sacred memory of the heroes of Rezang-La
114 martyrs of 13 Kumaon who fought to the last man last round
against hordes of Chinese on 18 November 1962. Built by all ranks 
13th Battalion, the Kumaon Regiment.”

I would recommend this book to all students of military history and modern Indian history. I also hope the story of the famous Battle of Rezang La will reach the youth of our country.

Authors, Book Reviews

“A Prince Among The Patriots” by Maj. Gen. M K. Paul (Retd)

Often books are referred to as labours of love considering the huge amounts of work that go into writing them and the unbridled passion with which they are written. Knowing the author as I do, I can say with certainty that, “A Prince Among The Patriots: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose” by Maj. Gen. M. K. Paul (Retd) is definitely one such book. This “labour of love” has been recently published by Heritage Publishers, New Delhi.

Over the decades since India became a free nation, there have been many books on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whom I consider to be the most heroic Indian of the 20 th century. You might well ask, ” Why then should there be one more?”. To my mind, the advent of social media, the explosion of information available and a renewed interest in knowing how India won freedom from the British are factors that have propelled the writing of this book. I need hardly add that the author’s passion for the subject of the book has been a key driver.

As a keen student of literature in general and biography in particular for the last six decades, I believe a biography rests on two central pillars. The first pillar is about the subject of the biography. This addresses questions like: Who was the person the book is about? What kind of person was he/she? What characteristics and behaviours did he/she exhibit that set them apart from others?

The second pillar is about their achievements and contributions which make them worthy of being written about. How did their actions impact society around them? What were the results of their endeavours? To what extent did they succeed in achieving the outcomes they worked for?

Seen through this prism, “A Prince Amongst The Patriots” elaborates upon Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s personality and character and his stellar contributions towards winning freedom from the British. The latest available literature and accounts point out to how it was the fear of a large scale mutiny by the British Indian Army, The Navy and the Air Force that was the proverbial last nail in the coffin of the British Empire. Towards this end, the valiant actions of Netaji’s Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) which actively battled the British had a big influence on the minds of ordinary Indians serving in the British Indian Forces. It was Bose’s war cry of “Give Me Blood and I will Give you Freedom” that sent a chill down the backs of the British.This was a very different approach from one they had been used to for decades: Gandhiji’s non-violent cry of “Quit India” which they had ignored.

Netaji was an extraordinary leader who led from the front. His exploits in escaping from British India in disguise in 1941 and coming back by German and Japanese submarines to take charge of the INA in 1943 speaks volumes about his personal courage. His is a very different story than that of his more famous contemporaries in Indian history who exhorted crowds to face lathis while they never faced attacks by the police themselves. Even when they were imprisoned, Nehru and Gandhi spent time in relatively comfortable prisons as distinct from the terrible experiences Netaji had to go through when imprisoned by the British in the early years of the Second World War.

Apart from Netaji’s interactions with Gandhi and Nehru in India, the book dwells upon Netaji’s interactions with Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo in Germany, Italy and Japan. His mind was set only on one goal – freedom for his motherland. He was ready to take anybody’s help to achieve his dream. He was a man of principles, with a steadfast commitment to his cause, and a born leader with a flair for being different. Sadly, for decades after India became independent, Netaji did not get the recognition he richly deserved –

Hats off to Gen Paul for his work on Netaji Bose. I think the book could have seen better editing, but considering the author is 91, it is remarkable that he achieved one of his dearest ambitions: to write an interesting and informative book about his hero!

Highly recommended for those – especially amongst our youth – who are interested in Indian history, military history and biography.

Authors, Book Reviews

“Always A Foreigner” by Ashwini Devare

The Indian Foreign Service has always been considered a highly prestigious organisation, especially when I was growing up in the 1950s and the 1960s. It was said that this branch of the All India Civil Services was the first choice for successful candidates. It was also believed that the children of IFS officers lived a most luxurious life, traveling all over the world.

” Always A Foreigner: A Memoir ” by Ashwini Devare puts at rest the myth about children of IFS officers. She writes of how actually the frequent transfers came in the way of a steady education. While the exposure to different countries of the world brought many benefits in its wake, it could also result in children getting disoriented through having to unlearn and relearn all the time in a new environment. In her own case, she had lived in six different countries by the time she was fifteen so, as you can imagine, she is best qualified to write about these experiences.

Ms Devare’s memoirs are delightful! They capture how she and her family coped in different lands where her father represented India in various capacities, over the decades from the 1960s till the start of the 21st century. What makes the book more interesting is her interspersing her personal memories with major events that took place at that time. She describes, amongst other incidents, how the Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away in Tashkent when they were in Moscow; how the Chogyal and the Gyalmo- their Royal Highnesses The King and Queen of Sikkim – fled Gangtok when they were there; and when they were in New Delhi how horrible events traumatized the city following the assassination of Prime Minster Indira Gandhi.

In addition, we are treated to rich slices of her family life. She has captured her characters so well that we feel we have met them in person. Her father, deeply committed to his country and his responsibilities; her mother, who first went abroad as a young bride barely days after her marriage ; and her sister who grew up with her, and how they shared many experiences while they were quite different from each other by way of personalities.

In the course of the book, Ms Devare captures the highpoints of her career as a broadcast journalist, an on-air reporter and producer, and later as a writer. She studied and worked in different countries and experienced many challenges in each of them.

I enjoyed the elegant yet simple writing style which is a characteristic of this book. I also appreciated the high degree of candor and honesty displayed by the author. I would highly recommend this book to those interested in travel and history. Indeed, I would recommend this to anyone looking to enjoy some good writing !

Authors, Book Reviews

“Hostages To India” by Herbert A Stark

From my last post on “Lachmi Bai, Rani of Jhansi” you will know that I am fond of history and old books. Having studied at The Lawrence School, Lovedale ( originally set up by Major-General Sir Henry Lawrence way back in 1858 for the children of soldiers in the British Army of those times) , it has been my good fortune to have had many Anglo-Indian friends over the decades.

It was with great delight therefore that I read, ” Hostages To India: The Life Story of the Anglo Indian Race” by Herbert Alick Stark. This book was first published in 1926 in Calcutta. The version I read was published thanks to the Internet Archive. Continue reading ““Hostages To India” by Herbert A Stark” →

On Writing: Resources for Writers

Authors I Admired: Manohar Malgonkar

I am not too sure how many of today’s generation would read or would have read Manohar  “Mac” Malgonkar or for that matter even heard of him. As a kid I was very fond of his writing and even today I consider him one of India’s finest writers. This is a small tribute to him as his death anniversary dawns on June 14. He passed away at the ripe old age of 97 in 2010. Continue reading “Authors I Admired: Manohar Malgonkar” →