- General MM Naravane (retired) denied being abandoned by the government during China standoff
- He confirmed soldiers had authority to open fire if their safety was at risk
- General Naravane said he received full political support and freedom of operation
Denying that he was abandoned by the government during the height of the China standoff, former Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane (retired) told NDTV that he had full government backing and full authority to open fire on Chinese soldiers if the situation warranted.
The remarks come a few months after a heated debate in parliament where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed the General's unpublished book, 'Four Stars of Destiny', revealed that the prime minister (through the defence minister) had told him "jo uchit samjho wo karo (do what you think is right)" when the General had sought orders from the government during a faceoff with Chinese soldiers on the Rechin La pass on the south bank of Pangong Lake.
At the time, Indian soldiers had positioned themselves with tanks atop the pass, in disputed territory claimed by China. As Chinese soldiers backed by tanks approached Indian positions, the General is believed to have sought political directions given how critical the situation was and given the implications of what opening fire on Chinese forces could mean.
Today, General Naravane told NDTV the orders he received were in fact unambiguous and Indian soldiers had the right to open fire all along if their safety was at stake.
'Four Stars of Destiny' was submitted for mandatory clearance to the Ministry of Defence and put on hold before it could reach readers. General Naravane has not commented publicly on its contents on the specific ground that it remains under review. To do otherwise "would be like a backdoor entry," he told NDTV.
There was nothing in the book that warranted the fuss, he said.
"I don't think there was anything very sensitive in that book. But perceptions differ. My perception will be different from the ground level, which will be different from the diplomatic or political level. Everyone is entitled to their own views," General Naravane said.
His latest book, 'The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries', is out now.
Referring to the other book which was stopped from reaching the printing press, the former Indian Army chief said he had drawn satisfaction from the act of writing itself. "Of course you write a book for it to be published, otherwise why would anybody write? I have moved on. I've written my second book."
To a question on the standoff with China in 2020 which became the subject of parliamentary controversy later, General Naravane said he received all the support he needed from the political leadership.
Specifically, the answer he received which was attributed to the prime minister became the centre of an Opposition attack led by Rahul Gandhi, who argued it amounted to abandoning the military without a clear direction.
General Naravane disagreed with the Congress leader's views. "The way I interpret it is that I was given total freedom of operation to do as I deem fit, having better knowledge of the ground situation, having better knowledge of what my troops are capable of," he said.
"In that context, I think it was a very correct decision to leave it to the military hierarchy. It only goes to show the level of confidence that the government has in its armed forces," he said, and rejected the characterisation of isolation.
"The person at the helm is always alone, whether it's a CEO or the leader of a country. But that does not mean you have been abandoned. The whole country is behind you, your whole army is with you," General Naravane said, adding whatever course of action he chose would have government backing and that was what mattered.
The situation did not need an explicit shoot order because Indian soldiers have always had standing authority to open fire in self-defence, the former army chief said. "We have opened fire on numerous occasions. There was no requirement of a firm order as such. If their [troops'] personal safety and the safety of their positions was likely to get compromised, they were at full liberty to open fire. There was no doubt in anybody's mind," General Naravane said.
On the question of whether a large-scale conflict came close that day, General Naravane said there should be a clear distinction between facts and speculation: the deployments were there; both sides had armour; the proximity was real. But whether it could have escalated is conjecture, he said. What is not conjecture is the outcome that India held the heights and eventually negotiated a disengagement from a position of advantage, he said, and for this he credits his subordinate commanders, not himself.
"It is because of their resolute action and their ability to withstand those difficult conditions that we were able to gain the upper hand... Trust and faith is a two-way traffic. There was not an instant where I felt I didn't have the support either from the top or from the bottom," General Naravane said.
Referring to his first book, the former army chief said he was not going to call Rahul Gandhi to correct the record. "Whatever has been written is under review by the Defence Ministry. Until such time that review is cleared, my commenting on any aspect would not be correct."
He also addressed the Agniveer recruitment scheme that became politically contentious, though he retired before the final scheme was notified. He was, however, part of earlier deliberations and many of his points were incorporated.
Once a decision is taken, "whether it was in line with your thinking or not, you jolly well implement it. That is the way the whole world works," General Naravane told NDTV.
His new book draws on what he calls "little-known vignettes" from across the three services with stories that most people, including army veterans, didn't know.
