The Telegraph
This brings me to a recent publication: Leadership in the Indian Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers by Major General V. K. Singh. He has done a good job by collecting biographical data of his heroes, both those who led from the front (Brigadier Usman, P.S. Bhagat, later General, who won the Victoria Cross in World War II) as well as India's first chief of army staff, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, General K.S. Thimayya (the most amiable of the lot) and Field Marshal S.H.F.J. Manekshaw, who master-minded Indian victory in Bangladesh.
However, without belittling the achievements of his other heroes, I question the omission of some notable Generals like Harbaksh Singh, who turned the tide against Pakistan in 1965, and General Jagjit Singh Arora, who put in effect the strategy decided upon in 1971 war. Nevertheless, I recommend this compilation of soldier-leaders.
A prayer most apt for civil and military leaders was written by Albert Holland:
God give us men
Men whom the lust of office does not kill
Men whom the spoils of
office cannot buy,
Men who possess opinions
and a will,
Men who have honour, men
who will not lie.
------------
New Delhi, 20 March 2005
A salute to the greats
A soldier's insider biographies of twelve Indian Army leaders
Leadership in the Indian Army
Major General VK Singh
Sage
Rs450
Pravin Sawhney
R ETIRED MAJOR General V.K. Singh's book Leadership in the Army: Biographies of Twelve Soldiers is unique because there is no other book of its kind in India. There are autobiographies and a few biographies of individual Indian soldiers, but none that picks up 12 army officers since Independence and provides an /interesting peep into their careers and personality
This book chronicles the lives of not only army chiefs, but includes a brigadier as well. Choosing a dozen officers from amongst numerous outstanding army leaders is in itself a daunting task. Having done that credibly, the book, by the author's own admission, was a decade in the writing. And it shows.
Just when we thought we knew every thing about Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, the book provides many riveting insights into the life and ready wit of India's most well known soldier. For example, Sam was the only person who addressed Indira Gandhi as 'Prime Minister'. All others, politicians and bureaucrats alike, called her 'Madam.' When asked why he did so by a senior bureaucrat, Sam said that the term Madam is more apt for one who heads a place inhabited by women of easy virtue.
Not one to be cowed down by o anything, Sam paid a heavy price for his rectitude that was interpreted as insolence. He was denied the post of Chief of Defence Staff that Mrs Gandhi was keen to confer on him after the 1971 war.
Even as the book provides a refreshing glimpse into heroism in the army, there is much more that could have been done. Instead of restricting himself to the army, the author could have included the other two services as well in his search for heroes.
Moreover, while the book has adequate substance, it lacks a bit in style. The author has stuck to a chronological sequence to narrate the tales, and has, for unknown reasons, avoided his opinion on the army leaders. A more interesting approach would been to take a reader back and forth into the lives and times of his chosen few. This, however, does not diminish the inspiration value of the timeless book, which should be read by all those interested in India's military history
(Sawhney is editor of FORCE)
No comments:
Post a Comment