Vk. Shrivastava - Manthan: Multifaceted Reflections on the Indian Armed Forces

Multifaceted Reflections on the Indian armed Forces

Multifaceted Reflections on the Indian armed Forces

Maj Gen VK Shrivastava,VSM (Retd)

Vij Books India Pvt Ltd

(Publishers, Distributors & Importers)

2/19, Ansari Road

Delhi 110 002

Phones: 91-11-43596460, 91-11-47340674

Mob: 98110 94883

e-mail:

web : www.vijbooks.in

Copyright 2021, Author

ISBN: 978-93-90439-12-6 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-93-90439-20-1 (ebook)

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Application for such permission should be addressed to the publisher.

The views expressed in this book are of the author in his personal capacity.

We, the people of India

In an endeavour

To help them appreciate various facets of their armed forces better

C itizenry in India gets little or no opportunities to get to know their own armed forces and the related issues. Billeted in their cantonments and military stations, the soldiery remains generally insulated from the civil society. There are little or no interactions between the two. News paper reports, TV interviews, panel discussions and statements by the political class, as and when they do appear, are event based. Rarely, if ever, are these issue based. Therein lies the rub.

MANTHAN meaning Brainstorm or Churning therefore aims to place various facets of our armed forces before the people in their correct perspectives factually correct and sans prejudices. Analyses of facts and events can lead to differing interpretations and conclusions. MANTHAN presents one such set of views. The idea is to communicate with the readers through these pages to generate an informed discussion on matters military. A conscious effort has therefore been made to give enough space to the readers to think reflectively. In tune with that central idea, the book has been dedicated to We the People of India.

As you get ready to turn these pages, here is a point of clarification regarding the title of the book. Mythology has it that Samudra Manthan the churning of the sea by the Gods and the demons had thrown up fourteen precious objects. In tune with its title, MANTHAN is also laid out in fourteen chapters. The first one establishes the all important relevance of the armed forces in the affairs of the state. Next few chapters then recount the glorious origins, achievements and the lan of the Indian armed forces to set the stage for the range of weighty issues reflected upon in the later ones. Needless to say that the contents are based on my service experiences and understanding of matters military, moderated by my post retirement stints with a number of prestigious think tanks, and participation in numerous seminars in India and abroad. They have enabled me to take a more detached and balanced views of the issues that have been deliberated upon. End notes and the bibliography are indicative of the attempt to ensure academic rigor of the write ups. Hopefully, readers will appreciate the effort and will forgive me the conceit of relating my modest exertion albeit symbolic with the precious objects of the Samudra Manthan.

It is said that a traveller sees all that he can, but a tourist only sees what he had gone to see. Hopefully, while going through these pages, a reader will be more like a traveller than a tourist just as I was while doing MANTHAN. Lest I forget, I must thank my wife for patiently standing by me throughout this journey.

The end result is now in your hands. Such errors of facts, interpretations or of analyses that the readers may find are mine alone and do hope readers will indulge me for the shortcomings. Even with those, MANTHAN would have served its purpose if it leaves you better informed and inquisitive about our armed forces who unflinchingly guard our troubled frontiers and ensure stability within. They are doing so even as you read these lines. So read on undisturbed. They are on guard.