Former Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane has addressed the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2020 directive during the India-China border crisis, clarifying that the instruction to "do what you deem fit" reflected the government's full trust in the military's judgment, rather than a lack of clear guidance.
Modi's Directive: A Sign of Trust
During the critical phase of the 2020 Ladakh standoff, including the Galwan crisis, Prime Minister Modi reportedly told military leadership to "do what you deem fit." General Naravane rejected the interpretation that this implied the government had left the military to make decisions without support. Instead, he emphasized that it demonstrated profound confidence in the Army Chief and the armed forces.
"It actually shows the faith that the government has in the army chief and that the army chief will take decisions that are sound. It is not in any way abdicating one's responsibility," Naravane stated, adding, "You look at it in the other way that they have full faith in the service chiefs that whatever they do will be the best possible course of action. So it should be taken in a positive light."
Controversy Over Unpublished Memoir
General Naravane also weighed in on the political storm ignited by excerpts from his yet-to-be-published memoir, Four Stars of Destiny. The controversy escalated when politician Rahul Gandhi quoted portions in Parliament, alleging that Naravane was left without precise instructions during the border crisis.
The former Army chief declined to comment directly on the book's contents, explaining that the manuscript is still under review by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). He stressed that it is an unpublished work, making any reliance on or commentary about its alleged contents improper.
Against Politicizing the Armed Forces
Naravane expressed strong disapproval of the armed forces being drawn into political discourse, calling it "totally unfair." He highlighted the Indian armed forces' long-standing reputation for being apolitical and urged against any actions that could undermine this neutrality.
Regarding the physical copy of the book reportedly displayed outside Parliament, despite the publisher denying its release, Naravane suggested the possibility of unauthorized access or cybercrime. He noted that in the digital age, information can be illegally obtained and even altered, making it difficult to verify the authenticity of such circulating material. Both he and publisher Penguin confirmed they had no role in its circulation.
Autonomy Within Broad Guidelines
On the broader topic of civil-military functioning, General Naravane affirmed that while the armed forces operate within defined mandates and broad governmental guidelines, they retain significant autonomy in the execution of their duties. "You have the broad guidelines under which you have to operate. But within those broad guidelines, how to do it is absolutely up to you...the how (part) is ours,” he explained.
The manuscript for Four Stars of Destiny remains with the publisher and the Defence Ministry awaiting clearance. Naravane concluded by stating that the matter should be allowed to rest there until the official review process is complete.