The Status of Naravane's Book is a Red Herring, the Real Issue is its Explosive Content
New Delhi: The political firestorm consuming General M.M. Naravane’s memoirs, Four Stars of Destiny, has devolved into a spectacle that misses the forest for the trees. While the government hides behind the technicalities of quoting an "unpublished" manuscript in Parliament, the publisher provides an explainer on the steps of book publishing and Delhi Police registers a suo motu case on the circulation of PDF, these issues act as a convenient red herring.
The obsession with the book’s publication status serves to obfuscate the far more damaging reality: the explosive disclosures contained within regarding India’s national security decision-making. By focusing on the leak rather than the substance, the establishment – and the Godi media – is sidestepping urgent questions about political accountability at the time of a national crisis.
Crucially, the contents of these memoirs have never been disputed or denied by the government, the author or the publisher. The book has not been banned by the government. Procedurally, the government should have suggested to the publisher which portions of the manuscript should be excised and allowed the book to be published. Instead, it has chosen to keep the request pending to prevent any publication of the memoir.
The Ministry of Defence has kept the clearance for Four Stars of Destiny pending for two years, effectively placing it in a state of limbo. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has registered a suo motu case regarding the "leak" of the manuscript. These actions shift the news cycle from the content to the legality of the circulation.
Ultimately, the status of the book’s publication is immaterial to the public interest. The function of journalism is to bring the truth to light, regardless of whether it carries an official stamp of approval. In this case, the source of the information is the former Chief of Army Staff, the highest-ranking army officer in the land at the time of these events. His words carry the weight of history and direct experience.
The true controversy lies not in whether the book has been published or released, but what it reveals about the leadership of Narendra Modi in his dealings with the military. Excerpts from the memoir suggest a paralysis in political leadership during the height of the standoff with China. General Naravane details an instance where crucial operational directions were met with vague instructions to "do what you deem appropriate," an abdication of prime ministerial responsibility which effectively shifted the burden of high-stakes escalation onto the military brass.
The memoir also confirms that the "buffer zones" created by the disengagement process effectively resulted in India losing access to points its troops had patrolled for decades, contradicting PM Narendra Modi’s official narrative of not losing control over any territory. Naravane also details the restrictions imposed on opening of fire on advancing Chinese troops, and how the political leadership gave the approval only after the army insisted on it.
His recollection throws new light on the events of Galwan where India lost 20 soldiers in a clash with the PLA on June 15, 2020. He states that the Northern Command and the 14 Corps were fine with the PLA tents pitched in May but were later ordered to go and pitch own tents which led to the clash. The former army chief’s memoir also reveals how China was putting India under pressure by building infrastructure in Bhutan, threatening the Siliguri Corridor.
Furthermore, his account reveals a fundamental disconnect between the military and the political leadership regarding the Agnipath scheme, which he describes as a "bolt from the blue". Naravane’s account details how the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) drove military policy on Agnipath, without the consensus of the military chiefs, forcing the decision down their throat despite serious objections.
Whether the book is on a shelf or in a PDF, the truth it contains regarding the conduct of India’s political leadership and the internal discord over military recruitment is out in the open. Attempting to bury it under police cases and copyright rows only serves to highlight just how much the Modi government fears its own reflection.
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