Indian Army generals, it seems, are partial to well-written books. And, General Manoj Mukund Naravane (retired) is no exception. His keen interest in books is only rivalled by his fondness for golf. As he walks around the well-manicured lawn of his unmarked residence inside New Delhi’s military campus, Naravane talks of his action-packed tenure as Army chief between December 2019 and April 2022. His tenure saw the sudden escalation of border tensions with China that led to the June 2020 Galwan incident and subsequently to a massive rebalancing of forces. He was also in the thick of the ceasefire pact with Pakistan and had to deal with an invisible enemy—Covid. Post retirement, Naravane is reading a lot more than before, speaking at events related to the military and strategic affairs besides attending to matters familial. Excerpts from a freewheeling interview:
Q/There is the spectre of a twofront war and you have spoken about the lack of a National Security Strategy, which has hampered Indian military’s theaterisation effort. In this backdrop, what are our primary threats and challenges?
A/ It is obvious that we face threats both on our western and northern borders because of the unsettled nature of the boundary. Now while the threats are constant, their priority keeps changing based on many factors, including the global environment, the relationship with the government or leadership in power on the other side, the economic situation, and so on. It is a dynamic affair, and accordingly the country’s military strategy keeps changing.
Esta historia es de la edición February 26, 2023 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 26, 2023 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
A golden girl
One of India's most formidable beauties passed away earlier this month. The odd thing is she would absolutely hate this obituary; she hated being written about and avoided publicity for all of her nine decades. Indira Aswani was 93 when she died. But anyone who encountered her, even briefly, was in such awe of her grace and poise, and one could not but remember her forever.
The interest in wine is growing delightfully in India
The renowned British wine writer and television presenter Jancis Robinson, 74, recently came to Delhi and Mumbai to reacquaint herself with India's wine industry. This was the Robinson's fourth visit to India; the last one was seven years ago. On this trip, Robinson and her husband, restaurateur Nicholas Lander, were hosted by the Taj Hotels and Sonal Holland, India's only Master of Wine.
United in the states
Indian-Americans coming together under the Democratic umbrella could get Harris over the line in key battlegrounds
COVER DRIVE
Usage-driven motor insurance policies offer several benefits
GDP as the only measure of progress is illogical
Dasho Karma Ura, one of the world's leading happiness experts, has guided Bhutan's unique gross national happiness (GNH) project. He uses empirical data to show that money cannot buy happiness in all circumstances, rather it is family and health that have the strongest positive effect on happiness. Excerpts from an interview:
India is not a controlling big brother
Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay considers India a benevolent elder sibling as the \"big brotherly attitude\" is happily missing from bilateral ties. He thinks the relationship shared by the two countries has become a model of friendship not just for the region, but for the entire world. \"India's attitude is definitely not of a big brother who is controlling and does not allow the little brother to blossom and grow,\" says Tobgay in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK.
Comrade with no foes
Lal Salaam, Comrade Yechury-you were quite a guy!
Pinning down saffron
In her first political bout, Vinesh Phogat rides on the anti-BJP sentiment across Haryana
MAKE IN MANIPUR
Home-made rockets and weapons from across the border are escalating the conflict
SAHEB LOSES STEAM
Coalition dynamics and poor electoral prospects continue to diminish Ajit Pawar's political stock