When former army chief General Manoj Naravane penned his memoir, he was obviously not prepared for the controversy it would generate. The book, Four Stars of Destiny, in which he allegedly referred to the 2020 Galwan Valley standoff, was not cleared for release by the Ministry of Defence. The matter snowballed into a major political storm when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi acquired a copy of the book and sought to put the Modi government on the mat in Parliament on its handling of the build-up of Chinese troops on the Ladakh border.
Finding himself in the eye of a storm, it was widely expected that the general would be wary of putting pen to paper again. However, the row over his memoir failed to deter the former army chief, who came out with another book after his earlier one created a stir. Titled The Curious and the Classified, this one promises to “unearth military myths and mysteries”, but steers clear of controversy. Contrary to its title, no military secrets are divulged in this book, no classified information shared, and no mention of how battle strategies are drawn up. Instead, The Curious and the Classified provides a peep into the quirky rituals, beliefs and customs of the country’s armed services which have their roots in the India’s military past but continue to shape the everyday life of the men in uniform. The book is a compilation of 25 essays, each one focused on a particular little-known story or a widely accepted tradition, part real-life event, part folklore.
The result is a delightful, engagingly written book, shorn of jargon and easily accessible to an ordinary reader. And that’s precisely what General Naravane has set out to do. “The purpose of each story is to bring to life momentous events or characters, to bridge the gap between the armed forces and civilian society—while giving a glimpse into our world,” he writes.
Going through the essays is indeed an instructive experience. For instance, readers learn that the badges, insignia and ribbons on a uniform are akin to a visiting card as each of them signifies the rank, name and length of service of an officer. The essay on abbreviations also makes for interesting reading. General Naravane explains that abbreviations were a part of military communication for decades, long before these became a fad after the introduction of SMS and WhatsApp. In fact, there is an entire manual on abbreviations which officers have to study during training to enable them to send messages quickly in the shortest time. These standardised sets of abbreviations “have to be used mandatorily in all service communication.”
For those who are unaware, the book tells its readers that the three services—army, navy and air force—have different saluting styles. A salute may come across as a spontaneous gesture but, General Naravane says, it has special significance in military culture. And not returning a salute is a “serious lack of form.”
Undoubtedly, the book has a rich collection of tales and legends. But the story of Pedongi, the military mule, is easily the most endearing. Mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-serving military mule, Pedongi attained fame when she was captured by Pakistani forces in the 1971 war but managed to escape after two weeks and walked back through a “battle-scarred” landscape to the Indian side. Moved by her loyalty, Pedongi was “honoured with a bravery citation and a ceremonial blue velvet rug, akin to a Vir Chakra”. General Naravane writes that Pedongi also had the distinction of being officially named, which, he said, “was a break from tradition as mules were only known by their hoof numbers.”
The book also takes readers on a roller coaster ride through cantonments in Mhow, Deolali and Dagshai, providing a glimpse into the various officers’ messes, a virtual home away from home.
In essence, The Curious and the Classified tells its readers that life in the armed services is not always about war but also about shared history and values. Most importantly, the book provides a human face to the unknown soldier.