Four Stars of Destiny.indd 1 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE BOOK ‘As a first-hand account of the author’s own life, an autobiography offers the readers an unmatched level of intimacy. Manoj Naravane’s straight- from-the-shoulder Four Stars of Destiny is not just that, it is also an intimate and veritable insight into different roles, functioning and ongoing debates within India’s military. His detailed and candid narration of the India– China confrontation in Eastern Ladakh before and after the Galwan Valley incident (Operation Snow Leopard) is very informative and exciting. It will definitely raise the adrenalin level of every reader. As an autobiography writer, Manoj Naravane believes that “I don’t just want success for myself, I want my success to benefit others”’—General VP Malik, former Chief of Army Staff ‘ Four Stars of Destiny is the inspiring tale of one of our foremost Army Generals. Engaging, insightful and thought-provoking, General Naravane peppers this account of his life and times with critical lessons on leadership, management and what it means to live life to the fullest—a must-read for readers of all generations!’—Shashi Tharoor, Lok Sabha MP for Thiruvananthapuram, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Chairman, All-India Professionals’ Congress ‘General Manoj Mukund Naravane offers fascinating glimpses of his life in the Indian Army and his rise to the top as its twenty-eighth Chief. As a compelling personal account, Four Stars of Destiny will inform the growing popular interest in our armed forces. Gen Naravane’s riveting discussion of the 2020 Galwan Crisis and the recent defence reforms offers valuable insights for all those interested in India’s defence and national security policies’—Prof. C. Raja Mohan, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore ‘Candid and comprehensive, India’s twenty-eighth Army Chief, Gen MM Naravane doesn’t pull any punches in this personal account of his Army career. Tracing his own forty-year-long journey as a soldier and officer, Gen Naravane dwells at length on his tenure at the very top (2020–22), spent mainly in dealing with the border crisis in Ladakh and Covid. The book will be read with great interest by both military professionals and defence enthusiasts. A definite bestseller’—Nitin A. Gokhale, media entrepreneur and strategic affairs analyst Four Stars of Destiny.indd 2 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation ‘An exceptionally candid autobiography that vividly portrays the trials, tribulations and triumphs of a distinguished military career. General Naravane’s narrative is marked by a remarkable blend of humility, self- reflection and intellectual curiosity. This compelling account offers a rare and charming glimpse into the experiences of a leader who, with honour and distinction, guided the service through a particularly tumultuous period’ —Dr (Maj) Anit Mukherjee, Senior Lecturer, King’s College, London Four Stars of Destiny.indd 3 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Four Stars of Destiny.indd 4 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation P E NG U I N V E E R Four Stars of Destiny.indd 5 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation PENGUIN VEER USA | Canada | UK | Ireland | Australia New Zealand | India | South Africa | China | Singapore Penguin Veer is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com Published by Penguin Random House India Pvt. Ltd 4th Floor, Capital Tower 1, MG Road, Gurugram 122 002, Haryana, India First published in Penguin Veer by Penguin Random House India 2024 Copyright © Manoj Naravane 2024 Photographs courtesy of Manoj Naravane All rights reserved 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The views and opinions expressed in this book are the author’s own and the facts are as reported by him which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same. ISBN 9780670099757 Typeset in Adobe Caslon Pro by Manipal Technologies Limited, Manipal Printed at This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. www.penguin.co.in Four Stars of Destiny.indd 6 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation To My wife Veena, for standing by me through thick and thin, my daughters Isha and Amala, my sources of strength and inspiration, and the Indian Army, which took me to unexpected heights Four Stars of Destiny.indd 7 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Four Stars of Destiny.indd 8 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Contents Foreword xi Introduction xiii Part 1: Childhood and Adolescence 1.1. Skinned Our Hearts and Skinned Our Knees 3 1.2. From Civvies to Uniform 27 Part 2: Regimental Life 2.1. Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal 49 2.2. To Foreign Shores: From Regimental Centre to the IPKF 68 2.3. Line and Staff 86 2.4. Meerut: Adieu to Lucky Seven 104 2.5. Battalion Command: Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove 124 2.6. Look East: ‘ Mingala Bar Khimbya ’ 156 Four Stars of Destiny.indd 9 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Contents x Part 3: Flag Ranks 3.1. Back to Soldiering: The First Star 179 3.2. Eastwards Again: Change of Uniform and Role 195 3.3. Kharga Corps and Delhi Area: From Operations to Administration 212 3.4 Bharat Darshan and Eastern Command 230 Part 4: Four Stars of Destiny 4.1. Break In 255 4.2. At Close Quarters: A Nation Responds 288 4.3. Break Out: Continuity and Change 318 4.4. Reorganization 348 4.5. Consolidation 374 Part 5: Reflections 5. Old Soldiers Never Die . . . 397 Acknowledgements 405 List of Abbreviations 409 Notes 413 Four Stars of Destiny.indd 10 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation xi Foreword At the outset, let me compliment Gen Manoj Naravane for his excellently written book Four Stars of Destiny . This book takes you through his childhood, his training at the NDA and the IMA, and his journey in the Army until he rose to Four-Star rank as the Chief of the Indian Army. The title of the book is very apt, as no one knows what life’s journey would be like. As the Gita elucidates: ‘One should do his duty and the results will come by.’ Gen Naravane has put out a very honest account of his journey in this autobiography. You go through his experiences as the youngest child in the family, life as a cadet and how he performed as he worked his way up the various ranks in the Army. The book bares open his personality and character. It is the last part of the book that is even more interesting. Here the author has put down his observations, comments, analysis and feelings on many issues that he faced while leading a competent and professional Army. A very thorough appraisal of several events and issues has been put down, which will ensure better comprehension for all Four Stars of Destiny.indd 11 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Foreword xii who go through it. I would, without hesitation, recommend this autobiography, written in a conversational style, to all who want to understand the different events that he encountered, relive their own journey in the Army, and understand Gen Manoj Naravane the person in and out of uniform. My profuse accolades to him and his Four Stars of Destiny. New Delhi Gen (Dr) Vijay Kumar Singh 23 Nov 2023 PVSM, AVSM, YSM (Retd) Four Stars of Destiny.indd 12 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation xiii Introduction Shortly after I retired from the Army in May 2022, I was asked whether I had any plans to write a book. Actually, I didn’t. Moreover, I had to seriously get down to completing the thesis for my doctorate, which was long pending. That was my priority. So, although people said that every person has at least one book inside of him, I let it pass. After about six months of sustained work, I was able to submit my thesis, ‘Harmonizing Naga Customs, Traditions and Institutions in the Context of Peace and Development’ to the Punjabi University, Patiala. With some time on my hands, I started writing a few op-eds for various publications. But still no book. Sometime later that year, Rachna Bisht requested me to interview for a book on Gen Bipin Rawat that she was working on. When Rachna wrote the book Bipin: The Man behind the Uniform , one of the chapters was based on our interaction. I was invited by Gurveen Chadha of Penguin for the book release held in March 2023, at the United Service Institution of India in New Delhi. During the event, I jokingly asked Gurveen, ‘When are you publishing my Four Stars of Destiny.indd 13 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Introduction xiv book?’ To which she replied, ‘Have you written one yet?’ I had to confess I hadn’t even thought about it. Gurveen though, assured me that Penguin would be happy to consider publishing me. That set the ball rolling. The very next day, we sat down to strategize. What to write about; autobiography or memoirs or a bit of both? How long? Timelines? The last was a major factor. If the book had to be released on some occasion—for example, Veteran’s Day, which falls on 14 January each year, then the first draft of the manuscript would have to be submitted by mid-June. It was already mid-March. Were we being too ambitious? After some discussion, we thought we should give it a try. It was really up to me and deadlines only spur you on. The ball was now truly and fully in my court. How do you write about four decades of Army life and compress it into one book? That was the real challenge. What about the childhood years? Did those shape me in any way and play a role in my life? Do they have any significance? A close friend of my wife, Shailaja, with several works to her credit, advised me not to start this self-editing even before beginning to write. She said that if there was some incident from my past that I still remembered vividly, then obviously it had some import and would have shaped my outlook in some way or the other. Write freely, she said, it will be all the more natural. All of us have so many memories of our childhood and careers. Many of the experiences we have especially in and of the Army, about our years at the Academy, for example, are almost similar. Nothing new nor worth a repeat. In recounting these events and experiences, therefore, I have chosen those that left a lasting impression and moulded my character or outlook. The manner in which a situation was handled (or mishandled) by my superior, for instance, and the lesson learnt from it. Each Four Stars of Destiny.indd 14 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Introduction xv anecdote, thus, has some underlying message. I have not dwelt too much, therefore, on the three years spent at the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune, or of the year at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. Similarly, the years as a Young Officer (YO), learning the ropes of Regimental life. Each incident, I believe, is unique to my life, and perhaps not known even to my friends and colleagues, who have been part of or closely associated with my career in the Army. When a person reaches the pinnacle of any organization, the Chief of Army Staff, in my case, everyone thinks that it was all smooth sailing. There is also a feeling that the rise through the hierarchy was aided by a little bit of chamchagiri (apple polishing) and toeing the party line: ‘Yes Sir, No Sir, three bags full, Sir.’ Nothing could be further from the truth, but I leave that for the reader to decide. I’ve had my share of ups and downs—on both the professional and personal fronts. We weathered these storms, and by we, I mean our family as a whole, and came out not only stronger but more empathetic with those who would have been similarly disadvantaged. These setbacks, in fact, made me a better person and allowed me to have a more compassionate view when confronted with the foibles and shortcomings of the officers and men under my command, at whatever rank I was at that point in time. As a newly commissioned officer, when I got lost in the deserts of Rajasthan, apart from the military lesson, it also made me realize that such things can happen to anyone, that we are all human and we will all make mistakes. As mentioned earlier, the thought of writing a memoir was not on the to-do list. Moreover, was my story worth telling? When one joins the Army, one doesn’t think that one will become the Chief. One is quite content to pass the promotion exam to the next rank. Most of what I have written is from Four Stars of Destiny.indd 15 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Introduction xvi memory. One hardly takes down notes or maintains a diary as a YO, thinking it will come in handy to pen down one’s memoirs forty years later. That would be rather presumptuous. My recollection of events and the personalities involved are my perceptions. They may differ at times from those of other persons present or referred to. Places and timelines are generally correct, thanks to the Internet and asking relatives, friends and comrades to fill in the blanks. Their recollections too, might be clouded by time, so errors, if any, are totally my responsibility. As long as it doesn’t materially affect the flow of the narrative or the outcome, it should be allowed to pass. There is no intention to show any person or organization in a poor light; once again, it is a matter of perception. A shrug and a chuckle over a cup of tea should suffice to clear any misunderstandings. Nevertheless, if at all any sentiments are hurt, a thousand apologies for the same. When somebody rises to the top, especially someone not on your friends list, it is attributed to sheer luck. I would rather remind readers, that luck is like the wind, which favours the better navigator, or as Bluntschli says in Shaw’s Arms and the Man , ‘. . . a miss is as good as a mile.’ And I’ve had many a near miss. Destiny is always at work, often waiting on the path not chosen. A delay in taking over command of a Battalion probably worked to my advantage, whereas a delay in taking over a Brigade due to circumstances beyond my control meant I could not attend the National Defence College, considered a prerequisite for higher ranks. I, too, thought my career was plateauing, but it was not meant to be. Destiny was at work, pushing me forward, giving me one star after another until I became a Four-Star General, and hence the title of the book: Four Stars of Destiny Happy reading. Four Stars of Destiny.indd 16 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation PART 1 Childhood and Adolescence Four Stars of Destiny.indd 1 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Four Stars of Destiny.indd 2 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation 3 1.1 Skinned Our Hearts and Skinned Our Knees The earliest fuzzy memory I have, as against those recounted over the years at family gatherings, is of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, when my father, who was in the Indian Air Force, was posted at the Air Force Station, Maharajpur. I must have been about four or five then. We had come there from Bolarum, Secunderabad, but my memories of Bolarum are more from the telling. Of how we used to sleep outdoors during the summer months, the escapades of my elder brother, Nitin, and how he would sneak into a nearby talkies with me in tow, where he had befriended the doorkeeper. My little world comprised my father, Mukund Shridhar Naravane, mother Sudha (née Parasnis), sister Poonam and brother Nitin. My sister was six years older and my brother was four years older than me, so I was very much the bachcha of the family. My parents had a ‘love marriage’, which was pretty avant- garde for those times. My grandfather on the paternal side, Shridhar Govind Naravane, had been a civil engineer, mostly Four Stars of Destiny.indd 3 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation Four Stars of Destiny 4 serving in the United Provinces, now Uttar Pradesh. After retirement, Babuji, as he was affectionately called, had settled into a nice little bungalow on 6th lane, Prabhat Road, a leafy, tree-lined avenue in Pune. He used to live alone with a trusted man Friday, my grandmother having passed when my father was quite young. On the maternal side, my grandfather, Shripad Ramachandra Parasnis, had been a senior and respected professor at Fergusson College, Pune, and a founder member of the Deccan Education Society, until his career was cut short due to an accident with, of all things, an Army truck of the National Defence Academy, which would in time become my alma mater and I, the Army Chief. What irony. My grandfather and grandmother Shalini (née Deshpande) used to stay at Karve Road, Pune, near Nal Stop, so called because there used to be a public water tap ( nal ) there. Though they were our grandparents, all of us cousins, for some unknown reason, used to call them Ai and Dada. My distinct memory of Gwalior was of going to school, or it must have been pre-school, in a cycle rickshaw that had a wire- mesh cage, with a door at the rear. Two such rickshaws would come to our house, in the officers’ residential area, to cart all of us children off to school. On one occasion, I had got into one of the rickshaws and my brother in another, and not wanting to be separated, I tried to get out, but just then the rickshaw- wallah accidentally slammed the door shut on my hand. There was much confusion and wailing and I had to be rushed to the infirmary, but thankfully no damage was done, and I did get a day off from school. I also vaguely remember a row of houses along a dusty street. My sister and brother, being a few years older, would be getting into all kinds of mischief, with me as their unwitting accomplice. Whenever they used to get scolded for various acts of naughtiness, I used to innocently wander off, Four Stars of Destiny.indd 4 11/28/2023 12:45:08 PM Copyright @ Penguin Random House India Not for circulation