General Naravane praises PM Modi's leadership, says Indian Army had free hand during Galwan clash

New Delhi: Regarding the June 2020 clash between the Chinese military and brave Indian soldiers in Eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley, former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has denied claims that the Indian Army was "left to fend for itself" during that critical period. He categorically stated that he enjoyed the full support of the government and that, had the situation demanded it, he possessed the complete authority to open fire on Chinese troops.

These remarks by the former Indian Army Chief come months after a heated debate took place in Parliament. In the Lok Sabha—the lower house of Parliament—Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had claimed that the General's unpublished memoir, *Four Stars of Destiny*, revealed that the Prime Minister (acting through the Defence Minister) had told him, "Do whatever you deem appropriate," when the General sought orders from the government during a standoff with Chinese troops at the Rechin La pass, situated on the southern bank of Pangong Lake.

What did General Naravane say?

General Naravane, who served as the 28th Army Chief from December 2019 to April 2022, stated in an interview with NDTV that the orders he received at the time were, in fact, absolutely clear: Indian soldiers possessed the right to open fire at any time if their safety was under threat. He further added that his book contained nothing that warranted such an uproar. General Naravane remarked, "I do not believe there was anything overly sensitive in that book. However, people hold differing perspectives. My perspective—rooted in the ground reality—will naturally differ from that of the diplomatic or political spheres. Everyone has the right to express their own views."

Why did the controversy arise?

In essence, this controversy stems from a specific sequence of events during which Indian troops, backed by tanks, had taken up defensive positions atop the pass within the disputed territory—a region over which China has consistently asserted its territorial claims. When Chinese troops, equipped with tanks, began advancing toward Indian positions, it is believed that the General sought political guidance; this became imperative as the situation had turned extremely volatile, and given the potential repercussions of opening fire on the Chinese military, such a step was deemed essential.

What did General Naravane say about political leadership?

Responding to a question regarding the military standoff with China in 2020, General Naravane stated that he received all the support he required from the political leadership. Furthermore, General Naravane expressed disagreement with the views of a Congress leader who had claimed that the Indian Army was left stranded without any clear instructions. Naravane remarked, "The way I interpret it is that I was given complete freedom to act as I saw fit, because I possessed a superior understanding of the ground realities, and I also had a better grasp of what my Army was capable of achieving."

What did General Naravane say about government's decision?

He added, "In this context, it is my firm belief that the decision to leave this matter to the Army's top leadership was absolutely correct. This serves as a testament to the immense trust the government places in its armed forces." Additionally, he categorically dismissed the notion that the Army had been left isolated. General Naravane observed, "The person at the very top is always alone—whether they are the CEO of a company or the leader of a nation. However, this certainly does not imply that you have been left stranded. The entire nation stands with you; your entire Army stands with you." He further emphasized that whichever course of action he chose to pursue would have received the government's full backing—and, in reality, that is what matters most.

It is worth noting that General Naravane was at the helm of the Indian Army during the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley of Eastern Ladakh in June 2020. This incident was prominently featured in his unpublished autobiography, *Four Stars of Destiny*, which was scheduled for publication in 2024. It was a passage from this very book that Rahul Gandhi cited in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session earlier this year—a reference that sparked a major uproar.