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Lately, Service Chiefs have been praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi especially his strategic acumen and guidance during Operation Sindoor. In particular, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan’s recent books on the transformation of the military and his lectures, including on Subhas Bose ,are ideologically aligned with government thinking. This month in Dehradun, Chauhan made a politically nuanced and factually slanted presentation critical of India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s China policy, especially the Panchsheel Agreement with China. This is the first time the highest ranking military officer has delved into politics though in sync with the establishment line.

Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty.

Chauhan who is to retire in May is fishing for you know what. The Nehru archives reveal that Nehru wrote a letter on May 24, 1949, to General K.M. Cariappa, the first Chief of the Army Staff, after he had praised Nehru’s leadership and government achievements – that the Army should not talk on political matters in public and confine its views to military issues. Seventy five years later, in its words and deeds this government in the last decade has blurred the lines between politics, faith and professionalism in the services, while invoking ancient Indian military heritage whose relevance and utility are questionable. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has even advocated revenge!

The Operation Sindoor overreach was witnessed at the recent International Kite Festival in Gujarat, in the Republic day parade and the Beating Retreat ceremony. As a veteran who has fought all the wars and operations after 1957, I dare to say – Op Sindoor was not the Army’s ‘finest hour’ and comparing an 88-hour non-contact engagement with 1971 war is sacrilegious. While the Air Force was........

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