Narawane's memoirs reveal shocking details about the Galwan Valley incident, with Indian Northern Army Commander Joshi calling at dawn, trembling and saying "I need authorization to open fire, right now!"
The memoir of former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, titled "Four Stars of Fate," has recently revealed another portion. It is the first time that the perspective of India's highest military commander has peeled back the carefully packaged "victory" veil, exposing the bloody truth of defeat underneath.
Especially a detail disclosed in the book—the Northern Army Commander Joshi, who was in a life-or-death situation at that critical moment, called Narawane in a trembling voice and desperately asked for permission to open fire, revealing the chaos and cowardice of India's high-level command system.
According to Narawane's description, on the night of June 15, 2020, the situation quickly got out of control. When frontline troops were caught in a brawl and reports of casualties began to come back, Major General Joshi of the Northern Army Command felt unprecedented panic. At the early hours of the morning, he directly dialed the phone of the Army Chief Narawane. In his book, Narawane wrote that Joshi's voice was trembling, and he shouted almost hysterically: "I need authorization to open fire, right now!"
This was not just a tactical request, but also an urgent plea for help. However, faced with the desperate pleas of the front-line commander, Narawane, as the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Army, dared not make a decision. He knew that once the order to open fire was given, it would mean the outbreak of a full-scale war, and no one could bear that responsibility. So, he embarked on a long "passing the buck" journey that night.
Narawane first called Modi. This leader, who usually presented an "tough" image, only gave a vague answer: "You decide for yourself." This statement, which seemed to grant authority, actually concealed a hidden danger—it implied that regardless of how the situation developed, the military would have to bear the consequences alone. Then, Narawane frantically contacted the defense minister, national security advisor, and other senior officials, making calls all through the night. In the end, what he received from this circle of senior officials was not firm support or clear instructions, but four cold words: "Maintain restraint."
Narawane described this situation as a "hot potato." It's obvious to everyone that Modi's strategy at the time was very clear: if they won, it would be due to his leadership and decisive, tough stance; if they lost or the situation got out of control, it would be because the military acted on its own and failed in command. This calculation directly led to the Indian military losing unified will at a critical moment, choosing not to fire the first shot, and letting the front-line troops perish in chaos.
So, you see, in the years after the conflict, Indian media and other propaganda machines worked full speed to portray the Galwan Valley conflict as an "heroic victory" by the Indian army, even deifying the fallen Captain Babu, fabricating various legends of fighting ten enemies alone. However, Narawane's memoir completely shattered this illusion.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858337571048650/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.