What is former Army chief Naravane’s memoir ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ about?

Four Stars of Destiny, the memoir of former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who served between 2019 and 2022, became the focus of a heated argument between the Treasury and Opposition benches in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session on Monday (February 2).

As the House's Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, tried to raise the contents of the book during his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Treasury benches, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, objected strongly, and the argument continued until Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House till 3 pm.

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As the senior Congress leader tried to quote from an article carried by a noted magazine on Naravane's unpublished memoir, the Speaker and other BJP leaders tried to dissuade him, saying he could not do so. Birla also tried to convince Rahul that he could not target any individual but only speak on policies. To that, Rahul said his party's character and sense of patriotism were being questioned.

Gandhi had just quoted an article by an English magazine on Narwane's memoir, claiming that "Chinese tanks entered Indian territory during the 2017 Doklam standoff", when the BJP put up a strong protest, asking him to stop reading from an unpublished work.

Why Naravane's memoir sparked controversy

Why is the book so contentious for the government? The unpublished book reportedly offers an account of key military and policy decisions taken during Naravane's tenure as the Army chief, including India’s tense standoff with China in eastern Ladakh in 2020 and the formulation of the Agnipath recruitment scheme. The book has come under official scrutiny, with the Indian Army and the Ministry of Defence reviewing its contents, thanks to its revelations about key military operations and government policies.

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Four Stars of Destiny has reportedly been pending for the Centre's nod for more than a year. Some excerpts from the book were earlier reported by the news agency PTI in 2023. It was supposed to be released in early 2024 but has not seen the light of day yet. The book is, however, not banned.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the book’s publisher, Penguin Random House, has been asked not to circulate excerpts or soft copies until the review is completed.

Ladakh standoff and key disclosures

One of the most significant disclosures in the memoir relates to the India-China military confrontation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. According to media reports, Naravane recounts his conversation with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the night of August 31, 2020, after Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops moved tanks and soldiers to the Rechin La mountain pass, triggering a tense situation.

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According to the excerpts, Singh told Naravane, “Jo uchit samjho woh karo (Do whatever you deem appropriate).” Naravane writes that the developments that night led to a flurry of phone calls involving the defence minister, the external affairs minister, the national security advisor and the chief of defence staff.

Describing his exchange with the defence minister, Naravane wrote: “I conveyed the criticality of the situation to the RM (Raksha Mantri), who said he would get back to me, which he did, by about 2230 hours.” He added that a hundred different thoughts “flashed through” his mind after the call. “I had been handed a hot potato. With this carte blanche, the onus was now totally on me. I took a deep breath and sat silently for a few minutes. All was quiet save for the ticking of the wall clock,” he said.

What the book says on Agnipath

The memoir also discusses the Agnipath recruitment scheme, rolled out in June 2022 for the short-term induction of personnel across the armed forces. Naravane writes that the Army’s initial position was to retain 75 per cent of recruits and release 25 per cent, unlike the final structure, which provided for retaining only 25 per cent.

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He also records objections to the initially proposed salary of Rs 20,000 per month for recruits. “This was just not acceptable. Here, we were talking about a trained soldier who was expected to lay down his life for the country. Surely a soldier could not be compared with a daily wage labourer?” he wrote, noting that the amount was later increased to Rs 30,000 per month.

The Indian Express report also cited a source noting that while amendments to the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules restrict retired government servants from publishing material without prior permission, defence services are not explicitly covered under those rules.