Naravane excerpts undercut claims of political inaction

An article published on Monday, citing excerpts from an unpublished memoir of former Army chief M M Naravane, was seized upon by opposition leaders in Parliament to allege that India's political leadership failed to take a decision at a critical moment during the military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh in August 2020.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

The core claim is that as Chinese armour advanced, clear political direction from New Delhi was absent, leaving military leadership uncertain.

A close reading of the cited excerpts, however, points in a different direction and exposes an internal contradiction in the narrative being advanced.

According to the passages quoted, Naravane assessed the operational situation himself, considered and rejected the option of ordering artillery fire to avoid escalation, and instead issued precise instructions to deploy Indian tanks forward in a deterrent posture without crossing the firing threshold.

The account records that these orders were executed immediately, the Chinese advance was halted, and the situation stabilised soon thereafter, with talks resuming the following day. The episode, as described, ends not in drift or loss of control, but in deterrence without escalation.

Crucially, the same account records that Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Army chief, “jo uchit samjho, woh karo”. That instruction reflects a conscious delegation of operational authority rather than indecision.