|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A skyfaller reminisces From Fatigues to Civvies Memoirs of a Paratrooper
Unlike many a memoir, Gen. Nayar's book thankfully devotes only three out of the 458 pages of the book to his childhood and growing years. The rest of the book deals with his journey through the Military Academy, the Army and the Governorship of Manipur and Nagaland. Straight as an arrow, the book hits its mark where it is aimed. Consider the following passage from his Indian Military Academy days, where during a forced march he and his fellow cadets have just received news that one of their own has died of exhaustion: "We were most downhearted and upset. It further added to our misery when we were told that we would not be able to attend his funeral... (but) it taught us self-discipline, mental resilience, emotional control..." It is these above-stated qualities that stand the author in good stead through his life. Of course, his own native exuberance and initiative, unstated but obviously visible in all his actions, lie at the core of his success. Originally commissioned into the Corps of Signals, Gen. Nayar tirelessly battles to get transferred to his main love and goal — the Parachute Brigade. After many years of trying he eventually gets into 2 Para and commences upon a stellar career that has positive repercussions for the Paras and for the Indian Army for years to come. General Nayar is one of the few fortunate souls in possession of both a tactical and a strategic brain. And that's what made him a good junior officer and, later, an excellent senior army commander and a civil administrator. In Chapter 3, his description of how he retooled a long-held standard operating para-jump procedure shows innovative tactical thinking. He trains 2 Para to jump and rendezvous (rv) with precision and economy, with the result that they cut down on rv timing by 20 minutes. He says, "In retrospect, this training was of great help to 2 Para (Maratha) in the famous Tangail drop in Bangladesh on 11 December, 1971."
It’s not possible to touch upon all the high points and all the sound observations made by the author in this book review. Readers will in any case enjoy gleaning out all the gems on their own — from Operation Meghdoot (Siachen), to the IPKF in Sri Lanka, to Operation Blue Star in Punjab and to the state of the army and the politico-defense-administrative situation in today's India. Comparisons are inevitable while reviewing a book, especially a memoir or an autobiography. A readable book spanning inspirations and failures, the writer has reason to be very proud of his contributions to the nation both in "fatigues" and in "civvies".
|
||
|
|
||
What
is it that makes a great soldier, a great officer, and a great Army?
Read Lt. Gen. V.K. "Tubby" Nayar’s memoirs and you'll come
away with a fairly good idea of what lies at the root of the military
experience and what makes it all tick. But there's more, as this
paratrooper's stint as Governor of Manipur takes us into the
politico-administrative world and reveals what it takes to be a good
administrator.
At
the other end of the spectrum, the author's command of a mountain
division in Nagaland — Manipur illustrates his superior strategic
acumen. Chapter 8 describes the capture of a top Manipuri insurgent
and the seamless manner of his handling Army, paramilitary,
administrative and political elements points to his future role as
Governor in the region.