ARE WE HEADING FOR ANOTHER HIMALAYAN
BLUNDER
Musings
By
VIKRAM KARVE
This morning
while browsing through my bookcase I chanced upon one of my favourite military
autobiographies – HIMALAYAN BLUNDER by Brig JP Dalvi. The television was on, my
favourite news channel was blaring away, and as I started reading Himalayan
Blunder, leafing through the pages of the book, I was filled with a sense of déjà
vu. The events unfolding before my eyes, on TV News Channels, and the events chronicled
in the book – the coincidence was startling. And as I read on further, drawing parallels
between what was written in the book and the intriguing happenings hogging the
headlines in newspapers and dominating the TV news-channels 24/7 for the last
few days, I wondered to myself: “Are we heading for another Himalayan Blunder?”
Is history going to repeat itself after 50 years?
I have heard a
saying: THOSE WHO DO NOT LEARN FROM HISTORY ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT. That is
why I feel that Himalayan Blunder is a must read for the powers that be – political,
civil and military. I am sure most of them must have read Himalayan Blunder,
but even then, it would be worthwhile to read the book carefully once again to
draw parallels between what happened in 1962 and what is happening now and
learn lessons so that similar mistakes are not repeated again and we do not
have another “Himalayan Blunder” in the making.
Himalayan
Blunder is a fascinating war memoir of the 1962 Conflict between India and China
in which India
suffered a humiliating defeat. Brigadier Dalvi was the Commander of the Indian
Army’s 7th Infantry Brigade which was annihilated by the Chinese
Army. I feel that it always better to read history written by those who actually
lived it rather than those who recorded it merely by academic research since first
person accounts have an air of authenticity about them which lends them credibility.
I have read four first-hand accounts of the 1962 War [ The Untold Story By BM
Kaul, Himalayan Blunder by JP Dalvi, The Unfought War of 1962 By JR Saigal and The
Fall of Towang By Niranjan Prasad] and, out of all these, I found Dalvi’s
Himalayan Blunder the most illuminating and enthralling, as well as most
soul-searching and analytic. In my opinion, Himalayan Blunder is a military
masterpiece, arguably the best book by an Indian military author.
Himalayan
Blunder tells you of the debacle that happened when ill-equipped, unprepared, confused and demoralized
soldiers were rushed into battle against a strong adversary in an ad hoc manner
because military decisions were influenced more by political prophecy rather
than military strategy.
Dalvi tells
his story with remarkable wit and exceptional candour. His candid storytelling
style captivates you and once you start reading you get so engrossed that the
book becomes unputdownable. There is no military jargon or gobbledygook. Dalvi
writes straight from the heart and that is why this book will not only educate
you but also will move you emotionally, strike a chord and get you thinking. From
the way he writes it is evident that besides being a soldier, the author was a
thinker and a scholar, extremely well-read and well-informed, and possessed a witty
sense of humour, and has interspersed his book with anecdotes, quotes and similes.
Sample this – he writes that a Corps
Commander was sacked because “he refused to be a dog in obedience and a lion in
action”.
Why did India suffer such a crushing defeat in the 1962
war with China ?
It seems to be the same story we are witnessing now – the civil-military
divide, the lack of appreciation of ground realities by the Delhi-Centric powers
that be and the trust deficit between various stakeholders.
Books like the
Himalayan Blunder will make us aware of our mistakes of the past so that we don’t
repeat them. In such matters, let history not repeat itself. That is why we
cannot to afford to ignore the lessons of history - if we do so it will be to our own peril.
I am going to
read HIMALAYAN BLUNDER once again. Why don’t you too?
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
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About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Did you like this post?
I am sure you will like the 27 fiction short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-81910
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-ka
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925
Foodie Book: Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9
About Vikram Karve
A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.
Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Dear Vikram,
ReplyDeleteIt would have been better to note down few main points of the "HImalayan Blunder". Not everybody would be in a position to get and read the original book.
Dear Deepak,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment.
I am going to post a detailed review the book HIMALAYAN BLUNDER in my blog soon.
Thanks
Regards
Vikram