Former Chief of Army Staff, General M M Naravane (retd), whose memoirs Four Stars of Destiny, which has been pending for Central Government's approval for more than a year, on Saturday said that his job was to write the book and it was the publisher who had to seek permission from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Gen Naravane made the comment after a session at the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival held here where his latest fictional work, The Cantonment Conspiracy: A Military Thriller, was discussed with Rear Admiral Nirmala Kannan (retd). When asked by a guest at the festival why his ‘Four Stars of Destiny” had not seen the light of the day, the former Army Chief said, “My job was to write the book and give it to the publishers. It was the publishers who were to get the permission from the MoD. They gave it (the book) to them. It is under review. It is still under review for more than a year now”. The General added that the publisher and the MoD are in constant touch with each other. “So it is not for me to follow up. The ball is in the publisher’s and the MoD's court. But I enjoyed writing the book, for better or for worse. And that’s that. It is for the MoD to give permission as and when they deem fit,” he said. The controversy surrounding General Naravane's memoir centers on its revelations about sensitive military operations and government policies, which prompted a government-mandated review and delayed its publication. Naravane, who served as India's Chief of Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022, including during the 2020 India-China border clashes, detailed high-level decision-making in the book, drawing criticism for potentially breaching norms on disclosures by retired officers. Key revelations include a late-night conversation on August 31, 2020, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh amid Chinese troop movements in eastern Ladakh's Rechin La pass. Singh reportedly conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approval, telling Naravane, "Jo ucchit samjho woh karo" (Do whatever you deem appropriate), effectively giving the Army carte blanche to respond, including positioning tanks without firing first. There was also a comment on the Agnipath recruitment scheme, launched in June 2022. Naravane revealed the Army had proposed retaining 75% of short-term recruits long-term, but the final model retained only 25% after four years, with an initial salary of ₹20,000 deemed "unacceptable" for soldiers risking their lives—later raised to Rs 30,000 following Army pushback. He portrayed the scheme as a politically driven initiative overriding military advice, contradicting the government's narrative that it originated from the armed forces to reduce the age profile. In response, the Indian Army and Ministry of Defence initiated a review in January 2024 after the excerpts were published in December 2023, instructing publisher Penguin Random House to halt sharing copies or excerpts. As of today, the book remains in limbo, with no confirmed release date despite initial listings for April-May 2024 on platforms like Amazon, which cancelled pre-orders. Naravane has since published fictional works, including the military thriller 'The Cantonment Conspiracy' in March 2025 and another leadership-focused book in August 2025.
