Military Literature Festival returns with war stories, strategy debates and carnival

The 2025 edition will be held at the Lake Club from November 7 to 9. Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria will inaugurate the festival while Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will preside over the closing ceremony. This year’s theme — “Heartland and Rimland Powers in Multi-Domain Warfare and India” — anchors the festival’s focus on evolving global conflicts and India’s strategic frontiers. The event also marks the diamond jubilee of the 1965 Indo-Pak war.

The festival’s curtain-raiser was held on October 26 with a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Chandigarh War Memorial, led by the Governor and attended by veteran service chiefs. This was followed by a “Brave Hearts” motorcycle rally of 700 riders who rode across the Tricity to honour the martyrs of the 1965 war.

From November 7, discussions will open with hard-hitting sessions on geopolitics, military strategy and emerging threats. Topics include “Air Power in Multi-Domain Warfare and Operation Sindoor”, “Is Schwerpunkt Possible on the Subcontinent Plains?”, “Threats from China and Pakistan”, “Israel and the West Bank”, “India and the Blue Water Challenge”, “Energy Security and India”, and “Af-Pak Region and Iran.”

Among the distinguished speakers are Ambassadors Yash Sinha, Gurjit Singh and Navdeep Suri; Generals Raj Shukla, Shivane, Jagatbir, Sudhakar Jee, Nagal, Khandare, Amritpal and Harvijay; Air Marshals Golani, Sachdeva, Chowdhury and Subramaniam; and Admiral Arun Prakash. Analysts Bharat Karnad, Manoj Joshi, Vijay Sakhuja, Brig Arun Sehgal, Rahul Bedi, R K Kaushik and Shalini Chawla will add intellectual heft to the panels.

A UK military delegation will explore the shared legacy of Indian and British armed forces, while a special session on the 1965 war featuring Gen Cheema, Gen Grewal and Brig Satinder will revisit key battles and strategies. Historian Amardeep Singh will present a session on “Ranjit Singh’s Empire”. The festival will close with a keynote address by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, followed by a ceremony honouring 1965 war heroes and their families.

Beyond its literary core, MLF lives up to its “festival” tag. The Clarion Call Theatre will screen war films, including two new attractions — one on the 1965 war and another on video game warfare exploring the rise of non-contact combat. Samvaad, a youth interaction segment, will bring gallantry award winners face to face with students. Around the venue, visitors can enjoy regional dances, a weapons and stamps display, equestrian shows, dog shows, a military art exhibition and a sprawling food court.

“All in all, it’s a festival in its truest sense — with something for everyone,” says Gen T S ‘Maun’ Shergill, chairman of MLF. “Our aim is to build a strong bond between the armed forces and the youth. It’s not just a literary treat but a mela of pride and participation.”
Entry is free and open to all — an open invitation to experience the spirit, versatility and valour of India’s armed forces.

(The writer is chief anchor of MLF and director, Clarion Call Theatre)

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