By Aayush Sharma

New Delhi [India], April 24 (ANI): Former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd.) has broken his silence on the political controversy surrounding his unpublished memoir 'Four Stars of Destiny', firmly defending his long-held position on the 2020 Indo-China border standoff and calling for the armed forces to be kept insulated from political narratives.

Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, General Naravane addressed a string of disputed issues from territorial claims along the Line of Actual Control to the civil-military chain of command in his most direct public remarks since the memoir row erupted in Parliament earlier this year.

At the centre of the controversy is General Naravane's assertion that India lost no territory to China during the 2020 eastern Ladakh standoff. Congress leaders have repeatedly challenged that claim, citing excerpts from his memoir that, they argue, tell a different story. The former Army Chief was absolute in his response.

'At that time, I had also said that there is no loss of territory. I stand by that statement even today. That is where the matter stands,' he said.

'However, if somebody doesn't want to believe it, that is his choice. There is no amount of giving statements or producing evidence that will ever change somebody's mind who doesn't want to believe and has some different views altogether. We have tried our best, but if somebody still doesn't want to accept that that is the truth, then so be it.'

General Naravane also addressed the question of political direction during the standoff, clarifying how decisions flow within the civil-military framework without naming any individual or party.

'Political leadership doesn't interfere directly in military affairs. Whatever decisions are taken are taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security. That Committee is headed by the PM,' he said. 'Whatever decisions are taken in the Army are always on the orders of the Chief. But you don't keep saying 'Chief ne ye kaha hai, isliye aisa karo.' It is understood that when something is being done, it has been done by the orders or by the instruction of whoever is empowered to pass such a kind of order or instruction.'

Perhaps his most pointed remarks came on the question of the military being drawn into political discourse. A dynamic that the memoir controversy has sharply illustrated.

'The armed forces should be kept as far away from politics as possible. The Indian armed forces pride themselves on being a very apolitical Army, Navy, Air Force,' he said. 'If you see what is happening in the country's periphery, it is a strength that we have never even sought to get involved in political matters and that's what makes our country strong. That's what makes our democracy strong, that we are one of the pillars of governance, along with the judiciary and the press.'

He was careful, however, to distinguish between the institution and the individual.

'That does not mean that we cannot have our own political affiliations, that we cannot cast our vote. You have to differentiate between the organisation and the individual. As an organisation, we are totally apolitical. But as individuals, we have full democratic rights to cast our vote,' he said.

Asked whether the swirling controversies risk eroding public confidence in the armed forces, General Naravane expressed little concern, grounding his confidence in what he described as an enduring bond between the military and the Indian people.

'I think the confidence that the Indian armed forces have and the respect that has always been given by our people far surpasses the kind of negativity that very small issues could generate,' he said.

'I always keep saying, 'Bharatiya Sena, Bharat ki sena.' They, in turn, give us that love and respect which makes us strong and enables us to stand on the border and guard our people,' he added.

Closing on a conciliatory note, General Naravane offered a broad appeal to citizens navigating competing interpretations of his book and his record.

'Everyone is free to interpret everything as per their own conscience. In doing so, they should see what is good in the overall national interest. If they keep that aspect in mind, I don't think anybody would have doubt in which way a particular issue is to be interpreted,' he said.

'Four Stars of Destiny', General Naravane's memoir covering his nearly four-decade military career, including the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes and the rollout of the Agnipath recruitment scheme, remains unpublished pending government clearance. (ANI)