India’s Military Diplomacy

By V.P. Malik

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About the book

A book on India’s defence and military diplomacy from a Chief of the Indian Army General V.P. Malik, Chief of the Indian Army from 1 October 1997 to 30 September 2000, writes about his experiences in the field and important strategic events in which he was involved during his service. He has focused on decision-making processes that were followed at the political and military strategic levels as well as at the operational level. In India, such important decisions are seldom recorded in detail-almost never made public. Hence it is difficult to analyse these events in perspective, or learn lessons from them for future generations. The problem gets exaggerated for the armed forces. Despite the important national security roles envisaged and expected from them, they are seldom in the loop at the planning level. And when included in the loop, only a handful of senior officers are privy to the ministerial interactions and decision-making. In India’s Military Conflicts and Diplomacy the author tries to address problems arising from such practices. He writes about defence and military diplomacy and provides a historical as well as futuristic perspective on India’s higher defence management.

Pages: 320

Available in: Hardback

Language: English

V.P. Malik

General V.P. Malik was Chief of the Indian Army from 1 October 1997 to 30 September 2000. Concurrently, he was Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, for two years. He planned, coordinated and oversaw the execution of Operation Vijay to evict Pakistani military intrusion in Kargil in 1999.

‘A path-breaking as well as first-of-its-kind attempt to decipher decision making in Indian strategic thinking … Malik’s keen sense of perception as well as an understanding of military matters has enabled him to record every detail concerning employment and deployment of the Indian Army in various operations … The book is a pioneering work to tabulate the history of occurrences in military affairs in the post-1971 period.’ - Prof. Gautam Sen, Journal of Defence Studies

‘An outstanding treatise on the structure for higher defence management and the process of national security decision making in India.’ - Brig. Gurmeet Kanwal (retd), strategic analyst and author

‘Sheds fresh light on the internal workings of the government on matters relating to defence while recounting major incidents in India’s recent military history.’ - Dinesh Kumar, The Tribune

‘A textbook of strategic lessons. One of the few books in India that dispassionately looks at the lessons learnt and which we have failed to implement.’ - Maj. Gen. Dipankar Banerjee (retd), The Pioneer

‘Gen. Malik has taken examples of India’s military-diplomatic forays in recent decades to illustrate the need for improvement in higher defence management of the country. It is an insider’s account and not a ringside view … a must read for students of military history.’ - Nitin Gokhale, journalist, defence analyst and author

‘The real value of this honestly written and most readable book is the real lessons that need to be drawn from the recent conflicts involving Indian soldiers … Gen. Malik’s ringside view – with detailed personal insights – of how decisions were taken in Delhi needs to be read with great attention.’ - Maroof Raza, Salute magazine

‘Gen. Malik provides useful primary-source inputs for historians and sets an example for high government officials who are too often held back from documenting events by outdated notions of secrecy … He writes in the simple, straightforward prose of a professional soldier, without obfuscation or rhetorical flourishes … He has conveyed important lessons, albeit in short-story style, that our defence planners must heed … A window into strategy.’ - Ajai Shukla, Business Standard

‘A pioneering and path-breaking work on how the three organs of the state – politician, bureaucrat and the man in uniform – function in a crisis situation … Gen. Malik has rendered a yeoman service to future generations in writing this book. It needs to be read by all decision makers – military, bureaucrat and political masters.’ - Maj. Gen. S.V. Thapliyal, SM (retd), USI Journal