The book begins with a timeline of events of the life of General Krishnaswamy Sundarji (1928-1999), Indian Army’s 13th Chief from February 1986 to April 1988, a period marked by some important events, bold moves on borders, considerable modernisation, high-strength military exercises, and debatable engagements.
In 1984, when Sundarji was GOC-in-C, Western Command, the Army was ordered to clear Sikh separatists for the Golden Temple, Amritsar. Apart from causing significant internal unrest and long-term security challenges, this operation also resulted in the revenge killing of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 and of then Army Chief, Gen. A.S. Vaidya in 1986 after he had retired. Lt Gen. Kuldip Singh Brar, then GOC of an infantry division, was targeted later, but fortunately survived.
On Bofors, the book mentions that Sundarji’s recommendation to the government to take a tough line against the suppliers up to even threatening to cancel the contract was disregarded by the political leadership causing him frustration.
Widely known as a forward thinking “scholar-warrior”, the ‘TamBram’ (Tamil Brahmin) Sundarji brought technology-driven, rapid-manoeuvre warfare to the forefront. This brought him close to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and minister of state for defence Arun Singh in a modernising partnership.
In 1986-87, Sundarji launched one of the largest military exercises in world history, codenamed Brasstacks in the Rajasthan desert near the India-Pakistani border to test new doctrines of rapid mechanised warfare. When it nearly led to war with Pakistan, which viewed it as a prelude to an actual invasion, the relationship between the PM and him soured as Gandhi felt that Sundarji and Singh had not informed him about the full scope of the exercise. Brasstacks eventually led to Operation Trident (not the Navy’s Op Trident in 1971), which resulted in both sides being locked in a standoff in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
Sundarji’s masterstroke against the Chinese intrusion at Sumdorong Chu in October 1986 was Operation Falcon. He ordered the helicopter-lift of an entire infantry brigade which with surprise and speed occupied a dominating ridge and in early 1987, he followed up with Operation Chequerboard, moving massive reinforcements to the region and successfully thwarting the Chinese attempt to alter the status quo. Eventually the Chinese requested a flag meeting to address the rapidly escalating tensions.
In July-end of 1987, 24 hours after the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, Operation Pawan was launched by deploying the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka to disarm the LTTE. This very hastily launched operation quickly turned into a difficult unconventional war and was a significant foreign policy, intelligence and political debacle, with the Indian Army achieving tactical successes. But the shifting objectives of the 32-month mission cost the lives of 1,171 Indian soldiers. Over 3,000 to 3,500 personnel were wounded. Very ironically, Indian Army formally paid tribute to the IPKF’s fallen soldiers for the first time only in 2025.
Sundarji’s major modernisation drive included creating the mechanised infantry, introducing the Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Division, raising the Army Aviation Corps, initiating large-scale computerisation and, on nuclear matters, authoring an impactful book that contributed towards shaping India’s nuclear policy of “credible minimum deterrence”.
The reviewer is a strategic affairs analyst and former spokesperson, defence ministry and Indian Army.
General Brasstacks: The Sundarji Story
By Probal Dasgupta
Penguin Viking
pp. 432; Rs 999/-
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
