EKLAVYA : Rare Insights into India’s Soldiery

The necessity for this book arisesfrom the circumstance that while Indians largely eulogize their soldiery, theyknow little about them, about their value system, way of life, achievements,concerns, and how they do what they have successfully done sinceindependence... despite challenges from the enemy, and ironically with a systemthat recurrently behaves with wily subterfuge, generating avoidable operationaldifficulties.

What the citizen misses amidst theceremonial military glamour, are the limitations despite which the soldierydelivers, always and every time. India's Soldier is no modern-day archer Arjun,as people imagine, but more an Eklavya, his self-taught rival, on target everytime, despite being deprived of his Right thumb, critical for shooting arrows.

Unlike Eklavya, our military'shandicap is fortunately reversible. It would be in national interest to remedymatters through corrective reforms, to optimize it's potential. Identificationof the symptoms ailing our system is essential for such change; hence thisbook.

If you are interested in themilitary, READ IT. It covers aspects that lie in the innermost strata of asoldier's mind. As the man behind the Gun is more important than the gun, itsaxiomatic that we get to know him better, and deal with HIS concerns speedily.

Gift it to friends preparing for acareer in uniform; it covers what recruitment posters don't. Give it away asprize in school competitions, to help children understand THEIR militarybetter, and offer them real, valorous role models. Corporate HR must read it tounderstand the immense potential and pool of ex-servicemen available forhiring, and for those who already have them on their rolls, it'd enhance theirappreciation of the dynamic dedicated disciplined go getter they have on board.



Vij Books
  • Pages: 136
  • 9789386457677 • HARDBACK • Feb 2018 • Rs.495
  • Subjects:
  • EKLAVYA : Rare Insights into India’s Soldiery
author details

Col RP Chaturvedi was commissionedin the Army in 1967. Leaving in 1997, he joined an Agro industry as GM, andlater ran his own executive placement agency.

During his army career he servedpan India in varied appointments. He attended the Command and General StaffCollege Course at Toronto, Canada, along with students from NATO andCommonwealth countries. The curriculum included visits to the Arctic Circle,and military bases in Canada, America and Germany, offering close insights intoSoldiery from other countries.

An army aviator, and an Instructorin Gunnery, he has taught at several training institutions, penned many servicepapers and edited professional journals.

Since 2008 he is exclusively devotedto veteran welfare activities, particularly the movement for One Rank OnePension, and efforts towards improvement of veteran healthcare. Suchinvolvement unveiled many inhibiting elements affecting Indian soldiery, whichform the back drop to this book.