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Harbaksh Singh obviously was a genuine Indian Military Hero. One gets the picture of a supremely confident man who was born to command legions into war. If it were not for a change of Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi in place of Lal Bahadur Shastri, he could have become the chief of the Indian Army and then possibly the first Field Marshal after 1971. However, it is interesting to note the character of this fabulous man in comparison to another Indian of great stature i.e. Sam Manekshaw. Harbaksh Singh seems to lack a certain amount of grace and has does not have the lightness of spirit that was exhibited by Manekshaw. It seems that he can find fault with people he dislikes when there is very little wrong with them i.e. his comments regarding an ex-Chief of the Military who liked dressing up in private and which Harbaksh Singh finds fault with. It also seems to me that this book needs a re-write for it is replete with spelling errors, etc. Nonetheless it is a great read and I for one salute this wonderful man whose courage knew no bounds and who kept us in the game time and again against our foes. His perseverance in Japanese POW camp, his stand against Pakistan in 1945 and then again in 1965 speaks volume about his talent and courage. The fact that he was an Atheist not unlike Bhagat Singh is an interesting inconsequential aside that I was surprised to learn.
Rating:  [4 of 5 Stars!] |
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