The Unknown Soldier

The book focuses on separate battles fought by seven battalions in the three wars on the Indian subcontinent since Independence. The first two battles in Part I cover the war in Kashmir in '47-48. The actions of the 1st Battalion of the Sikh Regiment in the Srinagar landings and at Baramulla, and the exploits of the Rajendra Sikhs at the Zojila battle, are dealt with in detail. In Part II, the author focuses on the battles fought by the 2nd Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment at Rezang La in Ladakh, during the war with China in '62. And in Part III, three important battles of the War with Pakistan in '65 are recounted; the action of the 2nd Battalion of the Sikh Regiment in the Poonch Sector; the legendary actions of the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment in the capture of the Hajipur Pass; and the equally legendary actions of the 3rd Battalion of the Jat Regiment at Dograi.

Though the author focuses on the seven battalions to the extent of giving a 'blow-by-blow' account of their actions in the battles he's chosen to recount, it's a compliment to his extraordinary dedication to the task he set for himself that he's successfully managed to capture the larger frame within which each of these battles were fought. This perspective gives the reader a more meaningful insight into the operations conducted in '47-48, '62 and '65.

Singh sets out the political nuances and compulsions that led to the induction of the Indian forces into J&K on October 27, '47. Among many other things, the author places the blame for the emergence of the problem and its continuation to this day on the intransigence of the government in New Delhi to accept accession of the State of J&K to the Indian Union in September '47 and to the premature reference of the issue to the UN when, militarily, things were going well for the Indian forces.

As regards the war with China in '62, besides the two battalions he focuses on, the author briefly outlines the circumstances that led to the conflict. He severely indicts the political leadership for the poor state of the Indian armed forces at that time, its incompetence in dealing with the situation, and the machinations at higher levels. At the same time, he details very fairly the conduct of operations in the North East; the instances of great valour, as well as the cases of utter inadequacy. In Part III, he dwells on the events leading up to the war with Pakistan in '65; how the attempts at infiltration into J&K and their hope of a local uprising failed, and how the government under Shastri and the Indian armed forces coped.

The battles selected for description are only a sample of the many that the Indian armed forces have fought since Independence. But each one, in its own way, brings out the indomitable spirit, tenacity and resilience of the Indian soldier, and equally importantly, the outstanding leadership qualities displayed by the officers. The detail in which each battle is described is ample proof of the author's perseverance and dedication in ascertaining data. It makes fascinating reading for those of us who have a military background, military historians and students of military matters, but would be heavy reading for those without such knowledge or motivation. For a book that's been so painstakingly put together, it's unfortunate that a few errors, both typographical and factual, have crept in, obviously by oversight. One glaring example is that in the sketch opposite page 20, the LoC's shown as extending to the Karakoram Pass; that is a Pakistani assertion, not ours. The quality of some of the sketches could've been better, but that may well have been deliberate.

A timely and most valuable addition to the volumes now being brought out on the military, Lest We Forget is to be commended for its contribution to a better understanding of the ethos and culture of the Indian soldier and his leader, the officer class. Every institution and library dealing even remotely with military matters must have a couple of copies of this book among their collection.