New Delhi: Former Army Chief General (Retd.) M. M. Naravane has firmly rejected claims that he was “left alone” or unsupported by the political leadership during the 2020 India-China border tensions.
In a recent interview, General Naravane clarified that he faced no such situation of isolation during the standoff and that the government provided full backing to the armed forces throughout the period.
He stated that the orders given to the Army were clear and that commanders on the ground were given sufficient operational freedom to take decisions based on evolving situations. According to him, troops were authorized to act in self-defence when required, which removed the need for any explicit “shooting orders.”
Dismissing suggestions of lack of political support, the former Army Chief said, “We were neither left alone nor in a difficult or unsupported position.” He added that there was strong trust between the military leadership and the government during the crisis.
General Naravane further emphasized that while the situation at the India-China border in 2020 was tense and challenging, it should not be interpreted as a breakdown in coordination between the civilian and military leadership. He said the Army was fully empowered to handle the ground realities.
His remarks come amid renewed discussions triggered by excerpts and interpretations related to his upcoming memoir, which have sparked political debate over the handling of the India-China standoff.
Reiterating his position, he said that the armed forces had complete backing from the government and the country stood firmly behind the Army during the face-off.