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Joginder Jaswant Singh: On his 
third
 innings

A humble soldier’s grandson who became the chief of one of the world’s largest armies tells Sudeshna Sarkar more than his autobiography does

When Atma Singh, a soldier in the Indian Army from a remote village in what is now Pakistan, learned his 15-year-old grandson had joined the National Defence Academy to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, the proud World War I veteran made an inspired prediction: Sepoy da beta karnail, he karnail da beta jarnail banega — The soldier’s son will be a colonel and the colonel’s son will be a general.

“These things mean a lot, especially in the oriental context,” says the grandson, Joginder Jaswant Singh, who with his grandfather’s blessings went on to become not only a general but the numero uno in the Indian Army, its 22nd chief from 2005 to September 2007.

“Soldiers give their best years (to the nation) and then fade away. But I don’t believe in retirement. I don’t know which game has three innings but after two innings I decided to tell my story. It’s the story of a sepoy’s grandson who became the army chief, the story of a survivor who refused to let the smile on his face be wiped off.”

As a child, he used to listen in rapt attention to the war tales narrated by his grandson, who fought in Mesopotamia, now Iraq. Now he hopes his own autobiography, A Soldier’s General, will be found readable and not the dry, official version that some memoirs are.

“I did not write the book to justify the decisions I took,” the 68-year-old says disarmingly.” It is also a preemptive statement since a recent book by another former Indian Army chief, Gen V.K. Singh, Courage and Conviction, has stirred up a hornets’ nest with its allegations of corruption leveled against the Prime Minister’s Office and army authorities.

Gen J.J. Singh, who was governor of India’s northeastern Arunachal Pradesh state after retiring as the army chief, plays with a straight bat. There are no skeletons in the 372 pages; however there are details on anti-terrorism operations, the two standoffs between India and Pakistan – on the Siachen glacier, the highest battlefield in the world, and in Kargil district along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir – and a very interesting comparison with Gen Pervez Musharraf, who headed the Pakistani Army the time Gen Singh led the Indian Army.

There is some plain speaking here. While describing others’ perspective of him as an oddball and a maverick – and militants dubbing him Shaitan Singh (the devil) – Gen Singh gives his own on the former president of Pakistan, now to be tried for treason: “Though … we could have met face to face (at a conference in New Delhi in 2008) I didn’t have the inclination to meet the mistrustful architect of the Kargil war, someone with double standards (sic) and one who does not hesitate to tell lies!”

As army men, both had commanded elite corps and both survived several brushes with deaths. While Gen Singh was shot and gravely wounded by terrorists in Kashmir, for which he later received a medal, Gen Musharraf’s car was blown up.

“What an inglorious end to his innings as head of state,” Gen Singh writes. “As an army chief, purely from the professional point of view, I always considered myself as having an edge over (him)… There was nothing to distract me and I could apply myself in a single-minded and focused manner to the task of leading the Indian Army. On the other hand, circumstantially, Musharraf had taken upon himself the responsibility of running the country as well. This was at the cost of motivating and inspiring his troops and the army…”

While the Middle East played an important role in his grandfather’s life, the Mena region played a major role in Gen J.J. Singh’s career. He was India’s first defence attaché to Algeria, which helped him assimilate the regional culture and become fluent in Arabic and French.

That was evident when Gen Singh came to the UAE to launch his book. As he strode into the Borders bookstore in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates for the event, the guests included an old acquaintance of his, Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice-chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi. Instead of a handshake, Gen Singh put his arms around the visitor and kissed him on both cheeks in the traditional Arabic way of greeting.

As translations of the autobiography in major Indian languages get ready to hit the shelves, Gen Singh is also interested in an Arabic version. Meanwhile, he has begun to work on the next book, which is on India’s relations with China, two neighbours who fought a war against each other and now have a blow hot, blow cold relationship.

“A time comes when everyone feels the urge to write,” the soldier-turned-author explains. “Let me start writing before my memories fade.”

sudeshna@khaleejtimes.com