One order away from war: How Indian and Chinese forces stood on brink as army chief waited for political clearance that never came
Joshi and Indian Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane. Under existing rules, the Indian Army could not shoot without clearance from “the very top”. India had recently seized the Rezang La heights on the Kailash Range after smart manoeuvres. After the late-August 2020 standoff around Rezang La and Rechin La on the Kailash Range, the Ladakh crisis shifted into a military-diplomatic phase. The memoir also makes clear that Naravane, who served as the Indian Army chief from 2019 to 2022, strongly opposed the Agnipath short-term enlistment scheme.
Source: The Telegraph February 03, 2026 05:42 UTC
