The Victoria Cross Icon: Vision and Legacy

The book chronicles biographic details of the formative years and exceptional achievements through the career milestones of General Prem Bhagat including his prodigious performance as the Chairman of the Damodar Valley Corporation. It examines his operational perspective relating to the Western Sector with specific reference to his analysis of 1965 War and his Defence Line Concept for defence of Punjab. It then dwells on his operational perspective of the Eastern Sector incorporating the appreciations of the Chinese threat he wrote as DMI and COS Eastern Command and his critique on 1962 war as the member of the Henderson Brooks Committee. After analyzing the remarkable strategic vision contained in three books authored by him, it goes on to portray his extraordinary administrative acumen and flair for training his command. Finally it endeavours to dissect elements of his iconic leadership which is his true legacy.

A post graduate in Military Science and a Master of Engineering in Structures, Maj Gen Shashikant Pitre was commissioned into Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army in 1962. He took part in 1965 and 1971 wars and the IPKF operations in Sri Lanka during 1987- 90. He commanded an infantry brigade on the Sikkim border and in the insurgency infested area of Manipur, an infantry division on the Western Border and was the Chief of Staff of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC). After retirement, he has written widely in Marathi media on military matters. The General has authored books in Marathi on Kashmir, Sri Lanka and 1962 India-China War as well as biographies of Admiral Bhaskar Soman and General SPP Thorat. His military biographies of Bajirao Peshwa and Chhatrapati Shivaji have received Maharashtra Government State Literary Awards in 2021 and 2022 for the best book in History. He was awarded the first Lt Gen PS Bhagat Chair of Excellence Fellowship at USI for 2022-2024 resulting into this book. He is the Founder Chairman of HORIZON, a charitable trust of the Indian ex-servicemen dedicated to humanitarian demining, accredited by the United Nations. It has recovered over 1,50,000 landmines and rendered safe an area measuring over 1000 sq kms for rehabilitation of the masses displaced due to war in Sri Lanka.The General has to his credit two books in English authored by him. These are "Admiral Bhaskar Soman- A Profile in Leadership" and "Bajirao Peshwa - A Soldiers' General".