Vision, Courage and Service: Life and Times of General T.N. Raina, MVC

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Part-I: Early Life. 1. Early Life. 2. Career in the Indian Army. 3. Second World War (1939-1945). 4. French Indo-China. 5. Partition of India and Marriage. Part-II: Indian Army After Partition. 6. Life After Partition. 7. 4th Gwalior Infantry. 8. Life in the Battalion. 9. The Hell Division and Dalhousie. 10. Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiris). 11. Commanding 14 Kumaon (Gwalior). 12. Family Life in 14 Kumaon. 13. Army Headquarters, New Delhi. Part-III: Invasion by the Dragon. 14. India-China Border Dispute on the Himalayan Frontier. 15. Battle Preparedness in the Ladakh Sector. 16. The Dragon Strikes in Ladakh. 17. The Himalayan Division. 18. The Battle of Chushul. Part-IV: Higher Command, Staff Appointments and Birth of A New Nation. 19. Staff and Higher Command. 20. EGOC 25 Infantry Division. 21. Chief of Staff, HQ 15 Corps. 22. Prelude to the Break-up of Pakistan. 23. The Birth of Bangladesh. 24. Operation Cactus Lilly. 25. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command. Part-V: The Indian Army under General T.N. Raina, MVC. 26. COAS Indian Army. 27. National Emergency, 1975. 28. Operational Readiness of the Indian Army. 29. Innovative Planning for the Future. 30. Welfare and Improvement in Service Conditions. 31. Indian Army since Independence. 32. Adventure Training in the Army. 33. Higher Defence Organization. 34. Farewell to Arms. Part-VI: Dedication to the Regiment. 35. Colonel of the Regiment. 36. A Son in His Fathers Footsteps. Part-VII: Military and Diplomacy. 37. Armed Forces and International Relations. 38. The Last Post. Epilogue. Bibliography. Born in a traditional Indian middle-class family in 1921, Tapishwar Narain (Tappy) Raina rose to the pinnacle of the Indian Army in 1975. A decorated and battle-hardened soldier, Tappy Raina proved also to be a visionary Army Chief. He pushed through ground-breaking initiatives both for making the Indian Army future-ready and for the welfare of its officers and men. Equally, his quiet but firm stand against the Indian Army being drawn into the maelstrom of Indian politics during the period of Emergency was a truly signal service to India’s democracy. Tappy Raina was pitched into the 2nd World War at the very outset of his army career and saw action in the Middle East, Burma and the Far East. During this period he was wounded and lost his right eye but never let this early setback affect him professionally. His finest hour as a soldier came during India’s war with China in 1962. Amidst the ruins elsewhere along the borders, Brigadier Raina won laurels as a battlefield commander in Ladakh, where Indian Army blunted the Chinese PLA in the battle of Chushul. For this exemplary military leadership, Tappy Raina was conferred the country’s second highest gallantry award, the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC). Later, for his contribution in the war against Pakistan in 1971, then Lt General Raina was conferred the award of Padma Bhushan. Not even sixty yet, General Raina passed away in 1980 with his boots on while serving in India’s High Commissioner in Canada.…