New Delhi: What is life like in the Army? With military anecdotes and insights into its unique life, Major General Rajpal Punia’s new book ‘Rejoice in Adversity, Triumph in War: A Military Memoir’ gives readers a first-hand account of one of the ‘most thrilling’ jobs in the world.
Major Punia has served nearly four decades in the Indian Army and this book is a testament to the fact that the armed forces is not just a job but a way of life. It details how being in the military can, at once, transport you from a social soiree to a dangerous jungle in the span of a single night, and where postings are frequently to locations that GPS cannot locate.
Published by HarperCollins, ‘Rejoice in Adversity, Triumph in War: A Military Memoir’ will be released on 15 May on ThePrint’s SoftCover.
Major Punia said his desire to pursue a career in the Army began when he was only 10 years old and donned his first Sainik School uniform. From patrolling the fiercely-contested Line of Actual Control to being in the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions across conflict zones, the Army has taken Major Punia to places around the globe. Among his many accomplishments has been the peaceful evacuation of the Dera Sacha Sauda complex in Sirsa — which is now regarded as a case study for the deployment of armed forces in troubled civilian areas.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the book “will not only acquaint young generations with the valour and bravery of the Indian Army, but will also inspire them, kindling in them the passion to serve their motherland”.
Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal said that “apart from providing an exhaustive overview of the military culture, (the book) aims at providing civilians with a basic understanding of the unique life and culture that is the military”.
“The author is a veteran of a number of military campaigns/operations during a very eventful military tenure and he is extremely proud of his military record. With a diverse and extensive range of fighting and commanding experience, he understandably has some extraordinary stories to share. The military anecdotes that he has mixed with life lessons would make reading interesting,” Lal added.
Major Punia is a 1984 graduate of the National Defence Academy. Throughout his years of illustrious service in the Army, he has served in numerous parts of India and the world. Operation Khukri, his autobiography, was published in 2021.
Speaking about the latest book, the author said, “The Indian Army is not a livelihood but a way of life. The book is the story of my life in uniform. Military life is not a plateau but a vivid mix of peaks and valleys’ and called his memoir ‘a contribution to humankind.”
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