Dice have been found dating to the Bronze Age in various Harappan sites in present-day northwest India and throughout Pakistan. And it’s very possible that some had female owners.
This world is being restructured and redrawn by one man, and what’s his power? It’s not his formidable military. It’s trade. With China, it turned on him.
I was somewhat aghast on reading the article by Lt.Gen. Sen. He has belittled the actions of The Maharaja and the JAK light infantry and also that of Gen. Katoch. The Maharaja had been pleading with Delhi for reinforcements. Brig Pathania and his troops are famous for holding Uri for 4 days while Nehru dithered due to his own personal animosity with The Maharaja.
Nehru finally did relent and send Indian troops to assist JAK infantry clear Kashmir of the Pakistani troops and raiders.
The Maharaja even agreed to leave the borders of his beloved State and hand over charge to Sheikh Abdullah ( another enemy of the state and Nehru’s protege ) just to save J&K from falling to Pakistan.
I am glad that Mr. Nagarajan has highlighted the greedy ambitions and self glorification of the author.
Further it is quite strange that Bogey Sen brought out this book of the 1947 skirmish in 1969.
It was purely an attempt to save face, post the Chinese misadventure in 1962, in which he along with Thapar and under the leadership of Nehru’s cousin – Kaul attempted. Historians such as Henderson Brooks and Bhagat have cleared put the onus of the lack of intelligence and lack of planning on the Generals for this debacle.
Hello Sir,
I can’t hold my temptation to read full book after going through the excerpt. But this book is not available on any online platform or in any book shop in Delhi. Please guide where can I get the book?
Fantastic Book ! Appreciate the literary skills of Gen Sen and his brilliant move to entice the Pak Army on open stretch .Orient should bring out a reprint of this book. A fitting rerelease of this book is best fit to honour the writer even posthumously. Vandemataram
Many are writing for and against 370 with even Shah who was born long after Nehru blaming him while presenting the bill. He was trying to read lines from anti Nehru writers. I urge people to read Menon Integration of Indian States published by Orient Blackswan. There are two chapters on Kashmir on it was made part of India.
Orient Longman changed its name Orient Blackswan in 2008. Shekaji needs to correct his first part of acknowledgement. Having worked for OBS, I want to share a interesting anectote. When agreement was signed to publish, Lt Gen wanted ₹ 15000 as advance royalty and was paid from our head office in Asaf Ali Road near Hamdard Building. We had our Regional office near Ajmiri Gate. Due to some communication gap another ₹ 15000 was paid. The General did not bother to report and used it. When it was discovered and requested him to refund, he pleaded that he has already spent both on her daughters wedding. As the book was then priced ₹7.00 it was taking ages to adjust and auditors asked us to write it off as bad debt. Some time late eighties Army HQ wanted to buy some 1000 copies we had to reprint and that time I reminded our accounts section to adjust the amount before paying his royalty. The fact is few incidents which he has written is pure fiction. Still hats off to General.
Hats off to you, Mr Nagarajan. The incident you mention, about the author gobbling up the additional ₹15000 clearly illuminates us about his integrity. Lt Gen Sen now comes across as a man of less than perfect honesty, so I can readily agree with you that parts of the stuff he has written is fiction. I won’t be surprised if most of it is fiction. That may be the reason why this book was forgotten, and did not go into many reprints. Otherwise, a man who was DIRECTLY in action during those crucial days, his narration of the incidents would have continuously remained in demand over successive generations. Word of mouth publicity has a very long life. It would be interesting if some researcher digs out this book’s REVIEWS that must have appeared soon upon it coming to the market. Orient Longman (old name) was a tall or perhaps the tallest name in the publishing world then. They MUST HAVE ENSURED that this book gets ample notice in the press, because they had paid a hefty 15000 (30000) royalty to the author. Publishers have a wsy of ensuring this. Like even today, you can notice that any book published by Penguin or Rupa gets many reviews. So, if someone studies the reviews of this book, it just might turn out that some prominent reviewer of the time had debunked the book, that’s why it didn’t attract many readers, and that’s why it did not go into many reprint!
Lt. Gen Sen also comes across a greedy man. Demanding an Advance of ₹15000 on a book that was going to be priced ₹7 was very ambitious. Normally royalties are calculated at 15% of the cover price, so royalty on each book would be ₹1.05. That means, if the book sold 15000 copies, the publisher would just about break even on the Advance that he had shelled out to the author! (This would be all the more reason why the publisher would very aggressively go about arranging the reviews)
I had been postponing to read this article because it was very pong, but today early morning I had decided to go for it. But after reading Mr Nagarajan’s comment, I am going to give it a miss. Thank you, Mr Nagarajan!
Judgemental much, just on the word of one person, who was an ex-employee of Orient Black swan. There is no reason to believe that the words of one are any less fictitious than the words of another, especially as both are not disinterested parties. Unless one has solid evidence from those in the know, colleagues etc.
Sirji I have highest regard for soldiers as my dad served as Civilian staff pre and post independence in Minisry of Defence. I have myself been NCC during my three years of my college. What I just in this of work the authors do add few fiction to make it readable. After all Lt Gen Sen was in action, so he is more authoritative what happened is field. For information, I have also got Dr Kalam and his Co author to singn agreement for the book Wings of Fire an autobiography which contained only facts and never created controversy but still went to sell more 5 lakh copies. So it is all aurlthors prorogstive. As for as Slender was thread it did receive lot of coverage but unlike present day there was no demand for ban etc. Criticism was taken in good spirit.
Thank you sir. I still regard most of what he has written should be correct but some fiction is added to give it spice. The book did get a lot of Media coverage. But controversial books have short shelf life.
I want to read that book. Orient Longman, the publisher must come out with a reprint.
British Intelligence, British Generals along with their US friends and Mountbatten, all were busy in creating the crisis which they wanted by dividing India, in preparation to defeat the Soviets, which they ultimately did. Brigadier Sen at that time couldn’t find any reasoning for suppression of intelligence regarding attack by Pakistan using the mask of tribals on Kashmir. Only now, the mystery is solved.
For such articles, please include a PDF button that allows readers to download and save the PDF version of the article. Not that I wouldn’t invest in this book, but till then PDF offers a better way to read, anytime, anywhere, because this article will soon get pushed into archives and searching would be difficult. Please.
Really interesting excerpts from the book. Thoughtful and hard work of the journalist to dive into the history annals and find this book is commendable
I was somewhat aghast on reading the article by Lt.Gen. Sen. He has belittled the actions of The Maharaja and the JAK light infantry and also that of Gen. Katoch. The Maharaja had been pleading with Delhi for reinforcements. Brig Pathania and his troops are famous for holding Uri for 4 days while Nehru dithered due to his own personal animosity with The Maharaja.
Nehru finally did relent and send Indian troops to assist JAK infantry clear Kashmir of the Pakistani troops and raiders.
The Maharaja even agreed to leave the borders of his beloved State and hand over charge to Sheikh Abdullah ( another enemy of the state and Nehru’s protege ) just to save J&K from falling to Pakistan.
I am glad that Mr. Nagarajan has highlighted the greedy ambitions and self glorification of the author.
Further it is quite strange that Bogey Sen brought out this book of the 1947 skirmish in 1969.
It was purely an attempt to save face, post the Chinese misadventure in 1962, in which he along with Thapar and under the leadership of Nehru’s cousin – Kaul attempted. Historians such as Henderson Brooks and Bhagat have cleared put the onus of the lack of intelligence and lack of planning on the Generals for this debacle.
Hello Sir,
I can’t hold my temptation to read full book after going through the excerpt. But this book is not available on any online platform or in any book shop in Delhi. Please guide where can I get the book?
Fantastic Book ! Appreciate the literary skills of Gen Sen and his brilliant move to entice the Pak Army on open stretch .Orient should bring out a reprint of this book. A fitting rerelease of this book is best fit to honour the writer even posthumously. Vandemataram
please make a documentry on youtube about this book and incidents….good one?
Can you share a soft copy of the book pls.
Many are writing for and against 370 with even Shah who was born long after Nehru blaming him while presenting the bill. He was trying to read lines from anti Nehru writers. I urge people to read Menon Integration of Indian States published by Orient Blackswan. There are two chapters on Kashmir on it was made part of India.
Orient Longman changed its name Orient Blackswan in 2008. Shekaji needs to correct his first part of acknowledgement. Having worked for OBS, I want to share a interesting anectote. When agreement was signed to publish, Lt Gen wanted ₹ 15000 as advance royalty and was paid from our head office in Asaf Ali Road near Hamdard Building. We had our Regional office near Ajmiri Gate. Due to some communication gap another ₹ 15000 was paid. The General did not bother to report and used it. When it was discovered and requested him to refund, he pleaded that he has already spent both on her daughters wedding. As the book was then priced ₹7.00 it was taking ages to adjust and auditors asked us to write it off as bad debt. Some time late eighties Army HQ wanted to buy some 1000 copies we had to reprint and that time I reminded our accounts section to adjust the amount before paying his royalty. The fact is few incidents which he has written is pure fiction. Still hats off to General.
Hats off to you, Mr Nagarajan. The incident you mention, about the author gobbling up the additional ₹15000 clearly illuminates us about his integrity. Lt Gen Sen now comes across as a man of less than perfect honesty, so I can readily agree with you that parts of the stuff he has written is fiction. I won’t be surprised if most of it is fiction. That may be the reason why this book was forgotten, and did not go into many reprints. Otherwise, a man who was DIRECTLY in action during those crucial days, his narration of the incidents would have continuously remained in demand over successive generations. Word of mouth publicity has a very long life. It would be interesting if some researcher digs out this book’s REVIEWS that must have appeared soon upon it coming to the market. Orient Longman (old name) was a tall or perhaps the tallest name in the publishing world then. They MUST HAVE ENSURED that this book gets ample notice in the press, because they had paid a hefty 15000 (30000) royalty to the author. Publishers have a wsy of ensuring this. Like even today, you can notice that any book published by Penguin or Rupa gets many reviews. So, if someone studies the reviews of this book, it just might turn out that some prominent reviewer of the time had debunked the book, that’s why it didn’t attract many readers, and that’s why it did not go into many reprint!
Lt. Gen Sen also comes across a greedy man. Demanding an Advance of ₹15000 on a book that was going to be priced ₹7 was very ambitious. Normally royalties are calculated at 15% of the cover price, so royalty on each book would be ₹1.05. That means, if the book sold 15000 copies, the publisher would just about break even on the Advance that he had shelled out to the author! (This would be all the more reason why the publisher would very aggressively go about arranging the reviews)
I had been postponing to read this article because it was very pong, but today early morning I had decided to go for it. But after reading Mr Nagarajan’s comment, I am going to give it a miss. Thank you, Mr Nagarajan!
Judgemental much, just on the word of one person, who was an ex-employee of Orient Black swan. There is no reason to believe that the words of one are any less fictitious than the words of another, especially as both are not disinterested parties. Unless one has solid evidence from those in the know, colleagues etc.
Sirji I have highest regard for soldiers as my dad served as Civilian staff pre and post independence in Minisry of Defence. I have myself been NCC during my three years of my college. What I just in this of work the authors do add few fiction to make it readable. After all Lt Gen Sen was in action, so he is more authoritative what happened is field. For information, I have also got Dr Kalam and his Co author to singn agreement for the book Wings of Fire an autobiography which contained only facts and never created controversy but still went to sell more 5 lakh copies. So it is all aurlthors prorogstive. As for as Slender was thread it did receive lot of coverage but unlike present day there was no demand for ban etc. Criticism was taken in good spirit.
Thank you sir. I still regard most of what he has written should be correct but some fiction is added to give it spice. The book did get a lot of Media coverage. But controversial books have short shelf life.
I want to read that book. Orient Longman, the publisher must come out with a reprint.
British Intelligence, British Generals along with their US friends and Mountbatten, all were busy in creating the crisis which they wanted by dividing India, in preparation to defeat the Soviets, which they ultimately did. Brigadier Sen at that time couldn’t find any reasoning for suppression of intelligence regarding attack by Pakistan using the mask of tribals on Kashmir. Only now, the mystery is solved.
For such articles, please include a PDF button that allows readers to download and save the PDF version of the article. Not that I wouldn’t invest in this book, but till then PDF offers a better way to read, anytime, anywhere, because this article will soon get pushed into archives and searching would be difficult. Please.
Really interesting excerpts from the book. Thoughtful and hard work of the journalist to dive into the history annals and find this book is commendable