Receipt of a copy of THE WEEK's book Saving the World from Hitler: India's Battles in the Second World War sent Army chief General M.M. Naravane into reveries about his uncle who had fought the Italians in North Africa and had been taken prisoner.
The army chief's uncle Lieutenant Anant S. Naravane, one of the first Indians who had got commissioned in the regiment of artillery, was among the officers who fought the Italians and Germans in North Africa. Taken prisoner in the battle of Bir Hakeim, he was sent to Camp PG63 where he had, as fellow-prisoners, the future Indian Army chief General Kumaramangalam, future Pakistan Army chiefs General Yahya Khan and General Tikka Khan. He escaped the PoW camp, but was recaptured six months later, and was sent to Germany where he was detained and tortured for three years. After the war, Anant Naravane returned to India and rose to be a major-general.
Army chief General M.M. Naravane recounted the story after receiving a copy of the book Saving the World from Hitler: India's Battles in the Second World War, brought out by Manorama Books for THE WEEK. The copy was presented by R. Prasannan, Senior Coordinating Editor of THE WEEK.
Incidentally, General Naravane was in Italy last week where he inaugurated a memorial for the fallen Indian soldiers in the town of Cassino where a major battle had taken place. As many as 4,720 Indians had fallen in Italy, and another 17,310 wounded.
Gen. Naravane said that it was of utmost importance that stories of India's battles be “told with a human touch to the younger generation in the language that they understand”, and lauded THE WEEK's efforts in this regard. (THE WEEK had brought out a special issue on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the end of the war, last August.) He also stressed on the importance of preserving military memorabilia and exposing them to the younger generation.