General Manoj Mukund Naravane took charge as the Chief of Army Staff on December 31. Ever since taking charge, General Manoj Naravane started doing his duty with integrity and sincerity. It is worth mentioning here that General Naravane extended his contribution as vice chief of the Army before taking charge of the 1.3 million-strong Indian Army.
A resolution of Parliament adopted in the year 1994 mentions that the whole former state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and should Parliament were to issue directions, the Army will take necessary action, Gen Manoj Naravane has confirmed.
The new Indian Army chief had also asked about statements of some NDA ministers that the government’s next agenda after Article 370 is to retrieve Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), citing the resolution of Parliament.
“If Parliament wants that POK should also be ours, and we get instructions to that effect, we will take appropriate action. If that is the mandate, so be it,” he added in a statement.
Digging a tad deep on his comments on north-eastern borders, he added that India is effectively rebalancing its military forces and firepower to the east, instead of focussing largely on just the western front.
In Manoj Naravane’s 37 years of exemplary service to India, General Naravane has worked in several command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast regions.
In fact, he has also commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir including an infantry brigade on the eastern front.
Before being recruited as vice chief of the Army, General Naravane was leading the Army’s Eastern Command that takes complete care of India’s nearly 4,000-km border with China.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he was then commissioned into the 7th Battalion, The Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in the year 1980.
In a career spanning four decades, Lt General Naravane extended his fruitful services both in the North East and in Jammu and Kashmir. He was also an integral part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka during Operation PAWAN. Not just that, he has also served as the Indian Embassy in Myanmar or three years.
He has been awarded the prestigious ‘Sena Medal’ for command of his Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir, ‘Vishisht Seva Medal’ for his services as the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland and has been awarded ‘Ati Vishisht Seva Medal’ for command of a prestigious Strike Corps. In addition, he has also been honoured with ‘Param Vishisht Seva Medal’ for his exemplary services as the General Officer Commanding of the Army Training Command.