War’s serious business, should be last resort: ex-Army chief General Naravane
Former Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane referred to calls for escalation following India’s retaliatory strikes in Pakistan and pointed out that celebrating war is misguided
Former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has criticised those questioning the suspension of hostilities between India and Pakistan, saying that war is neither romantic nor cinematic.
“War is not romantic. It is not your Bollywood movie. It is very serious business,” Naravane said at an event in Pune on Sunday. He stressed that war should always be the last resort. “If ordered, I will go to war, but that would never be my first choice,” he said. Naravane added that diplomacy must take precedence over conflict.
Naravane referred to the trauma civilians living near the border endure, especially children who grow up facing shelling and running to shelters. “For those who have lost loved ones that trauma is carried through generations. There is something called PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder]. People who have seen gruesome scenes wake up sweating even after 20 years and need psychiatric care,” he said.
He referred to calls for escalation following India’s retaliatory strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under ‘Operation Sindoor’ and called celebrating war misguided. “Some people are asking why we have not gone for a full-fledged war. But as our Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] said, this is not an era of war. Although war may be forced upon us by unwise people, we should never cheer for it,” he said.
He emphasised the need for peaceful conflict resolution. “We are all equal stakeholders in national security. Differences should be resolved not just between countries, but within families, communities, and states. Violence is never the answer.”
India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the early hours of May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. On Saturday, India and Pakistan announced an understanding to cease all hostilities.
