Gen Torat had also faded away. It is not only in Military. Many civil servants who preached the dharma, faded away. Jalras survived. Truth believer were sidelined. When I read CM TN blowing his trumpet, I wonder what is so big about it?; only for that he is appointed; occupational happenings and hazards are all advertised which the Judiciary support and acclaim a wonder. Every sthitha pragnan is a soldier. AND ALL SOLDIERS ONLY FADE AWAY. KR IRS 61025
---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Chittanandam V R <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2025 at 07:36 Subject: Fwd: Book Review by PPR To: [image: image.png] *From Reveille to Retreat An Autobiography by Lt.**Gen .S.P.P.Thorat * *Published by Airavata Hedwig Media House ; Pages 328; Price Rs.650/-* *I deem it a privilege to have been asked to review this book which is of exceptional calibre. * *I think it is appropriate to recall two historians. **Sir Walter Scott in his “Lay of the Last Minstrel”. What Scott wrote applies in equal measure to the hero of our book. **Scott said that his heroes were “Unwept, unhonoured, and unsung.”* *Winston Churchill stated: * *Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.”H**e was paying tribute to the enormous efforts made by the fighter pilots and bomber crews to establish air superiority over England. This applies fully to the contribution of Generals Thimayya and Gen.S.P.P. Thorat.* *Gen Thorat’s career began with being commissioned in Sandhurst—along with Gen.Manekshaw. He had served as Head of the Custodian Force of India, in every part of India and also abroad, especially in the North West Frontier, at Imphal, Kohima and Burma during the Second World War, and in Korea. He had a chequered and distinguished career and was recipient of Kirti Chakra, Padmashri and Distinguished Service Order.* *Shankarrao Pandurang Patil Thorat was a **scion of a well-known Maratha family.Thorat’s father was the Principal of the College of Agriculture in Poona and subsequently Minister of Education and Agriculture in his native state of Kolhapur.* *The book under review is entitled “From Reveille to Retreat”and is the autobiography of Lt.Gen S.P.P.Thorat and was originally brought out in 1985 and reprinted twice.* *General Thorat wrote “A soldier’s working day begins at sunrise and by long-standing military custom it is ushered in by a bugle call known as the Reveille and it ends at sunset with the notes of another call named the Retreat. My reveille was sounded in 1924 and the retreat came in 1961.”* *During this period he was one of the most decorated officers of the Indian Army. He was successively Colonel of the Mahar Regiment and the Punjab Regiment. He held some of the most coveted appointments, worked with some of our great national leaders and subsequently laid foundations for and played a significant role in moulding the Indian army into a well-integrated and cohesive force after Independence.* *The present book is not a reprint, but a wholly revised and expanded edition . It stems from the fact that every October—November India goes through the agony of recalling an ignominious defeat in the icy terrains of the Himalayas against the Chinese in 1962—Infamy which stings and burns. This could have been avoided if only the powers-that-be had listened to one man—Gen.Thorat. He had warned the government about the Chinese intentions. He outlined a plan showing how the situation would unfold and had warned that unless existing resources were better deployed and more personnel were provided Indian defences would struggle to respond effectively. He proposed an alternative to the Forward Policy for engaging the enemy. He even conducted a tactical exercise to support his case. Details anon. **His efforts yielded no results. He was labelled an alarmist and warmonger and his Report was dismissed and swept under the carpet.* *His moral courage in refusing to bend down to the weird whims of Shri.Krishna Menon, the Defence Minister during the crisis of the Sino—Indian war of 1962, denied him an opportunity of leading the Indian Army as its Chief. If he had been made the Chief of the Indian Army, then the humiliation that the country and the army suffered would perhaps have not happened.* *General Thorat wrote--”This national disaster might have been avoided or at least its effects might have been softened if only the Defence Minister had given credit to soldiers for knowing more about war than he himself claimed to know”* *However, the recognition of Thorat’s acumen and wisdom in the understanding of geopolitics and global strategy after the Sino -Indian war, led to his being appointed by the Prime Minister as the military member of the National Defence Council.* *General Thorat's autobiography has many chapters which throw light on his early years, getting trained at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in the UK, his various postings under British Generals pre-independence, his heroics thwarting the Japanese attack in the Battle of Kangaw in Burma in 1945, that won him the Distinguished Service Order and the Ashok Chakra (now called Kirti Chakra), in Korea, where he headed the Indian Custodian Force and single-handedly resolved a strike by the Prisoners of War.* * “The life of a soldier is not measured only in man's thought, but in the wisdom he leaves behind for future generations," declared Gen. Chauhan. Thorat's life teaches us the importance of "foresight and fortitude", not only in moments of crisis, but in the decisions that shape the destiny of the organisation. We are not only celebrating the life of one man, but honouring the legacy that continues to speak to us with relevance through his memoirs that articulate a clear philosophy of leadership based on enduring principles,"* *"Lt Gen SPP Thorat has been a legend and has been highly decorated and his works applauded by the Nation. A World War-2 hero who led 2/2 Punjab battalion in battle of Kangaw. Lord Mountbatten the Supreme Commander, called it "the most fierce Battle" against the Japanese in Arakan.* *Gen Thorat played an important role in the division of the Indian Army during the partition. **He was appointed as the Delhi Area Commander immediately after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Delhi was in flames and he quickly brought it under control.* *Gen .Thorat took over the eastern command in 1957. Gen Thorat had predicted the Chinese aggression, the thrust lines, objectives, time frame and the strategy required to blunt it. On 17 March 1960, it was "war games" in Operation Lal Quila in front of top Defence authorities. What is known now as "Thorat plan" was sent to the Army Chief, who in turn showed it to the Defence Minister. who dismissed it as merely war mongering.* *What followed was history. After the debacle, a dishevelled PM Nehru discussed the Himalayan Blunder with Gen Thorat. He was also the adviser to Shri Y.B.** Chavan, who became the new Defence Minister.* *Gen Thorat was also appointed Secretary to NDA and was instrumental in allotment of 1500 acres of land along Khadakwasla lake in Pune.* *His autobiography "From Reveille to Retreat" is an Ode to the Armed Forces..* *"Old Soldiers never die - **They just fade away" ..* *Gen S.**P.P. Thorat, a true soldier and a gentleman is remembered by all.* *Military matters have been well blended with light pieces on shikar, adventure and many anecdotes.**The book is embellished by a number **of photographs, facsimiles of letters and sketches. **The language of the book is graceful, its imagery gorgeous and its impact tremendous. **This is a book to be read by all, especially students of military history. Indian history and India’s fighters for a free nation.* *The values the book enshrines and cherishes are crucial to India’s future.* *P.P.Ramachandran.* -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZortMMPRZj_L3QWUd%3DYdm0tREu0mZa6ogkOf7bewsBHz4A%40mail.gmail.com.
