Triggering a political firestorm, the Authorities has asserted in Parliament that Chief of Opposition Rahul Gandhi can’t learn excerpts from ex-Military Chief Normal M M Naravane’s memoirs within the Lok Sabha because the e-book is but to be revealed. What it didn’t say was that the autobiography, 4 Stars of Future, has been blocked from publication by its personal administration within the Defence Ministry, which has positioned it “underneath evaluation” for over a 12 months.
The Normal shouldn’t be alone. There are different senior Military officers who’ve risked publishing tell-all books after their retirement. And paid a heavy value for it.
Take into account this: It has been 19 years because the Authorities filed a case towards Main Normal V Ok Singh, who retired in 2002, over his e-book India’s Exterior Intelligence — Secrets and techniques of Analysis and Evaluation Wing (Manas Publications).
CBI case filed after publication of e-book
Quickly after the e-book was revealed in 2007, a case was filed by the CBI underneath the Official Secrets and techniques Act (OSA) towards Maj Gen Singh, who had served a four-year stint on deputation with R&AW until 2004, together with post-retirement extensions. His home in Gurugram was raided, and his pc, passport and diaries impounded.
At present, Maj Gen Singh, now 81, stays on bail whereas the OSA trial towards him “hasn’t even begun” in earnest. Final month, his plea for acquiring copies of paperwork on the premise of which he was being prosecuted reached the Supreme Court docket.
Talking to The Indian Specific, Maj Gen Singh, who was with the Corps of Alerts, mentioned he was “very clear” that there was no gag order on retired Military officers or written directions that they needed to submit their e-book manuscripts for vetting to the Defence.
Chief of Opposition within the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi exhibits a replica of the unpublished “memoir” of former Military chief M M Naravane throughout the Funds Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (PTI)
‘Unprecedented transfer by a writer’
Requested about Normal Naravane’s e-book, he mentioned, “It’s the first time I’m listening to that it’s the writer that has despatched the manuscript for clearance to the Defence Ministry. If in any respect, as a precaution, it’s the retired Military officer and never the writer who ought to ask for the evaluation.”
Story continues under this advert
Excerpts from Normal Naravane’s memoir have been revealed by information company Press Belief of India on December 18, 2023, and the writer Penguin Random Home had deliberate a launch in January 2024.
In keeping with Maj Gen Singh, Part 21 of the 1954 Military Guidelines — any personnel publishing a e-book shouldn’t achieve this “with out the prior sanction of the Central Authorities” — was related to solely serving defence personnel. In addition to, he mentioned, the Central Civil Companies (Pension) Guidelines 1972 utilized to retirees from companies such because the Intelligence Bureau and Border Safety Power, and never these from the armed forces.
“The amended guidelines of 2021 apply solely to civilian officers working in delicate organisations. They don’t apply to us and quite a few retired Military and R&AW officers have revealed books in these 20 years since I used to be focused. Hardly any retired officer submits his manuscript for clearance,” he mentioned.
“It’s a case like mine, which is into its twentieth 12 months, that has put worry in retired defence personnel, together with these within the Military. A lot of them proceed on deputation to organisations like R&AW, Nationwide Technical Analysis Organisation and the Defence Analysis Improvement Organisation however they don’t now wish to take the danger of writing books on delicate facets of their assignments,” he mentioned.
Story continues under this advert
‘Performing as whistleblower’
Maj Gen Singh mentioned he was appearing extra as a “whistleblower” whereas describing potential areas of corruption inside R&AW in his e-book. Within the OSA case towards him, he mentioned, the CBI listed a number of “secret revelations” as a breach of secrecy on his half, together with particulars associated to the constitution and duties of R&AW, upgradation of the company’s technical capabilities, and places of some R&AW stations.
In 2009, the Chief Metropolitan Justice of the Peace ordered that every one related paperwork on the premise of which the cost sheet was filed be provided to Maj Gen Singh and his attorneys. The CBI challenged the transfer and the case has dragged on since then.
In September 2025, the Delhi Excessive Court docket dominated that parts of the paperwork which “have been prone to have an effect on the sovereignty and integrity of India” could be blackened out by the CBI, and the paperwork would solely be obtainable “for inspection” between 9 am and 9 pm. This order has now been challenged by Maj Gen Singh within the Supreme Court docket.
The retired officer’s plea earlier than the apex courtroom is that he has been “going through prosecution for nearly 18 years in a matter arising out of his e-book revealed in public curiosity, and continued trial in violation of due course of would exacerbate psychological, bodily, and monetary hardship, undermining the very notion of justice.” The apex courtroom has issued a discover to the CBI on the Particular Depart Petition.
Story continues under this advert
In the meantime, Normal Naravane had given up on his autobiography ever hitting the bookstands, switching subsequently to navy fiction. When his work of fiction The Cantonment Conspiracy was revealed final 12 months, he had informed The Indian Specific: “I’ve moved on.”
