First ever Military History Conclave held in Meerut
Shiv Kunal Verma, military historian, filmmaker and author of ‘The Long Road to Siachen’, said, “During the 1857 uprising, we were suddenly fighting for a flag which was not a Union Jack; the uprising united Indians like never before.
Inaugurating the conclave, Maj Gen Sumit Rana, General Officer Commanding (GOC), PUPSA, said, “Wars do not occur in isolation; they are always influenced by political and geographical circumstances. “While much of the history surrounding the uprising was downplayed in our academic books, the villages where the battles were fought still retain those stories in their memories of their residents passed down through generations,” he said. “We must get military history studied in detail in the colleges,” he said.
However, military leadership must navigate these complexities, which is far more challenging than the role of corporate leadership. There are lives at stake and also the territories to defend. There are emerging technologies and evolving methods of warfare. It’s the experience and expertise of military leaders of the past, the present and their strategies that help to develop the future. We should learn from our history. Col (retd) Ajay K Raina, another military historian, spoke about the geographical complexities of the Kashmir region and the conflict with India’s neighbouring country.