Archival Note

Veteran: Brigadier Nagendar Singh, VSM

Service: Indian Army (Infantry), commissioned 1974 · retired 2010

Recording: Audio · Google Meet

Key Appointments & Service:

● Commanded an Infantry Battalion during Operation Vijay (Kargil War, 1999)

● Commanded an Independent Infantry Brigade Group, Uttarakhand (Indo-China border)

● Instructor at the National Defence Academy and Defence Services Staff College

● Deputy Director General, Armed Forces Tribunal (establishment phase)

---

Opening Remarks

The conversation unfolded in measured calm. He entered his recollections in an even, unforced tone, describing himself now as a “happy” retired man, a marked contrast to the high-stakes environments of his past.

Memories, it seems, do not arrive on command. They gather slowly, like smoke finding its own direction. What returned did so gradually, and the exchange unfolded without urgency, settling into its own measured rhythm.

The Shape Of Memory

1. The ethos of services

Interviewer: Sir, when you look back on your years in the uniform, what comes back first? Not chronologically, but instinctively?

Veteran: The first and foremost thing is that it's a very fulfilling and happy life. I lived a very wholesome life that the uniform offered me. It gave me every moment as a challenge, an opportunity to learn, and to be human both as an individual and as a part of the environment. It was about 36 years in service, but in my case, I'd say I was born in it, so to me, it is a good 70years now.

Interviewer: Outside of operations and appointments, what does soldiering truly feel like lived day after day?

Veteran: Soldiering is only a very small part of the service. You join the services not just to hold weapons. You join it as a way of life; you join it as a social system. In our national context, we are only looked upon as someone who is supposed to guard or hold a rifle. But the least understood is a soldier's own character and his knowledge. Irrespective of the rank, from a jawan to an officer of the highest rank, every soldier carries his own ocean of knowledge and experience. He carries skills that go well beyond the battlefield, trained to contribute wherever the nation requires him.

II. The Making of a Commander

Interviewer: Do you recall a point where service ceased to be theoretical and became something you carried personally?

Veteran: To put it academically, training is to give you the basics, but it changes the day you go on the ground. I got commissioned in 1974 and joined my unit in Poonch, J&K¹. On my third or fourth day, at about 12 o'clock, there was a big "boom" in the mountains. My Commanding officer told me, "Go check." Now, I’m a youngster with barely four days of service. When I got there, I realized there had been a fatality. It wasn't a soldier; it was a child. A bomb from the 1971 war² that had been shelled underground was lying there, and the child picked it up. Now that’s the point when your training ceases to serve your conscience. You have to react to a situation that you haven't been trained for. You have to handle the grieving mother, the reaction from the village, and how to act as a first responder in the aftermath of civilian loss.

That moment taught me a lasting lesson: do not play with ammunition, and ensure your men and civilians are protected.

Interviewer: What did command demand from you as a person, beyond rank?

Veteran: In the Army, the command starts the day you join. You hold 30 people's lives in your hand as a platoon commander. You, as an individual, mature overnight. You have to be humane and compassionate, because every decision you take affects people who depend on you. At the same time, you must remain flexible, able to adjust your approach to different situations without compromising operational requirements.

I was fortunate to command the Maharaja of Jaipur’s battalion, Sawai Man Guards, where the men were largely local and the dynamics demanded a very different style of leadership. Later I went on to command another battalion in Operation Vijay³. Now over there, the things were totally different, and yes, I had to adopt a different approach accordingly. The same principle applies when I went on to command a brigade responsible for the entire Uttarakhand–China border⁴. The situations changed, but the responsibility did not.

Contextual Notes and Historical References

¹ Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)

A district located along the Line of Control, historically sensitive due to recurring military engagement between India and Pakistan since 1947.

² Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

A conflict between India and Pakistan that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. Extensive artillery exchanges left unexploded ordnance in certain border regions.

³ Operation Vijay (1999)

The codename for India’s military operations during the Kargil War, aimed at recapturing high-altitude positions in the Kargil sector.

⁴ Uttarakhand–China Border

Refers to the segment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China in the Himalayan region, strategically significant due to ongoing territorial sensitivities.

III. Leadership in Conflict and Crisis

Interviewer: There must have been moments when decisions had to be made with incomplete information. How does uncertainty feel when decisions must still be made?

Veteran: Decisions are made in time and space. Information may or may not be available. In our environment, the first bullet fired is the only "information" you have. You are operating into a void, trying to ensure you cover every aspect. At that point, training, experience, and the men under your command are what carry you through the uncertainty.

Interviewer: Are values taught explicitly, or are they absorbed quietly through such experiences?

Veteran: Yes, experience matters a great deal in shaping a person. After all, one thing you must remember is that the Army draws its people from the same social environment that you and I belong to – civilian life. And from there, an individual is trained to imbibe the values that will make them proud, that will make them stand against all odds with integrity and pride. The training is imparted, but it’s the experience that allows those values to take root.

I’ll give you an incident that explains why experience matters.

I was a Brigade Commander when floods hit the Badrinath–Joshimath region. There was a landslide, and Badrinath was cut off. I was informed that Badrinath had been isolated, and that no one knew how to recover from the situation. I said, “Don’t worry.” There is a JP hydel project at Pipalkoti, north of Joshimath. There is a tunnel that runs from there and emerges south of Joshimath. I said, “Close the water channel and let the people walk through the tunnel.” We rescued eight thousand people. Interviewer: Sir, are there any small, ordinary moments from your time in command that you remember more clearly than the intense ones?

Veteran: There are no ordinary moments in command. Every day becomes a memory.

I have commanded two battalions. I have shared both moments of pride with the men I

commanded, and I have faced casualties with them. But the response, the way people come together in those moments, is tremendous. When you are responsible for the lives of 800 people, and for their families, you become responsible for everything. In many ways, you are the I’ll give you an instance which I’ve never recorded anywhere. Back in 1994, the Army was conducting ex-servicemen’s rallies¹. We were in Jaipur, where the rally was to be inaugurated by the Chief Minister along with the Chief of Army Staff. I was given responsibility for the administration.

This is where civilians often don’t understand. I was asked, “How many ex-servicemen will be coming?” I said, “Thirty thousand.”

But thirty thousand doesn’t just mean attendance. They arrive one day, stay the night, attend the rally the next day, there’s also a recruiting rally, they stay another night, and they leave the day after. And, of course, we are Indians, good Indians, we bring three more people along with us. So, in reality, you are effectively managing close to ninety thousand people, which translates to six meals per person, that’s nearly five lakh meals.

So, when you ask me what command teaches you, this is what it comes down to. As the Commanding Officer, I was responsible for their stay, their accommodation, and everything that went with it.

I had ninety schools under me. And ninety schools meant that day schools simply did not have the facilities to house so many people. Then, once the rally ended, we were instructed to provide packed food, and all the meals had to be distributed within one hour. So, if you work it out - thirty thousand packets in sixty minutes. That’s about five hundred packets a minute.

Five hundred a minute — think of how many counters you need, and how many people to distribute it.

You can imagine the scale. And that is why I say that this organization is so beautiful. It teaches you so much.

Contextual Notes and Historical References

¹ Ex-Servicemen’s Rallies

Large-scale outreach and welfare gatherings organized by the Indian Army to engage with retired personnel, address grievances, and provide administrative and pension-related support.

IV. Lineage, Change, and Counsel to the Future

Interviewer: You come from a family of soldiers through generations. What, in your view, carries across generations without conscious effort, something that runs in the blood?

Veteran: Through generations, you are proud of what you are. Secondly, you tend to belong to an institution that has given you pride and a sense of honor. My grandfather served in World War I¹, including postings in Iraq and East Africa. They did not have the kind of money that we speak of today. When he returned, whether with money or not, he carried a strong sense of pride. My father served in World War II², fought in Burma, and later the 1965 war³. It gave me a sense of heritage. And not just me, my younger brothers followed too. One of them became an IAS officer, and another a CEO, but as I tell myself and everyone else, there is no better job than this service.

Interviewer: What do you think has changed and what has not through generations?

Veteran: The system remains the same; the principles remain the same. What has changed is mental strength and mental mobility. Today’s generation, I’ll put it this way, is a hundred times better than I was, because their environment is better, their knowledge is stronger, and the technology they handle is far more advanced.

I recall an instance from my time as a Deputy GOC when a retired General remarked

nostalgically about his generation of soldiers. I responded then, and I repeat it now for every youngster who hears this: sir, the youngsters of today are better than we were, certainly better than what I was, and I am confident they surpass the standards of earlier generations as well.

During Operation Vijay⁴, I commanded troops and fought alongside youngsters with two to five years of service, and they performed exceptionally well. They are good today, and they will continue to be so.

Interviewer: Are there any stories from your grandfather or father that were passed down to you, family memories that you’ve carried with you and would like to share?

Veteran: I never saw my grandfather. But my father did tell me about him, about his return from Iraq, and about what they went through there.

It was my father that I remember quite vividly. When he joined, in 1947⁵, the country had just been partitioned. He was among the first to serve through a winter of a corps in Gulmarg. Today, you can drive all the way there on a six-lane road. But back then, do you know what they did?

They walked.

Pathankot was the last railway station. From there, they came to Jammu. How they reached Udhampur after that, I do not know — but from there, they walked across. That was the nature of life then.

Interviewer: Sir, if future generations were to listen to this, what understanding of service would you hope they carry forward?

Veteran: For the younger generation, those who wish to join the armed forces — including people your age and younger, the first fundamental thing to remember is that it is not a rosy life. It is a challenging life that demands a great deal from an individual. And also, if you choose to take on a challenge, then accept it fully. There is no bigger challenge than this.

Second, and I say this very clearly, do not think you will not have to study. You will study every year, train every year, attend courses every year, and be assessed continuously. Every promotion involves written examinations. So please do not carry the impression that studies do not play a vital role.

And third, if you want a wholesome, fulfilling, adventurous life — then take it. There is nothing better than this.

Contextual Notes and Historical References

¹ World War I (1914–1918)

A global conflict involving major world powers. Indian soldiers, then part of the British Indian Army, served in multiple theatres including Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) and East Africa.

² World War II (1939–1945)

A global conflict in which over 2.5 million Indian soldiers served, forming one of the largest volunteer forces in history.

³ Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

A military conflict primarily fought in Jammu & Kashmir and along the western front between India and Pakistan.

⁴ Operation Vijay (1999)

The codename for India’s military operations during the Kargil War, aimed at recapturing

⁵ Partition of India (1947)

The division of British India into India and Pakistan at independence, followed by mass

migration and immediate military engagement in Jammu & Kashmir.

The Keystone

Interviewer: Sir, before we conclude, I’d like to invite you to share one story from your service, one that you feel should be carried forward to the younger generation, and whose forgetting would be a loss.

Veteran: This is something I’ve given thought to, because if someone hears it, I want them to remember it.

When you join the armed forces, you must understand that it is a selfless service. You will be called upon to do things which, at times, your own conscience may struggle with. But when the nation requires it, you must do it because the nation has called for it.

Along with that comes integrity beyond doubt, loyalty, selflessness, and, above all, the will to act. The will to act matters.

I’ll share an incident that I believe is worth remembering. It happened on 18 October 2005, and it has stayed with me since.

You see me today you can see me smiling as I sit here. But I must tell you something about why that smile exists.

At the time, I was commanding 9 Independent Mountain Brigade¹ and routinely carried out helicopter reconnaissance across an area stretching three to four hundred kilometers.

I was flying near the Mansarovar route² through Pithoragarh, Dharchula, and Nabi Dhang towards the China border along the Nepal–Uttarakhand axis. The task related to confidence-building measures in the region. Near Kalapani³, the furthest point in Uttarakhand, the engine failed. I heard the pilot say, “Engine failed, engine failed."

In moments like that, life moves very fast. You don’t even have time to blink.

The helicopter crashed. The nearest road head was four days away on foot. Fortunately, a follow-up helicopter was already in the area. They searched, found us, and evacuated me unconscious just before last light, first to Dharchula and then to Pithoragarh.

I was in a coma. And I recovered. I am sitting here today, smiling, not because of what happened but because of what it taught me to endure: the challenge. It comes down to will, the will to fight, to survive, and to live another day. To be here, speaking to you today, is the result of that.

Young people today must understand this: you cannot simply give up. That is not how life works.

This is what must be carried forward: the sense of challenge, and the pride in the willingness to keep learning.

Contextual Notes and Historical References

¹ 9 Independent Mountain Brigade

A formation of the Indian Army typically deployed in high-altitude border sectors, responsible for operational readiness and territorial security.

² Mansarovar Route

A high-altitude pilgrimage and border route in Uttarakhand leading toward Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

³ Kalapani

A high-altitude region in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand near the India–Nepal–China tri-junction, of strategic and geopolitical significance.