Rajendra Singh
Operation Snow Leopard was the name given to the military effort undertaken by the Indian defence forces to counter the sinister moves of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) after the bloody clash in the Galwan Valley in 2020. It was this response that saw the PLA packing up and withdrawing from most of the friction points except two. A lot had happened during those eventful months of 2020-21. Most of it was covered by media in bits and pieces. However, many media speculations came to be seen as gospel truths in the absence of any official version regarding a few vital developments. This book, Leap of the Snow Leopard: Eastern Ladakh 2020-21 (Galwan-Kailash-Depsang), sheds light on key events sequentially.
The book’s prologue, which is the curtain raiser, aptly describes the border issue between India and China and brings the readers to a common level of understanding before unleashing the story. Written in narrative form, the book starts with a very interesting episode that happened in the shadow of Karakoram Pass in 1962. The story runs through the plot, where an unusual concentration of PLA troops in Tibet is seen in the garb of the annual exercise. It describes the deception at the highest level and how it was linked to the Doklam face-off and, more importantly, to the abrogation of Article 35A and dilution of Article 370.
The narration enters the deep gorge of the Galwan River after covering a smaller but bloody clash on the northern bank of the Pangong Tso. The author’s imaginative thought process aptly describes what happens in the war rooms under such circumstances. Having served in that area and possessing a sound knowledge of the terrain obtained in Eastern Ladakh, the author weaves a story that makes one feel physically present amidst the action and discussions.
The strength of the work lies in its 360-degree coverage of the period. Be it developments in faraway lands across the Pacific, in Beijing’s power circles, or in a small, nondescript village in the Chushul area, everything has been covered and made to fit perfectly in the story. The elements reflect human emotions, soldierly dignity, resolve to fight the elements, decision dilemmas, innovative thinking and family ties.
Unlike typical historical fiction, the story carries maps, sketches and a lot of bibliographical citations. The language is free-flowing and easy to understand; the illustrations are apt and add value to the story. The information in its end notes is a fascinating part of the book. Overall, this book offers very rich content in an easy-to-understand style. As the author claims, his aim of bringing out military history in such a form is to encourage the youth of India to read it in a style that appeals to them. Such a narration also helps those who are interested in military history but find too much of military slang and typical military style of writing hard to absorb.
The book is available worldwide in paperback, hardcover, Kindle e-book, and international paperback formats. The paper, binding, and font arrangement are of high quality, and the cover is eye-catching. Overall, it is a value-for-money package.
(The author a Brigadier, is a published author)
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