Gaurav Sawant is Editor, Strategic Affairs at India Today TV.  He is the author of the much acclaimed ‘Dateline Kargil’, a gritty and gripping first-hand account of the Kargil war which he covered as a journalist. We talk to him about his latest venture “Veer Gatha”- An illustrated book series for children about India’s war heroes.  

Thank you for talking to MyIndMakers. Congratulations about your new children’s book series which was released today on the eve of Republic day. From a gritty war memoir to illustrated books for children! From Dateline Kargil to Veer Gatha. Tell us what prompted this complete change in genre and style of writing?

The aim was to take the stories of unparalleled bravery of our bravest of the brave soldiers to the Gen-next. They know more about film stars and cricketers but not the real heroes who snatched victory against all odds. Writing them with illustrations was the aim of reaching out to kids in the age group of 7-11 years. Children of that age respond most positively to text with illustrations. When they are hooked on to these stories I will write more for senior students. It was a challenge to simplify it for kids. I have tried my best. We made some school children sample the draft and incorporated the changes they suggested. When HRD minister Smriti Irani suggested it should be illustrated stories so that more children would understand and be inspired, that became the aim. She took personal interest in this Veer Gatha project which is creditable.

You were raised in a fauji family. You have often talked about how Army kids are raised differently. For example, their bed time stories are not stories of princes and princesses’ but real stories of courageous men and women who are ready to lay down their lives for their country. Were the bed time stories you heard as a child an inspiration for these stories that you have penned?

My father Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant is a veteran commentator. He has been doing Republic Day parade commentary for the past four decades and read bravery citation of soldiers at Rashtrapati Bhavan for decades. So these were the stories we grew up on. We grew up in a pre 24x 7 cable television era. While putting us to bed, the stories our parents narrated were those of Maj Shaitan Singh and Somnath Sharma. We knew all these battles by heart - including LMG placement even though we may not have understood what it meant at that time. As soldiers our parents would narrate the stories with the same enthusiasm so it was as if we were reliving those scenes in our life. I have tried to do the same with the Veer Gatha series.

Param Vir Chakra, Major Shaitan Singh fought till the very end in the 1962 War. Against overwhelming odds, the Indian defense was able to inflict devastating casualties on the advancing Chinese. But why were the Artillery or the Air Force not able to come to the rescue of 7 and 8 Platoons of The 'C' Company of the 13th Kumaon battalion? Wasn't Daulat beg Oldi operational in 1962?

The IAF has always been miffed about the fact that IAF was not used in 1962 war. They are strongly of the opinion that IAF had air superiority in 1962 and could have overturned the tide of battle in the eastern theatre had they been deployed. The political leadership of the time in its wisdom decided against using air power unfortunately. In Rezang La artillery could not be used because of the two mountain tops between the artillery deployment and the area where artillery fire was needed. This was a great disadvantage to our soldiers. The Chinese on the other hand not only had effective artillery but also mortars and rockets which they carried along on wheel burrows and used it with devastating effect.

Would Amritsar have fallen if the Indian Army had failed in the Khem Karan sector in 1965? Our dash towards Lahore had left Doab unprotected pretty much. Was CQMH Abdul Hamid and his exemplary bravery with an RCL gun detachment single handedly responsible for the downgrade of the feared reputation of the M 48 Patton Tanks?

It could have been catastrophic but for the amazing grit and determination showed by the troops on ground in 1965. Several military commentators have called 1965 a stalemate but fresh analysis of the conflict suggests it was a victory for the Indian army that was recovering from the 1962 debacle in the east, though Rezang La in Ladakh was a story every Indian must know about. Pakistan failed in all its aims in 1965. It lost its famed armour. CQMH Abdul Hamid using the most basic infantry weapon the RCL gun mounted on a jeep - destroyed 7 to 8 tanks (different accounts) in 3 days. This and other operations were devastating for Pakistan. 1971 resulted in total rout for Pakistan in the East, surrender of 93,000 PoWs and birth of Bangladesh.

People hear about Air Aces all the time. Wasn’t Second Lt Arun Khetarpal one of the few Tank Aces India ever produced?

All of 21 years, 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal was a Tiger. In 1971 he charged at the enemy in multiple operations. In the famous last battle, he knew both the tanks alongside him - one commanded by Capt Ahlawat and the other by Maj Malhotra were non-operational due to enemy fire. The Commanding Officer of Poona Horse, the brave Col Hanut Singh had ordered no tanks will withdraw an inch so that the enemy does not think Indians are scared. Arun Khetarpal knew only his tank was operational. He continued to fire at the enemy and destroyed three Pakistani tanks. His own tank was on fire. His superior officer Maj Malhotra told him to withdraw. He said: ‘No sir, my gun is still firing. I will get these bastards.’ And he did. He destroyed one more Pakistani tank before making the supreme sacrifice of his life.

When Brigadier Khetarpal (Arun's father) went to Pakistan in 2001 on a visit, there is a poignant evening that he spends with Brigadier Nasir (the Pakistani Adversary that Arun Khetarpal faced in 1971). Please tell us what Brigadier Nasir had to say to Brigadier Khetarpal

Two decades later the Commandant of the Pakistani tanks Col Nasir recounted that Pakistan lost the tank battle only because of one officer - 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal. Nasir was in the tank opposite Arun Khetarpal and Nasir ran away from battle to save his life. Nasir told Arun Khetarpal's father in a letter that he hid under the tank all day and crept away at night to save his life and said Pak armour attack failed because of 21 year old Arun Khetarpal. When the enemy acknowledges your bravery what can be better than that?

Would you like these books to be adapted into a television series or feature films sometime in future?

I am very glad that the HRD minister Smriti Irani has decided to have these stories translated into many Indian languages for students across the country. It would be great if a movie - that is commercially viable is made. When 300 could be made about the battle for the honour of Greece Leonidas taking on the forces of Persia, Battle of Rezang La and Arun Khetarpal or Manoj Pandey or Vikram Batra would be very inspiring. Radio, TV, digital- it will be great to take these stories to the next generation

Thank you for speaking to MyIndMakers. We wish you all the best for all your future endeavors