Ex-Army Chief shifts focus after memoir row
March 21, 2026: Former Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane has embarked on a new chapter, revealing that he is now fully focused on writing fiction. Speaking at a book-signing event in Pune for his novel The Cantonment Conspiracy, he shared that writing has long been a passion, but he has now decided to dedicate himself entirely to storytelling. The murder mystery revolves around two young officers from the National Defence Academy.
Naravane’s shift comes amid controversy surrounding his unpublished memoir Four Stars of Destiny, which recently sparked a political row. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had cited excerpts from the book in Parliament, drawing objections from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who questioned referencing an unauthenticated and unpublished work. Naravane later clarified that the memoir has not yet been officially released.
Reflecting on his journey, Naravane said he has previously written for military journals and even published short stories, but fiction now takes priority. His debut novel has received a positive response, and he described the transition from soldier to storyteller as both challenging and fulfilling.