Ranjit B. Rai (Retd) Livres

The faint hearted do not win wars - in 1971 we 'dared' and our Navy entered the enemy's den to inflict a decisive defeat. With this our countrymen realised the importance for a 'great nation' to have a 'great Navy'. I have more than happy to see the Navy growing ever since, into an even finer fighting force. My Congratulations to Ranjit Rai for finally bringing out this book which is very well written and which I would recommend strongly to all those in Services and Civillian walks of life to whom the call of the sea has some interest and mystery.”Admiral S.M nanda, PVSM, AVSM Chief of Naval Staff during 1971 The book was first published in 1987 and was also the first ever book on Indian Navy's role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war leading to liberation of Bangladesh. The book gives adequate coverage to the Pakistani account of naval war and hence is a very representative book on the event. The edition one of the book has been referenced in most of the articles on the subject and continues to be the debated. This edition has few corrections and graphics but the essence of the content has been preserved.

On December 30, 1999, the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government took an unprecedented step of sacking it's temperamental but bright navy chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat for 'defiance of civilian authority'. This is an impartial account of the incident which shows that the swords were drawn against him much before he became the naval chief and the legal battles he fought to gain his rightful place. It also recounts the events leading to the withdrawal of the President's pleasure in respect of the Chief of the Naval Staff - the constitutional and legal norms which should have been duly followed.