Amidst Global Turmoil

Valley of Words | Shabdavali Military History and Strategy Vertical

By: Lt Gen PJS Pannu, PVSM,AVSM,VSM (Retd)

The year 2025 has been marked by escalating global tensions and conflicts, challenging the notion that this is "not the era of wars." From Russia-Ukraine to Israel- Gaza, then to Iran and Doha, the arc of violence has expanded, impacting regions near and far. India, too, has faced its share of challenges, notably with Operation Sindoor, a significant military response to cross-border terrorism, reflecting the evolving nature of warfare and the need for adaptive strategies.

In this context, the Valley of Words (VoW) festival's Military History and Strategy vertical has provided a crucial platform for discourse and reflection. The annual event in Dehradun, scheduled from October 25 to 27, 2025, aims to weave together narratives of security strategy and military experience, fostering a deeper understanding of contemporary challenges. The year was well spread out for discussions on geo-politics and wars, seeing Indian National Security from a Global stand-point.

Mumbai Symposium: March 2025

On 1st and 2nd March, VoW hosted a symposium under the title Max City VoW Literature festival at Mumbai focusing on the rise of strong and intolerant leaderships worldwide, leading to extreme nationalism and resultant clashes ranging from conventional to hybrid warfare. Experts analysed how such leadership styles have pushed nations into conflicts, emphasizing the importance of understanding these dynamics to formulate effective responses.

Delhi Conference: September 9, 2025 Commemorating 60 Years of 1965 War.

On September 9, in collaboration with the Chintan Research Foundation, VoW organized a conference in Delhi to commemorate 60 years since the 1965 Indo-Pak war. This event, featuring military veterans, strategists, and journalists, offered reflections on the war's lessons and their relevance today. Discussions highlighted the importance of historical insights in shaping current military strategies and policies. Shri Sanjeev Chopra, festival director VoW and Shri

Shishir Priyadarshi, President, Chintan Research Foundation set the tone for discussion while I laid out the historical contours of 1965 War.

The 1965 war was rooted in Pakistan’s unfinished military and political agenda of capturing Kashmir, which it considered should have been an extension of Pakistan in 1947. Pakistan’s military leadership, emboldened by India’s defeat in the 1962 war with China and material support from the west, saw a strategic opportunity. In April 1965, Pakistani forces initiated clashes, limited in scale, in the desolate Rann of Kutch, to gauge Indian response and to distract India from Pakistan’s true objective – “Kashmir” .

Following Gibraltar’s failure of capturing Kashmir with irregular forces, Pakistan launched Operation Grand Slam on 1 September 1965, targeting the strategic town of Akhnoor to cut off Kashmir from the rest of India. In response, India made the critical decision to widen the war beyond Kashmir—launching a bold counter-offensive across the International Border into Punjab, capturing key territory deep inside Pakistan's heartland. This forced UN to broker ceasefire leading to the Tashkent Agreement.

VoW brought war veterans like Lt Gen Kamal Davar and Maj RS (Billy) Bedi, VrC to initiate the proceedings with their chilling personal accounts of the war. Journalists and media personalities like Shekhar Gupta, Sandeep Unnithan and Nitin Gokhale in their curious manner got military experts to delve into wars and connect the dots between 1965 war with the current Military readiness. Veterans Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia, Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma, Lt Gen Raj Shukla and Maj Gen Jagat bir Singh were of the opinion that Pakistan is unlikely to lower animosity against India, rather India should prepare for larger challenges. Air Marshal Anil Chopra covered the Op Sindoor from the IAF perspective. C Raja Mohan and TCA Raghavan gave the geo-strategic challenges that lie ahead. Joined by the Industry, and perspective on readiness Shri Ashok Wadhawan and Maj Gen Roopesh Mehta, ADG Capability Building (Indian Army) gave out the progress being made for the building future war waging capability.

Looking Ahead

The Valley of Words festival continues to serve as a vital forum for discussing military history and strategy, especially in times of global uncertainty. By bringing together veterans, scholars, and authors, the event fosters a comprehensive understanding of past conflicts and emerging challenges, contributing to informed discourse on national and international security.

As the world navigates the complexities of new-age warfare and shifting geopolitical landscapes, platforms like VoW play an essential role in shaping thoughtful and strategic responses to the evolving nature of conflict. From 25-27 Oct this year among many discussions the experienced veterans are going to talk about their experiences through the books written by each.

Featured Authors and Their Contributions

The Dehradun event of Oct will spotlight several distinguished authors whose works delve into various aspects of military history and strategy. I shall have the privilege of moderating the military authors to discuss their books.

Lt Gen Shakti Gurung: His memoir, Breaking the Glass Ceiling, chronicles his journey as the first ethnic Gorkha officer to rise to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Indian Army. The book offers insights into the Gorkha community's contributions, challenges faced within the military hierarchy, and broader regional issues, including India–Nepal relations.

Lt Gen VK Ahluwalia: In his fascinating story ‘A general’s Odyssey – Giving up is not an option’. He takes us through his journey with his pivotable moments in Rajouri, Uri, Kargil, Ladakh and beyond, where every challenge became an opportunity of growth. With compelling anecdotes and insights from legendary leaders, this memoir offers essential lessons in strategy, emotional intelligence and the art of human connection.

Maj Gen Balraj Mehta: Maj Gen Mehta, a Parachute (Special Forces) Regiment officer, believes that leaders are not born - they can be developed by identifying the basic leadership traits and by moulding their character accordingly. In this book he has described eternal leadership principles. With his 35 years of experience in military operations, the book is expected to offer in-depth analyses of strategic challenges and solutions pertinent to contemporary warfare. He also mentions how his experience comes in handy in managing corporate entities at a senior level.

Lt Gen AK Singh: With a distinguished military career, Lt Gen Singh in his book ‘Beyond the battlefield’, has examined an important facet of the military, where spiritually has enabled the Indian military leadership. His insights are likely to widen the perspective about leadership, operational planning, evolving nature of military engagements and management of stress - harnessing human capability in the current geopolitical climate.

Valley of Words has a way to weave words with ideas that contribute to the mosaic of wisdom. It has brought art and literature together. VoW is seen as a powerful instrument in bringing the ‘Thought leadership’ of India together to strengthen India as rising Bharat.

Jai Hind

Lt Gen PJS Pannu, PVSM,AVSM,VSM (Retd)

Head of Military History and Strategy

Valley of Words