MM Naravane’s memoir 'Four Stars of Destiny' creates controversy in Parliament: What is the book about, is it banned and why has it disappeared?

Former Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane's memoir 'Four Stars of Destiny' became the centre of a huge ruckus in the Lok Sabha on Sunday after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi sought to quote a magazine article carrying excerpts from the book's typescript. Rahul Gandhi's displayed printed pages from the magazine and cited portions to support his argument, which saw objections from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The BJP questioned whether the material being shown by the Congress leader had been formally published and authenticated.

General M M Naravane's memoir 'Four Stars of Destiny' has been pending for Central Government’s approval for more than a year. In December 2023, a controversy erupted around General Naravane’s 'Four Stars of Destiny' which is facing delays due to the need for clearances. The book was supposed to be released in April 2024, however, it has yet to see the light of day.

The book 'Four Stars of Destiny' has now disappeared from online platforms. Searches on Amazon, Flipkart, and Penguin Random House India’s official website showed that the book was either unavailable or could not be found, hours after Rahul Gandhi displayed a copy in the Lok Sabha and quoted from it.

"The book is available abroad, it's published abroad. The government is not allowing it to be published here," Rahul Gandhi said in Parliament on Wednesday.

'Four Stars of Destiny' controversy

The memoir by General M M Naravane 'Four Stars of Destiny' has been facing delays as the book is said to be undergoing reviews by the Ministry of Defence. While it is standard practice for books by former senior military officials to undergo scrutiny when they contain sensitive material, General Naravane’s book drew controversy for reportedly revealing discussions on issues such as the Agnipath scheme, according to a report in The Print. Naravane served as India’s Chief of Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022 and also led the Galwan clash, the deadly skirmish between India and China. The controversy surrounding General Naravane’s memoir centers on its revelations about sensitive military operations and government policies, which prompted a government-mandated review and delayed its publication. The book is not banned and is awaiting approval from the Defence Ministry.

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According to reports, the book also discusses developments related to Chinese troop movements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) during the 2020 India–China border standoff. General Naravane was the COAS at the time. General Naravane’s autobiography seeks to give readers a peek into the officer’s life and military career, which spanned nearly four decades.

As of today, the book remains in limbo, with no confirmed release date despite initial listings for April-May 2024 on platforms like Amazon, which cancelled pre-orders. The 448-page book, published by Penguin, carries a description that says, "From his fi­rst encounter with the Chinese as a young officer in Sikkim to dealing with them in Galwan when he was Chief, from daily incidents of fi­ring across the LC to implementing a ceasefi­re with Pakistan, General Naravane takes us through his distinguished career spanning over four decades that saw him serve in all corners of the country."

It further adds, "This is a specialist’s take on the things that make our forces unique, particularly those that deal with the planning and conduct of operations—the raison d’être of the Army."

General Naravane's response

Amid the ongoing delay, General M M Naravane (retd) said that his job was to write the book and it was the publisher who had to seek permission from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Gen Naravane made the comment after a session at the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival.

When asked by a guest at the festival why his ‘Four Stars of Destiny” had not seen the light of the day, the former Army Chief said, “My job was to write the book and give it to the publishers. It was the publishers who were to get the permission from the MoD. They gave it (the book) to them. It is under review. It is still under review for more than a year now”.

The General added that the publisher and the MoD are in constant touch with each other. “So it is not for me to follow up. The ball is in the publisher’s and the MoD’s court. But I enjoyed writing the book, for better or for worse. And that’s that. It is for the MoD to give permission as and when they deem fit,” he said.

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Naravane's military thriller ‘The Cantonment Conspiracy’

Naravane has since published fictional works, including the military thriller ‘The Cantonment Conspiracy’ in March 2025. Last year, MM Naravane (retired) unveiled the author copy of his new book, The Cantonment Conspiracy, in an unboxing video. His wife, Veena Naravane, sat with him as he gradually unboxed the parcel and gifted her the first copy.

The video, shared on the former Army Chief's handle on X, shows the couple seated at their home. "Hello and welcome to our home, it is a very important day as I have just received author copies of my book, The Cantonment Conspiracy published by Penguin Randomhouse," he said.

"I will now proceed to open the package and unveil the book," he adds, using scissors to cut open the package. Holding the book up, the former Army chief says, "Here it is, The Cantonment Conspiracy. Finally I am a published author." Ms Naravane congratulates him with a clap. "I present the first copy of my first book to my dear wife," the former Army chief says. His wife responds with a "Thank you."

General Naravane (retired) said the book is available on Amazon. "I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it." The Cantonment Conspiracy is a military thriller novel in which two officers from the National Defence Academy investigate a case of assault and murder in a garrison.