Lt Gen YK Joshi retired as the Army Commander, Northern Command. He was commissioned in and also commanded the 13 JAK RIF Battalion, the Bravest of the Brave, a title given to battalions who have earned two or more Param Vir Chakras.
An officer, who is immensely modest and equally brilliant, he rose in service to the highest levels in the forces. His autobiography, Who Dares Wins: A Soldier’s Memoir, narrates the story of his life and those critical junctures where he either fought the battle himself or was in a leadership position to strategise operations.
The book gives an insight into the United Nations Angola Verification Force, where he was an Observer. The book narrates the story of Peace Keepers being surrounded by the rebels, when a misunderstanding occurred between the opposing forces.
He took over his battalion in between the bursts of gunfire with the battle in Kargil already on. Command of a battalion is always an onerous task, and in battle, it’s a sublime responsibility. He benefitted much from his initial training in the battalion as a young officer.
The book recaptures the bravery of 13 JAK RIF. Capt Vikram Batra and Subedar Sanjay Rana were awarded the Param Vir Chakra. ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ was the success signal that Batra had coined for one of the operations he had led.
The General’s proficiency in Mandarin was a big advantage he leveraged when he was posted at Beijing as DA.? It helped in Eastern Ladakh border meets too, post the Galwan incident.
The book has no hitherto untold revealing stories, or any attempt at sensationalism. It will definitely motivate a large body of youth to join the forces and serve as a record of unbiased observations in a limited sector of operations during the Kargil conflict.
