Introduction
Project
Udbhav which means evolution, is a significant collaboration between the Indian
Army and the United Service Institution of India (USI), India’s oldest think
tank which was established in 1870. The project is a study into the evolution
of Indian strategic thought, military systems, strategy, operational art with
an aim of developing a vocabulary rooted in India’s ancient texts and rich
military heritage.
After
months of ground work, the Project was formally launched during the USI held inaugural
Military Heritage Festival on 21 October 2023 by the Defence Minister, Shri
Rajnath Singh, in the presence of General Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army Staff,
Air Marshal VR Chaudhari, the Chief of the Indian Air Force, Vice Admiral SJ
Singh, the then Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Lieutenant General JP Matthews, the
Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee(CISC)
and Major General BK Sharma (Retd), Director General of the USI, in the
presence of senior serving armed forces personnel, veterans and scholars.
Revisiting India’s Ancient Military Thoughts
Speaking at the inaugural event Lieutenant General Tarun
Kumar Aich, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) highlighted that Project
Udbhav, is an endeavour to revisit the roots of India's ancient military thoughts.
He stated that the essence of the Project lay in synthesising the timeless
wisdom of the past with contemporary military practices, thereby, crafting a
comprehensive approach to address modern security challenges.
He saw it as a visionary initiative
aimed at integrating age-old wisdom into the modern military pedagogy. He said
the legacy was characterised by a profound reverence for knowledge which was
evident in the vast repository of intellectual texts and scholarship across
diverse domains. He also mentioned that the groundwork for Project Udbhav had
been laid through previous research initiatives by the Indian Army such as
compilation of the 75 Stratagems by the Army Training Command and a study on
the linkages between Indian culture and strategic thinking by the College of
Defence Management.
Major Events
The Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies at the USI,
headed by Squadron Leader Rana Chinna (Retd) assisted very ably by Dr Archana
Tyagi, visualised, conceptualised and conducted the events with the guidance
and support of the Indian Army.
These events included workshops,
seminars, discussions and research papers. The first being the workshop ‘Thematic
Commonalities in Hellenic and Indo - Aryan Mythic, Epic and other Narrative Material’
which had scholars such as Dr Adil Rasheed, Prof Vasileious
Syros and Colonel PK Gautam (Retd) and Dr Saurabh Mishra amongst others
participating.
Thereafter, there was a panel
discussion on ‘Evolution of Indian Military Systems, Warfighting & Strategic
Thought: Current Research in the Field and Way Forward’ which had Lieutenant
General Raju Baijal, Lieutenant General VG Khandare (Retd), Brigadier Gaurav
Sharma and Colonel Saikat Bose, Colonel S Ravi Prakash and Dr Kajari Kamal; a
diverse set of experts giving out their views.
In his opening remarks, Maj Gen BK Sharma had highlighted the importance
of harnessing traditional thought on warcraft in contemporary operational environments.
The discussion during the Indian
Miliary Heritage Festival moderated by Dr Deepshika Shahi had panellists such
Brigadier Nick Sawyer the British Defence Attache to India, who had studied
Kautilyan strategies while attending the National Defence College, Prof
Vasileious Syros who said that project extended beyond academic enquiry and has
broader implication for India’s strategic culture, Colonel Vivek Chadha (Retd) who discussed the Mahabharata and said it stands amongst the foundational
texts for understanding India’s strategic thought. Colonel PK Gautam, a highly
respected scholar on ancient Indian texts, said the annals of India’s antiquity
are ripe with wisdom of global relevance. Whereas, Rohit Kumar focused on the
Panchatantra and how its teachings are relevant to understand the challenges in
the contemporary era.
The findings on a paper on Kautilya’s
Arthashastra ‘Kamandaka’s Nitishastra and the Kural by Thiruvalluvar’ had
Brigadier Manoj Kharkwal stating that heritage and culture is essential for
comprehension, framing and application of strategy and that documents as these
were fertile grounds for extracting inputs for a broad spectrum of state
priorities including defence, diplomacy and economy.
There was also a talk by Dr Kajari
Kamal who while discussing the Arthashastra, said doubts are raised on India’s
strategic culture, its precise principles and the extent of its roots due to
the continued dearth of dedicated works that clearly trace its historical
ideational legacy.
The panel discussion on ‘Ancient Indian Traditions on
Military Ethics and Culture’ held at the National Museum saw a packed house. It
was moderated by Major General Jagatbir Singh (Retd), who stated that human
beings have been fighting each other since prehistoric times, and people have
been discussing the rights and wrongs of it for almost as long. The question that
needed to be asked concerned the ethics as protagonists describe it as a ’Just War’
but are the means always ethical and are wars more ‘Justified’ than ‘Just’ and
this is in context to India’s two ongoing conflicts. Amongst the distinguished
speakers were Dr Kajari Kamal, Professor Mala Sinha, KS Nair and Wing Commander
UC Jha (Retd). Multiple issues were
raised and very pertinent questions were posed by the informed audience.
Historical Patterns of Indian Strategic Culture
As part of
Project Udbhav, a seminar-cum-exhibition on ‘Historical Patterns of Indian
Strategic Culture’ was held at the National Museum in New Delhi on 21 May 2024.
Apart from the inauguration of the Exhibition there was the release of the ‘Udbhav
Compendium’ and a book ‘Alha Udal- Ballad Rendition of Western Uttar Pradesh’.
This was followed by Panel Discussion on ‘Ancient Indian Traditions on Military
Ethics and Culture’.
The
Event was graced by Shri Ajay Bhatt, Raksha Rajya Mantri, as the chief guest,
who commended the Indian Army and the USI for their efforts in exploring the
country’s ancient texts and oral traditions to unearth invaluable insights into
its strategic culture.
The Raksha Rajya
Mantri while speaking on the occasion said that the geopolitical landscape is
ever-evolving, and it is imperative for the armed forces to be adaptive and
innovative in their approach. He underlined the importance of recognising the
strength of the nation’s defence which lies not only in its military might but
also in the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and leverage the
cultural heritage as a source of power.
He
described initiatives like Project Udbhav as a guiding light for a future where
India is self-reliant, and deeply rooted in its cultural heritage. He also emphasised, that the
spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) is not limited to
merely production and consumption of Indian goods, but also to make sincere
endeavours to imbibe the essence of Indian thought and values in the current
actions and decisions.
Speaking
on the occasion, General Manoj Pande said Project Udbhav has revealed
substantial intellectual convergences between eminent Indian and Western
scholars, highlighting the resonance between their thoughts, philosophies and
perspectives. He added that the endeavour has catalysed exploration into new
areas by unveiling India’s tribal traditions, the Maratha Naval legacy, and the
individual heroic exploits of military figures, particularly women.
General Pande
also stated, “The Project has delved deep into ancient texts such as Vedas,
Puranas, Upanishads and Arthashastra, which are rooted in inter-connectedness,
righteousness and ethical values. Furthermore, it has explored the epic battles
of the Mahabharata and the strategic brilliance practiced during the reigns of
Mauryas, Guptas and Marathas, which has shaped India’s rich military heritage. The
project aims to promote indigenous discourse in the Army by integrating India's
ancient strategic acumen into contemporary military domain with a focus on
making the force future-ready".
General
Pande further emphasised that such collective efforts broaden the scope of
study of ancient India's defence and governance, enriching the nation's
strategic outlook. The project has fostered civil-military collaboration among
academia, scholars, practitioners, and military experts, strengthening the
whole-of-nation approach. Adding to that, he said, “As
we explore more into our military heritage, we understand that undertaking such
projects remains a continuous endeavour”. He expressed confidence that the
project's findings in the form of 'Udbhav Compendium' shall benefit the Indian
Armed Forces to remain progressive and future-ready, by drawing insights from
the nation's historical military wisdom.
Conclusion
India’s
ancient civilisational treasures contained both in the written and oral forms
have revealed invaluable wisdom for the values, tactics, strategies and
practices of warcraft in particular and statecraft in general. This wisdom has
been found to be extensive not just in its quantum but also its richness and relevance.
The prescriptions contained in these manuscripts and oral renditions are invaluable.
Though they reveal the dynamics of their time, they need to be applied to the
current times as per contextual suitability.
There
is no doubt that there’s a growing interest and new found enthusiasm towards
India’s strategic wisdom on both military and governance issues, the evidence
of which lies in the increasing number of research works by students, academia,
veterans and serving officers. This is also giving a renewed impetus to
deepening civil-military collaborations at the intellectual level.
Project
Udbhav has proven to be a catalyst in this endeavour by encouraging India’s
strategic community to link its past ideals, present discourses and future
visions. There is an undeniable correlation between ancient and modern
strategic cultures which we need to draw upon.
Major General Jagatbir Singh, VSM (Retd) is a Distinguished Fellow at the USI of India. Commissioned in 1981 into the 18 Cavalry, he has held various important command and Staff appointments including command of an Armoured Division.
Article uploaded on 27-05-2024
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the organisation that he belongs to or of the USI of India.