By Aayush Sharma

New Delhi [India], April 25 (ANI): Former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane (R), who recently made headlines for his absolute defence of India's territorial integrity along the Line of Actual Control, is back with a new book and this time he is trading battlefield accounts for something altogether more unexpected: the hidden folklore, quirky legends and classified curiosities of India's armed forces.

Titled The Curious and the Classified, Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries, the book peels back the curtain on the lesser-known stories that colour the history of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

Did you know that the popular cheer 'Chak De Phatte' has its roots in the Sikh armies of the 17th and 18th centuries? Or that Badluram, the real soldier behind the beloved foot-tapping number 'Badluram ka Badan', was killed in action in the decisive Battle of Kohima in 1944? The book also explores how the city of Bangalore came to be associated with a weapon regarded as a game-changer during World War I, among dozens of other riveting, often wildly amusing accounts.

Beyond the anecdotes, the book ventures into the enduring legend of Baba Harbhajan, the tragic fate of INS Khukri, the extraordinary world of airmen and their call signs, and the raw, remarkable courage of Pedongi, the military mule. Equal parts accessible, humorous and thought-provoking, it is embellished with warm personal vignettes and quirky illustrations that bring each story vividly to life.

Speaking to ANI, General Naravane said that, unlike his previous fictional work, The Cantonment Conspiracy, this book is completely non-fiction.

'This time I am bringing real-life stories, things that people are genuinely curious about but are largely unaware of. These are the exact real things which a soldier witnesses in his life. These are the stories which people actually want to read and are curious to know about,' he said.

As he said to ANI, 'Everyone is free to interpret everything as per their own conscience; in doing so, they should see what is good in the overall national interest' This book feels like a natural extension of that philosophy, an invitation to understand the armed forces not through controversy, but through their deepest, most human stories.

Meticulously researched yet compulsively readable, The Curious and the Classified is a boots-on-the-ground page turner that shines a warm spotlight on the tenets every soldier lives by: duty, loyalty, comradeship and pride in deep-rooted traditions, which are tested by hard choices and their lasting consequences. (ANI)