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 • Let me tell you the story of two young officers commissioned in the army of two neighbouring countries in 1964. They both should have retired. One has retired, shed his uniform, fought and won an election -- though it's only to the Delhi Gymkhana. The other has fought an election of sorts to become president of his country. He hasn't quite shed his uniform. Not yet. No prizes for guessing whom we are talking about. My guest this week is Gen J.J. Singh, former chief of the army staff. Obviously you know who else we are talking of -- Gen Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan. He wears his uniform a bit longer than you.

Yes, I think the armed forces are a role model. The three pillars of our strength are professionalism, secularism, and an apolitical approach. I am happy and satisfied to have handed over the baton to my very distinguished successor.

• You don't grudge your counterpart the privilege of deciding when to shed his uniform?

No, I wouldn't want to comment on that (laughs).

• You have this long army tradition of three generations -- grandfather, father, and then you.

We grew up on stories of World War I and World War II. I was born in 1945, the year World War II ended. My grandfather, who fought in World War I, used to tell stories at dinnertime of what he went through in the Mesopotamian campaign. He was a wounded prisoner of war, so he saw very difficult times. My father served from 1943 to 1973. He fought in World War II and used to tell us stories of what he experienced.

• You had no choice (but to be commissioned).

We grew up in cantonments and some of these cantonments were really frontier outposts. Today you go to Jhansi or Babina, it's different. Those days, Babina was a little village and the army remained in the cantonment there. I studied in a missionary school. We grew up on war stories (and movies) -- To Hell and Back, A Bridge Too Far, The Guns of Navarone, Bridge on the River Kwai.

• My children see them, and I'm sure their children will too.

At that time there wasn't much in the corporate world in India. I thought the army was the best career for me.

• Where were you in the 1965 war?

In Nagaland, countering terrorism.

• That was one time the Indian army fought when it was completely outnumbered.

They came with training and equipment from across the border and subjected us to fire. We had to make sure the very thick jungles on the Indo-Myanmar border were not used by them to sneak in. We were able to catch them in a camp. A whole lot of them surrendered in 1967, so that was a great success.

• In the last three years, you were matching wits with your batch-mate of sorts, Gen Musharraf. Tell us what your experience was like with him in Kashmir. How have you seen the picture evolve?

As chief of the Indian Army, one of the finest armies in the world, my focus was on operational readiness, on training for war, on keeping the violence levels low in Kashmir and the northeast. Then there was focus on modernisation and administration. The most important determinant of success in war is the man behind the machine, who was given due attention.

• But have violence levels come down? Has the casualty level come down?

Casualties include civilian figures too. There has been overall improvement in the situation. We have done fair amount of work. Some more has to be done.

• What brought about this change? What did you do different tactically?

I'll give all credit to my predecessors. They continuously worked to ensure that terrorism does not succeed. Our strategy was always evolving. We continued with whatever principles or policies my predecessors had set. I added one more element -- professionalism and a no-nonsense approach as far as tackling terrorism was concerned. I also focussed on the humane face of the army. As a result, we have fewer instances of human rights violations.

• You were caught in three ambushes, isn't it?

They targeted me when I was a brigade commander during the height of operations in 1991 and 1992. I was wounded once. Twice I escaped. I'm grateful to God.

• Tell us about those experiences. I know you will put them down in a novel.

In one case they had laid an elaborate ambush in Baramullah to target four vehicles. Everything was in place but that ambush failed at point-blank range. It was a miraculous escape for us. I think it failed because of two or three things. One was that the commanders failed to signal the opening of fire. Second, they perhaps did not expect me to be leading that convoy that day, which I was doing with my flag and star.

• They thought it could have been a decoy.

Absolutely. And that delay of a fraction of a second gave me time to take cover behind a truck. You will be surprised there was not one casualty. My Qick Reaction Team returned fire. Luckily, we all survived.

• Tell us about when you got hit?

About 27 infiltrators were coming in from practically the same area where the late Col Vasant was martyred.

• The colonel who was recently killed. He's from your regiment, the 9 Maratha Infantry.

The battalion, yes.

• You commanded the same battalion?

I did command that battalion. The group (of infiltrators) was stopped by a brilliant captain of the Gorkhas. His observation post had seen the group of terrorists coming down. We had much less force, but this officer rushed without informing others because he knew every minute was important. He and his twelve men blocked the entry of those terrorists into a big village. If they had got into the village, they could have hidden their weapons and got away. My brigade command happened to be on the other side. I asked people what was happening and the CO said nothing was happening in our area but a captain was pinning down some terrorists. Anyway, I rushed to the scene with whatever men I could gather and we got 27 terrorists. I was hit. For any soldier to shed blood for his country is a great honour. Maharana Pratap, Rana Sangha -- they were all warriors who had battle scars they were proud of. I feel that the wound is the greatest thing I wear on my chest.