In furtherance of encouraging literary and creative pursuits, a book presentation event was held at South Block, New Delhi, on 29 September 2026, where four authors and an artist presented copies of their publications and artwork to Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth.
Siddhant Kumar, a Class XI student from Tagore International School, New Delhi, presented ‘Guardians in the Gale: The Unsung Breath of Heroes’, a collection of 21 poems celebrating the courage and sacrifice of India’s Armed Forces.
Colonel Maneesh Mishra presented ‘Gurzek: Life, Leadership and the Frozen Front’, a work of military fiction exploring leadership, resilience and command in high-altitude terrain.
Suhail Saeed Lone, an author and filmmaker, presented ‘Breaking the Silence-The Truth of Terror’, a personal reflection on terrorism, its human cost and the enduring pursuit of peace in Jammu & Kashmir.
Colonel Lakshyajeet Singh Chauhan (Retd) presented ‘Wings of Astra: Designing the Future of Indigenous Drone’, offering a practitioner’s perspective on building sovereign and operationally relevant indigenous drone capabilities.
Mr Surjeet Thakur, Headmaster of Government High School, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, and a national-level sketch artist, presented a handmade sketch to the Chief of the Army Staff.
The event brought together literary and creative works covering a range of themes, including the courage and sacrifice of Armed Forces personnel, leadership and resilience in high-altitude terrain, the human cost of terrorism, the pursuit of peace in Jammu & Kashmir and the development of indigenous drone capabilities.
The participation of Siddhant Kumar, a Class XI student, also brought a young literary voice to the event. His collection of poems focuses on the courage and sacrifice of India’s Armed Forces.
Colonel Maneesh Mishra’s military fiction explored leadership, resilience and command in high-altitude terrain, while Suhail Saeed Lone’s work presented a personal reflection on terrorism and its human cost, alongside the enduring pursuit of peace in Jammu & Kashmir.
The publication presented by Colonel Lakshyajeet Singh Chauhan (Retd) focused on indigenous drone capabilities from a practitioner’s perspective, with emphasis on building sovereign and operationally relevant capabilities.
The handmade sketch presented by Mr Surjeet Thakur added a visual art component to the event. Alongside his role as Headmaster of Government High School, Kangra, he is a national-level sketch artist.
General Dhiraj Seth appreciated the literary and creative pursuits showcased during the event. The COAS highlighted the role of such pursuits in fostering a culture of learning and professional excellence.
The event at South Block provided a platform for authors and an artist to present their creative works to the Chief of the Army Staff. The works covered poetry, military fiction, personal reflection, defence technology and visual art.
The presentation also reflected the diverse forms through which themes connected with military service, leadership, courage, sacrifice, resilience, peace and indigenous defence capabilities can be expressed.
The event concluded with appreciation from the COAS for the literary and creative efforts of the participating authors and artist, and recognition of their role in encouraging learning and professional excellence.
