Hi Friends,
Dragonfire is a novel based in 2007. It means it is a futuristic novel. But as the name of the novel suggests, this is not a science or technology fiction, but in this novel a nuclear war between India and China takes place. Dragon and China ? these two names are generally used in same context, or so it seems, these two terms are kind of synonymous to each other.
However, before we have a look at the story let me make you a little familiar with the author.
People who regularly audience the BBC TV news and radio must be familiar with this name. Humphrey Hawksley?s face and voice are known to millions through his broadcasts on BBC. Author is backed by a deep knowledge of his subject. From 1986 to 1997 be worked in Asia, covering conflicts from Sri Lanka to Pacific.
He is also the co-author of Dragon Strike ? The Millennium War. The novel we are discussing is an extension, or so to say, a sequel of that novel.
But you not need to necessarily read the prequel to understand this novel, it is self-sufficient. Though for a better understanding of the problems of the Indian sub-continent, it is suggested that you read the prequel.
Now, let?s have a look at the story.
Very interesting actually.
It starts from Special Frontier Force (SFF) of Tibet. Formed and supported by India for the independence of Tibet, SFF has long been abandoned by India. India ceases to support the SFF.
A religious leader of Tibet named Lama Togen, just like Dalai Lama, is imprisoned in Drapchi prison of Tibet. SFF people steal a helicopter and some guns from Dehradoon base, paint it in Chinese Army colour with all the necessary signs and all. Then in a very daring operation that causes heavy casualties they free Lama Togen from Drapchi prison.
Chinese are of course very angry at this daring thing done by SFF. Now, as we are all aware of China, they seek revenge from India because they think that India army intentionally supports the SFF and gave them the necessary apparatus for the operation.
On the other hand, India is having a conflict going on with Pakistan in Drass and Kargil sector. At that time, General Hamid Khan, declared martial law and takes over the government in Pakistan.
Khan goes for Chinese support and Chinese provide him with some neutron bombs, which can be used for a controlled nuclear attack in a tactical battlefield operations with the use of fighter jets.
Then General Hamid Khan contacts Indian PM Hari Dixit and calls for cease fire. But India PM asks that Pakistani troops move behind the LOC. Khan denies to respect the LOC and there is no chance of a cease fire. Instead terrorist groups in Kashmir valley blast off a helicopter thus murdering Indian home minister. They attacked using stinger missiles provided by Pakistani army.
Dixit cannot take it any longer. He orders the tank regiment to move forward in Rajasthan. They follow the commands and soon they penetrated as far as Lahore.
Khan senses defeat and uses his neutron bombs provided by china. Those bombs cause heavy casualty and the tank regiment faces annihilation with all men dead and until they were given air support form air-force, all the men were dead.
Dixit is contacted by president of USA and prime minister of UK. He refuses to take the calls, and the European countries and USA feel that a nuclear war in the sub-continent is about to start, now that the Pakistan have struck first. Khan argues that nuclear attack was used in self defense and on Pakistani soil, that he had no other option.
The India reply attacks were very calculated, not a single nuclear bomb was used and still 23 air bases of Pakistan were destroyed or sieged. UK helped India in the attack and when Hamid Khan was defeated he went underground. While all these things were happening things were pretty rough in Drass and Kargil and finally the Siachen glacier. With the defeat of Pakistan everything cooled and Dixit became a hero.
While these things were happening, China used the opportunities because Indian troops were already fighting on Pakistan front. The cut off seven Indian states. But internal trouble in Taiwan causes Chinese troops to concentrate there because Taiwan also decided to wet his beak and declared independence. While these things happened Indian air-force cuts off the supplies to Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese troops were trapped.
Chinese now mobilized there navy. They send their navy ships and nuclear submarines in Indian ocean and bay of Bengal. One of the Chinese ships is destroyed by British and New Zealand forces. China is outraged. They threaten to strike India with nuclear weapons. That time USA navy ships come into the India ocean to counter Chinese because Indian ones are not enough.
Chinese finally decide that time to strike India has come, now it is just a matter of time when to strike. The operation Dragon Fire is started.
US President tries to stop the war. He fears the nuclear war and comes to India?s rescue. He says if china starts a nuclear war then USA will not hesitate to help India in every way it can.
He talks to Russian president Vladimir Gorbachev. He wants Russia to intermediate and talk Chinese people out of this tense situation that they have created. US President says that China better surrender because in the case they strike India with nuclear weapons there might not be any China left to surrender. Russia reacts very strangely.
Russia says that in case USA attacks China with nuclear weapons Russia will not hesitate to strike the European countries with nuclear strikes.
They say that this matter is between the two countries and let them handle it, better stay out of this India-China mess.
The world is not staged perfectly for a nuclear war, third world war.
Finally when people are trying to solve the problem by dialogue, Chinese attack India. They strike Mumbai with nuclear bomb and the whole Mumbai is destroyed.
Dixit, in Delhi, know that they have lost the war. He orders the Prithvi missiles to be mobilized and three of them with nuclear war heads be launched on China.
In the mean time they come to know that a second missile by China is already fired on Delhi.
Dixit accepts to die, than to go to a bunker. Prithvi missiles are fired and China faces a lot of losses of man power and wealth.
But nothing of that is fatal because the missiles were not targeted at the populated areas but at military areas. But Delhi is destroyed. Dixit and all his cabinet die in Delhi in the nuclear strikes.
Finally, the war is ended, China won and India lost the war. Both sides suffered heavy casualties and loss of wealth but China can face that loss. India unfortunately, can not. China is now recognized as an international super-power, which was always their dream. All the international community condemns China but as we are all aware of the fact they don?t give it a damn.
A new India cabinet is quickly sworn in and India capital is temporarily shifted to Kolkata.
International community helps to rebuild India, the reconstruction and cleaning of radiations and all such stuff is started as soon as an agreement with China is signed on Tibet.
Power balance of the whole world is finally changed.
It is a very gripping novel and a realistic one at that, of the next war. Written by a person who has command over his subject, this is a very thought provoking novel and it raises certain questions in your mind. It is written in a thriller style, a page turning novel.
Highly recommended. Very interesting.
Mr. Gautam
