Book Review: "No Commas, No Pauses, No Full Stops" by Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi PVSM, AVSM, VSM

Review of A Personal Mini Account “No Commas; No Pauses; No Full Stops”                                                      By Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi, PVSM, AVSM, VSM.

   A biography written with great modesty & perhaps a more befitting title of the book could have been ‘Anguish, Resilience, Perseverance…Attitude’. General Vijay Oberoi lost a leg on the battlefield at a young age with barely four years of military service. The turbulence that went inside him in the aftermath of the tragic occurrence never got reflected to the outside world – his family values, his education, his training, his military pride made sure that he maintained a cheerful demeanor. He joked, he had fun, he had romance even in the early days of his recovery – the zest was always on display. He was from the Infantry where nearly all your duty is done on your feet. He is from the Maratha Light Infantry that draws its traditions of valour from none other than Chhatrapati Shivaji. So he went on valiantly on his feet for four decades thereafter, doing his duty admirably. Blessed with a sharp intellect & an ability to wield the pen, he made great contribution to the Indian Army in drawing up stratagems. Before the book takes you through the by-lanes of his military career, it gives an interesting account of his ancestral home in Rawalpindi region, his family, his education & early years – and you would notice how it all adds up to his persona. The one thing that you cannot miss is the warm family bonds that the author is so proud of.

   Well, Gen Vijay Oberoi is not the only author of this book. Mrs Daulat Oberoi, hailing from a prominent family of Kolhapur & daughter of a well known General, writes poignantly about her parents who were from different faiths. She gives you a pretty good insight of what a military wife is made of, what she is expected to do & how she copes up to different environs, all of which add up to those intangibles that give an edge to the fighting capability of a battalion, of a regiment, of the Indian Army.

   And if you do miss out on some colourful prose thus far, there is a prolific writer Ms Rashmi Oberoi, the elder of their two daughters, with her “musings” as the dessert. Taste it yourself as I would not like to take away your first-hand fun. But the quote of her distinguished Dad needs to be put down here “disability is never in the limb or an organ, but in the mind”.

  Recommendations: Young officers & not-so-young officers – the account will give you some gems that you will always treasure. Aspiring brides, young military brides, regimental ladies – the love for your heroes will become rock solid & your self esteem will be on Mt Everest. Non-soldiers – you will be fruitfully enlightened of the camaraderie & fighting ethos of the Indian Army. Read this book.