Lt Gen KJS ‘Tiny’ Dhillon (Retd) debut book Kitne Ghazi Aaye Kitne Ghazi Gaye wins award

Lt Gen KJS ‘Tiny’ Dhillon (Retd) has won the Crossword Books Award for Best Non-Fiction Book in the popular choice category for his debut book Kitne Ghazi Aaye Kitne Ghazi Gaye.

The award was presented by Bachi Karkaria at an awards ceremony held at The Lalit Mumbai on Sunday.

The book is centred on the elimination of terrorists, especially the leader called Ghazi, involved in the Pulwama terror attack.

Developing on the attack, the book traces Lt Gen Dhillon’s life story in which he recounts fascinating tales about the toughest challenges he has encountered, from age three right up to becoming the Commander of the Chinar Corps, with Kashmir as an inseparable part of this story.

A first-hand account, it also talks about the half-truths and questions regarding the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits, the barbarous attack on an Indian security convoy in Pulwama district, the Balakot air strikes and the abrogation of Article 370 and its impact on the socio-political, economic and law-and-order situation, among other incidents.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Lt Gen KJS Dhillon (Retd) said, “I dedicate this book and award to four of the most beautiful women in my life over four generations; that is when I was only three years old child, my mother fought a wild animal to save her husband  but unfortunately died of the wounds having saved her husband, second is my maternal grandmother who took care of this three-year-old and made me a soldier, third is my wife who married this soldier and raised the family all by herself when most of the time I was in field and the fourth is our daughter and son who always supported me when I was doing my duty at the front’.

He added, “With a prayer on my lips and pride in my heart, I also dedicate this award to the brave Indian soldiers, who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. I also honour all the soldiers and officers with whom I lived for 40 years and they taught me everything in life and fought the enemy and terrorists together.”

He thanked the Crossword for this award and said he would always remain a soldier and not an author.

He also talked about his next book, tentatively titled Wafadari Imandari Zimmedari … War Room to Board Room. His second book is also being published by Penguin Random House India and is likely to come out in 2025.