NewZNew (Chandigarh) : The Hawk Hunters, revisits the eighteenth century, a period that leaves much to look up to and a lot more to be learnt from. “I came to learn the history of Banda Singh Bahadur three decades ago and was thoroughly gripped but the constraints of work took over and it was only a year ago that I got down to writing,” shares Maj-Gen (retd) Pushpendra Singh about the book that has been in the making for 30 years now.

The book narrates the valour of the Sikh military commander. “There is evidence and material as to everything (the battles he fought, time zones, places) except his military strategies.” He adds, “When he was commanded by Guru Gobind Singh to go and liberate Punjab from the tyranny of the Mughal ruler, he set out with a handful of soldiers and the way he went about conquering and leading the struggle is one of the biggest military feat in the world by any stretch of imagination.”

Given the limited resources and manpower, it couldn’t have been possible without the military strategy. Which is what he set out to analyse from history and recorded facts. “And to make it interesting for ladies, there is a romance angle too involving a Sikh solider,” shares the author having already written The Magic Degh, Sikh stories for children.

Despite the recorded dates, events, material evidence, history leaves much to be desired. For instance, the narratives. He shares, “The historical facts are accurate, the only creative liberty is in terms of description of battlefield, courtroom scene and the like.” Dealing with history brings its own share of struggle and equally commanding rewards. “Fifteen years ago, I visited all the places where the battles took place, went there and took detailed notes from a sheer military point of view.” He adds, “All the facts and events conform to history and especially keeping in mind three crucial parameters: The place where the battles were fought, the outcome of the battles and how the terrain affected the battles and their outcome.”