Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair
Encyclopedia
Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair was commissioned into 16 Maratha Light Infantry
on 18 June 1971. In 1993, 16 Maratha Light Infantry was deployed in Nagaland
. On 20 Dec 1993 while heading an advance party of the battalion the convoy was ambushed by Naga rebels. Col NJ Nair displayed indomitable courage in leading the attack personally to break the ambush and sacrificed his life defending his men. For this supreme act of valour he was conferred the 'Ashoka Chakra'.
, Kazhakootam, Kerala and the National Defence Academy, Pune (38 th NDA 'I' Squadron). He served as an Instructor at the Army Intelligence school in Pune. He was also an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington and had served in Bhutan. His career in the Indian Army spanned over two decades, during which he had held varied command and as well as staff appointments.
In 1983, in Mizoram, Col Nair engaged the insurgents in close quarter combat and he was awarded the Kirti Chakra
in recognition of his exceptional gallantry.
In December 1993, he was leading an advance party of convoy in Nagaland, when they were ambushed by about one hundred insurgents. The overwhelming fire from automatic weapons killed 1 Junior Commissioned officer and 13 jawans on the spot. Col Nair who was seriously injured did not lose his courage nor was unnerved. Unmindful of his serious injury, he organised his jawans in an assault line and charged at the insurgents when they broke ranks and fled. For his courage and gallanty he was awarded the Ashoka Chakra
posthumously in 1994.
Maratha Light Infantry
The Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was formed as the 103rd Maharattas in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment of the Army....
on 18 June 1971. In 1993, 16 Maratha Light Infantry was deployed in Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
. On 20 Dec 1993 while heading an advance party of the battalion the convoy was ambushed by Naga rebels. Col NJ Nair displayed indomitable courage in leading the attack personally to break the ambush and sacrificed his life defending his men. For this supreme act of valour he was conferred the 'Ashoka Chakra'.
Biography
He is an alumnus of Sainik SchoolSainik School
The Sainik Schools are a system of schools in India established and managed by the Sainik Schools Society. They were conceived in 1961 by V. K. Krishna Menon, the then Defence Minister of India, to rectify the regional and class imbalance amongst the Officer cadre of the Indian Military, and to...
, Kazhakootam, Kerala and the National Defence Academy, Pune (38 th NDA 'I' Squadron). He served as an Instructor at the Army Intelligence school in Pune. He was also an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington and had served in Bhutan. His career in the Indian Army spanned over two decades, during which he had held varied command and as well as staff appointments.
In 1983, in Mizoram, Col Nair engaged the insurgents in close quarter combat and he was awarded the Kirti Chakra
Kirti Chakra
The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Maha Vir Chakra...
in recognition of his exceptional gallantry.
In December 1993, he was leading an advance party of convoy in Nagaland, when they were ambushed by about one hundred insurgents. The overwhelming fire from automatic weapons killed 1 Junior Commissioned officer and 13 jawans on the spot. Col Nair who was seriously injured did not lose his courage nor was unnerved. Unmindful of his serious injury, he organised his jawans in an assault line and charged at the insurgents when they broke ranks and fled. For his courage and gallanty he was awarded the Ashoka Chakra
Ashoka Chakra
The Ashoka Chakra is depiction of the Buddhist Dharmachakra, represented with 24 spokes. It is so called because it appears on a number of edicts of Ashoka, most prominent among which is the Lion Capital of Sarnath which has been adopted as the National Emblem of the Republic of India.The most...
posthumously in 1994.
Personal life
Col Nair held a Masters degree in Defence studies. He was born to R. Neelakantan Nair and P.Saraswathy Amma on 17 Feb 1951 at Ernakulam, Kerala. He married Mrs. Manju Nair in 1985 and they have a son Shivan.J.Nair, Who is currently an MBA Student at the Prestigious Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi.See also
- Sainik School, KazhakootamSainik School, KazhakootamSainik School Kazhakootam, Thiruvananthapuram situated 18 km away from Trivandrum city on the National Highway 47.The concept of the Sainik School originated in the fertile mind of Late V K Krishna Menon, who was India's first Defence Minister...
- National Defence AcademyNational Defence AcademyNational Defence Academy or National Defense Academy likely refers to:*National Defence Academy *National Defense Academy of JapanIt may also refer to:*Academy of National Defence, Poland...
, Khadakvasla