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{{Short description|Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra recipient}} | {{Short description|Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra recipient}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=November | {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=November | {{Use Indian English|date=November 2022}} | ||
{{Infobox military person | {{Infobox military person | ||
| honorific_prefix = [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] | | honorific_prefix = [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] | ||
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| birth_date = 17 February 1951 | | birth_date = 17 February 1951 | ||
| death_date = {{death date and age|1993|12|20|1951|02|17|df=yes}} | | death_date = {{death date and age|1993|12|20|1951|02|17|df=yes}} | ||
| birth_place = Ernakulam, Kerala | | birth_place = Ernakulam, [[Travancore-Cochin]], now [[Kerala]] | ||
| death_place = Nagaland | | death_place = Nagaland | ||
| placeofburial = | | placeofburial = | ||
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}} | }} | ||
[[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] '''Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair''', [[Ashoka Chakra Award|AC]], [[Kirti Chakra|KC]] '''(popularly known as "NJ")''' was a highly decorated officer of the [[Indian Army]]. On 20 December 1993, while heading an advance party of the battalion, his convoy was ambushed by Naga rebels. Nair personally led the attack to break the ambush and sacrificed his life defending his men. For this act of valour, he was conferred the [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra]].<ref name="Book">{{cite book |last=Reddy |first=Kittu|title=Bravest of the Brave (Heroes of [[Indian Army]]) |publisher=Ocean book Publisher|year=2007|pages=102–105|chapter=Chapter 6: Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair|isbn=81-87100-00-1}}</ref><ref name="TheHindu">{{cite news|title=Souvenir on war hero released |url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/18/stories/2007021811950300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227032112/http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/18/stories/2007021811950300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 December 2011|author=Staff Reporter|location=Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram|date=18 February 2007|work=[[The Hindu]] |accessdate=15 September | [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] '''Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair''', [[Ashoka Chakra Award|AC]], [[Kirti Chakra|KC]] '''(popularly known as "NJ")''' was a highly decorated officer of the [[Indian Army]]. On 20 December 1993, while heading an advance party of the battalion, his convoy was ambushed by Naga rebels. Nair personally led the attack to break the ambush and sacrificed his life defending his men. For this act of valour, he was conferred the [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra]].<ref name="Book">{{cite book |last=Reddy |first=Kittu|title=Bravest of the Brave (Heroes of [[Indian Army]]) |publisher=Ocean book Publisher|year=2007|pages=102–105|chapter=Chapter 6: Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair|isbn=81-87100-00-1}}</ref><ref name="TheHindu">{{cite news|title=Souvenir on war hero released |url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/18/stories/2007021811950300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227032112/http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/18/stories/2007021811950300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 December 2011|author=Staff Reporter|location=Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram|date=18 February 2007|work=[[The Hindu]] |accessdate=15 September 2022}}</ref><ref>Superhero Comic book on NC Nair http://www.indianexpress.com/news/remembering-super-men/499540/0</ref> | ||
Technically Nair is the most decorated officer of the Indian Army, as the only serviceman to have been awarded both the highest ([[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra]]) and second highest ([[Kirti Chakra]]) awards for gallantry. | Technically Nair is the most decorated officer of the Indian Army, as the only serviceman to have been awarded both the highest ([[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra]]) and second highest ([[Kirti Chakra]]) awards for gallantry. | ||
==Early life and education== | ==Early life and education== | ||
He was born to R. Neelakantan Nair and P.Saraswathy Amma on 17 Feb 1951 at Ernakulam, Kerala.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=As a reminder of his courage. Col N.J Nair|url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/thiruvananthapuram/nagaram/1.2063906|access-date=2020-06-03|website=Mathrubhumi|language=en}}</ref> Nair was an alumnus of [[Sainik School, Kazhakootam]], Kerala.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sainikschooltvm.org/html/halloffame_details.htm |title=New Page 1<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=15 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303120126/http://www.sainikschooltvm.org/html/halloffame_details.htm |archive-date=3 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He then joined the [[National Defence Academy (India)|National Defence Academy]], [[Pune]] as part of the 38th course. He was a member of the 'I' Squadron.<ref>[http://nda.nic.in/html/nda-martyrs.html National Defence Academy, NDA Pune | NDA Martyrs<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929182428/http://nda.nic.in/html/nda-martyrs.html |date=2011-09-29 }}</ref> He attended the [[Defence Services Staff College]] in [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]]. | He was born to R. Neelakantan Nair and P.Saraswathy Amma on 17 Feb 1951 at Ernakulam, then in [[Travancore-Cochin]], now [[Kerala]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=As a reminder of his courage. Col N.J Nair|url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/thiruvananthapuram/nagaram/1.2063906|access-date=2020-06-03|website=Mathrubhumi|language=en}}</ref> He was a descendant of the former Dewan Peshkar of [[Travancore]], [[Kappazhom Raman Pillai]]. Nair was an alumnus of [[Sainik School, Kazhakootam]], Kerala.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sainikschooltvm.org/html/halloffame_details.htm |title=New Page 1<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=15 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303120126/http://www.sainikschooltvm.org/html/halloffame_details.htm |archive-date=3 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He then joined the [[National Defence Academy (India)|National Defence Academy]], [[Pune]] as part of the 38th course. He was a member of the 'I' Squadron.<ref>[http://nda.nic.in/html/nda-martyrs.html National Defence Academy, NDA Pune | NDA Martyrs<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929182428/http://nda.nic.in/html/nda-martyrs.html |date=2011-09-29 }}</ref> He attended the [[Defence Services Staff College]] in [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]]. | ||
==Military career== | ==Military career== | ||
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In 1983, in [[Mizoram]], Nair engaged the insurgents in [[Close-quarters combat]] for which he was awarded the [[Kirti Chakra]] in recognition of his exceptional gallantry. He was promoted substantive major on 13 June 1984,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1767 |date=27 October 1984|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1984/O-0835-1984-0043-36669.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and was promoted lieutenant-colonel (by selection) on 1 January 1992.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1818 |date=2 October 1993|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1993/O-0410-1993-0040-16531.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> | In 1983, in [[Mizoram]], Nair engaged the insurgents in [[Close-quarters combat]] for which he was awarded the [[Kirti Chakra]] in recognition of his exceptional gallantry. He was promoted substantive major on 13 June 1984,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1767 |date=27 October 1984|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1984/O-0835-1984-0043-36669.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and was promoted lieutenant-colonel (by selection) on 1 January 1992.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1818 |date=2 October 1993|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1993/O-0410-1993-0040-16531.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> | ||
In 1993, his unit, the 16th battalion the [[Maratha Light Infantry]] was deployed in [[Nagaland]]. In December 1993, he was leading an advance party convoy in Nagaland, when they were ambushed by about one hundred insurgents. The overwhelming fire from automatic weapons killed one junior commissioned officer and 13 jawans on the spot. Col Nair, who was seriously injured, did not lose his courage. | In 1993, his unit, the 16th battalion the [[Maratha Light Infantry]] was deployed in [[Nagaland]]. In December 1993, he was leading an advance party convoy in Nagaland, when they were ambushed by about one hundred insurgents. The overwhelming fire from automatic weapons killed one junior commissioned officer and 13 jawans on the spot. Col Nair, who was seriously injured, did not lose his courage. mindful 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 gallantry he was awarded the [[Ashoka Chakra]] posthumously in 1994.<ref name=TheHindu /><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/HEROISM/Nair.html |title=Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=15 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091128124902/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/HEROISM/Nair.html |archive-date=28 November 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
==Major decorations== | ==Major decorations== | ||