Major General Sunil Kumar Razdan, Kirti Chakra and Vishisht Seva Medal (Retd), of 7 PARA, passed away on 13 August 2026, at the age of 71. His life was an extraordinary story of courage under fire, sacrifice in the line of duty and an unyielding determination to overcome adversity.
Born on 8 October 1954, Maj Gen Razdan came from a distinguished Kashmiri family. His grandfather had served with the British Indian Army during the Burma Campaign of the Second World War, and his father too had served in the Army. The armed forces were therefore not merely a profession in the Razdan family; they were a tradition of service.
From his youth, Razdan was known for his exceptional physical endurance. A keen long-distance runner, he possessed the stamina and determination that would later become hallmarks of his military career. His comrades gave him the affectionate nickname “Greyhound”—a name that would remain associated with his remarkable spirit throughout his life.
The Damal Kunzipur Operation
One of the defining chapters of his life came on 8 October 1994, his 40th birthday. At the time, then Lieutenant Colonel Razdan was serving in Jammu & Kashmir. News reached his unit that nine terrorists had abducted 14 young women, aged between 14 and 30, and were holding them captive at Damal Kunzipur. The situation demanded immediate action.
Razdan set out with a small team of just 20 soldiers. After an arduous 12-hour march, they reached the four-storey house in which the women were being held hostage. Displaying extraordinary tactical courage and leadership, Razdan and his men succeeded in getting the hostages out through a kitchen window. But the operation was far from over. During the fierce exchange of fire that followed, a terrorist fired at Razdan from point-blank range.
The bullets tore through his abdomen and caused devastating damage to his spine. Razdan was left paralysed below the waist. Yet the injury that permanently changed his physical life could not break his spirit. For his conspicuous gallantry and exceptional courage during the operation, he was awarded the Kirti Chakra, one of India’s highest peacetime gallantry awards.
From the Battlefield to a Wheelchair—But Never Away from Duty
For many, such an injury might have marked the end of a military career. For Razdan, it became the beginning of another extraordinary chapter. Despite being paralysed from the waist down, he chose to remain in uniform. He continued his military career with remarkable determination, refusing to allow his disability to define the limits of his service.
Through sheer perseverance, professional competence and an indomitable will, he continued to rise through the ranks. Eventually, he became the first wheelchair-borne officer in the history of the Indian Army to attain the rank of Major General. He subsequently served with distinction at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, demonstrating that leadership, courage and commitment are not diminished by physical limitations.
The soldier who had once been known as the “Greyhound” had lost the use of his legs, but he had not lost his ability to move forward.
A Legacy Beyond the Uniform
Maj Gen Sunil Kumar Razdan’s story is not simply one of battlefield bravery. It is a story of resilience. The bullets that struck him on his 40th birthday altered his life forever. They left him confined to a wheelchair, but they could not confine his ambition, his sense of duty or his commitment to the Army.
His journey from a paratrooper and gallantry awardee to a Major General in a wheelchair stands as a powerful reminder that courage is not merely the absence of fear or injury. It is the determination to continue one’s journey despite them. He belonged to a generation of soldiers for whom duty came before self.
As India remembers Major General Sunil Kumar Razdan, it remembers not only the brave officer who risked his life to rescue 14 young women, but also the extraordinary human being who refused to surrender to the consequences of his sacrifice. The Greyhound may have lost the ability to run, but he never stopped moving forward. Our respectful salute to Major General Sunil Kumar Razdan, Kirti Chakra, VSM (Retd)—a paratrooper, a gallantry awardee, an inspiring soldier and an extraordinary Indian Brave.
May his memory remain an inspiration to generations of soldiers and citizens alike.
