The Long And Short Of Him

Lt Gen. Zorawar Chand Bakshi stood five foot and five inches tall and was the most decorated Indian general alive until May 25, 2018.

- Kai Friese

He was 97 when he died. Nice numbers at either extreme and though they can’t do him justice, they do express some of the humility and well…grandeur of his rather magical and inspiring career.

In India, he is likely to be best remembered for his role in three wars with Pakistan—in 1948, 1965 and 1971. He was awarded a Vir Chakra for bravery in 1948 and a Mahavir Chakra in 1965 for his involvement in the capture of the strategic Haji Pir pass. In the 1971 war, Zoru’s cool resolve in dealing with the ‘Akhnoor dagger’, a wedge of Pakistan held territory extending into J&K, is an army folktale. “It’s a chicken neck and I’m going to wring it,” he said, before doing just that.