Ian Cardozo

Some Lesser Known Facts About Ian Cardozo

• Ian Cardozo is a retired Major General from the Indian Army, who is also the recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Sena Medal. He is known as the first war-disabled officer of the Indian Army to command a battalion and a brigade.

• Ian Cardozo was in school when his father encouraged him to play sports and read stories about the wars. His father wanted him to join the Indian Army, and after completing his schooling, Ian enrolled himself in the National Defense Academy (NDA). He was the first NDA cadet to earn both the silver and gold medals in the academy. After completing the course at NDA, he went to the Indian Military Academy (IMA).

  

• At the age of 20, he was recruited into the army where his battalion, 1/5GR (5 Gorkha Rifles), and at the age of 22, he was sent to Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, near the China border with his battalion. In 1962, at the age of 25, he fought against the Chinese Army.

• After this war, he was 29-years-old when he married Priscilla. From the marriage, they have three sons.

  

• At the age of 34, his battalion was moved from Jammu and Kashmir to Nagaland as tensions began between Pakistan and Bangladesh. His battalion had no artillery support so they decided to move into Bangladesh and attacked the soldiers with kukris, killing about 32 soldiers of a Pakistani company. Around 384 Gorkhas fought against two troops of the Pakistani Army which consisted of 8,000 personnel.

• During the war, the reporters sent out a piece of misleading news that about 3,000 men of the Indian Army had landed on the border. In response to this, some Pakistani officers came forward to surrender to the Indian Army. In response to this, the commanding officer of the battalion said that they cannot accept their surrender and the fight must go on.

  

• It was around this time when Cardozo accidentally stepped on a land mine which critically injured his leg. The medical base was destroyed in the firing and Ian asked his companions to amputate his leg but everyone refused to do so. The condition was so critical that Ian took his kukri and cut off his leg. His unit then managed to capture a Pakistani Army surgeon, Major Mohammad Basheer, who was then asked to operate on Cardozo’s wound to avoid any further consequences.

• After the amputation, Cardozo was asked to step out of the field and get a desk job which he declined and said that he can do better in the field and he would like to train a battalion. The case was taken to the Chief of Army Staff at that time, General Tapishwar Narain Raina. He took Ian Cardozo to Ladakh and after observing his fitness and ability to work, General Raina allowed Ian to take command of a battalion. He again went through the same process when he was asked to take command of a brigade.

• In 2005, Ian Cardozo was appointed as the Chairman of the Rehabilitation Council of India, and he served in the position till 2011.

• At the age of 56, Ian Cardozo retired from the Army as the Chief of Staff of a corps in Assam, and in his early 60s, he became an author with his first book ‘1971: Stories of Grit and Glory From The Indo-Pak War.’

  

• Apart from being a retired Major General and an author, Ian is also a marathon runner, and he participated in the 2019 Mumbai Marathon with 16 other war-disabled army men.

  

• Ian Cardozo is known for his bravery and positive attitude. He follows a motto that he shared with others during an interview, and the motto was-
  

  To do what you love, to love what you do, to never be afraid, and to never give up.”

• Even though Ian Cardozo had served in the Indian Army for so many years, it took him seven years to convince his seniors that he is as efficient as a soldier with two legs. After this, the Indian Army relaxed its regulations and allowed promotions for the soldiers who had been affected by the battle casualties.

• During an interview, Ian Cardozo talked about how during a practice session before raiding a Pakistani post, they were throwing grenades over the wall when one grenade hit the wall and bounced back. He immediately caught the grenade and threw it back to avoid any casualties, the grenade exploded in the air.

• On 15 October 2021, filmmaker Aanand L Rai and Akshay Kumar announced the production of their third movie together Gorkha. The duo is collaborating for the biopic based on the life of Major General Ian Cardozo, to honour his service and sacrifice that helped the country in winning the war. In response to this, Ian Cardozo said-
  

  I feel honored for this story to be told on the 50th anniversary of the 1971 war. It commemorates the courage and sacrifice of the armed forces of India. I look forward to working with Anand and Akshay as they bring this to life. This story reflects the values and spirit of every officer of the Indian Army.”