Honour, duty & service: The unyielding spirit of Maj Gen Anant Pathania

Born on May 25, 1913, at a quiet village of Rey in Kangra district, Pathania came from a lineage steeped in military valour. His father, Lt Col Raghubir Singh Pathania, was martyred in World War I, while his grandfather, Major General Sardar Bahadur Nihal Singh, earned the prestigious Order of British India. It was no surprise then that Anant Singh followed the family’s proud martial tradition, being commissioned into the Sikh 13 frontier forces (59th Scinde).

His early years in uniform were marked by grit and gallantry. Sent to Waziristan soon after his commissioning, he was later deployed to the North African front during World War II. At the fierce Battle of Keren in 1941, he displayed exemplary leadership under fire — even after being wounded in the face and legs, he led a bayonet charge that turned the tide. For his valour, he was awarded the Military Cross, a rare honour for an Indian officer at the time.

After World War II, Pathania continued to break barriers. He became the first Indian Brigade Major in Burma and later led the Regular Commission Selection Board as Deputy President, superseding hundreds of Indian and British officers.

Post-Independence, he took command of the 1/5 Gorkha Rifles, becoming its first Indian commanding officer. His leadership reached legendary status during the 1948 Jammu and Kashmir operations, when his unit captured a strategic enemy position near Pindras gorge under withering fire. The peak they seized was later named “Anant Hill” — a lasting tribute to his bravery. For this action, he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India’s second-highest gallantry award.

Brigadier Pathania went on to serve as Director General of Military Intelligence, commanded a brigade and later as Director General of the NCC, instilling discipline and nationalism among the youth. Rising to the rank of Major General he later commanded as GOC 19th Infantry Division.

Until his last days, Pathania urged young Indians to serve in what he called “the world’s best fighting force.” His wife, Uma Devi, herself from a distinguished military family had once summed up their legacy with quiet pride: “Our nine generations have served as guardians of the nation.”

The Indian Army lost one of its finest sons Major General Anant Singh Pathania (retd), a decorated World War II hero and the first Indian officer to command the Gorkha Rifles, who passed away at his home in Dharamsala at the age of 95. A soldier to the core, Pathania’s name remains etched in military history as a symbol of courage, leadership and unyielding patriotism.

Major General Anant Singh Pathania’s life was not just a chronicle of battles won, but a saga of duty, honour, and service — the very essence of a soldier to the core. Carrying the family legacy, his elder son Narayan Singh Pathania also joined the Indian Army in his father’s unit and retired as Major General (AVSM, VSM).