View source for Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair

{{Short description|Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra recipient}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]]
| name          = N J Nair
| honorific_suffix = [[Ashoka Chakra Award|AC]], [[Kirti Chakra|KC]]
| image         = Col_N._J._Nair.jpg
| image_size    = 250px
| birth_date    = 17 February 1951
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1993|12|20|1951|02|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place   = Ernakulam, [[Travancore-Cochin]], now [[Kerala]]
| death_place   = Nagaland
| placeofburial =
| caption       =
| nickname      = NJ
| alma_mater    = [[National Defence Academy (India)|National Defence Academy]]<br>[[Sainik School Kazhakootam]]
| allegiance    = {{flagicon|India}} [[Republic of India]]
| branch        = [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|20px]] [[Indian Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1971–1993
| unit          = 16 [[Maratha Light Infantry]]
| servicenumber = IC-25070K
| rank          = [[File:Colonel of the Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]]
| awards        = [[File:Ashoka Chakra ribbon.svg|40px]] [[Ashoka Chakra]]<br/>[[File:Kirti Chakra ribbon.svg|40px]] [[Kirti Chakra]]
| relations     = [[Kappazhom Raman Pillai]]
| laterwork     =
| battles       = [[Insurgency in Northeast India]]
}}
[[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=978-81-87100-00-3}}</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 2013}}</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. The [[Eden Gardens]] in [[Kolkata]] have a stand named after him.
==Early life and education==
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|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603082156/https://www.mathrubhumi.com/thiruvananthapuram/nagaram/1.2063906|url-status=dead}}</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==
Nair was commissioned into 16 [[Maratha Light Infantry]] on 13 June 1971.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1272 |date=2 September 1972|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1972/O-1321-1972-0036-58882.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He was promoted lieutenant on 13 June 1973 and to captain on 13 June 1977.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1078 |date=15 September 1973|url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1973/O-1286-1973-0037-57302.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> His career in the Indian Army spanned over two decades, during which he had held varied command as well as staff appointments.<ref name=Book /><ref>{{cite news | title=Insurgency will be dealt with an iron fist, says Army Chief | url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/Insurgency-will-be-dealt-with-an-iron-fist-says-Army-Chief/article14722271.ece | date=18 February 2007 | newspaper=The Hindu | accessdate=15 November 2018 }}</ref>
He served in the [[Indian Military Training Team|IMTRAT]] in [[Bhutan]]. He also served as an instructor at the Army Intelligence school in Pune.
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. 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==
*[[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra]]
*[[Kirti Chakra]]
==See also==
*[[Kappazhom Raman Pillai]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Ashoka Chakra award recipients}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nair, N J}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Indian military personnel killed in action]]
[[Category:1993 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Thiruvananthapuram]]
[[Category:Sainik School alumni]]
[[Category:National Defence Academy (India) alumni]]
[[Category:Ashoka Chakra]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kirti Chakra]]