Indian Army Bids Farewell to Gen VN Sharma

• Former Army Chief General VN Sharma passed away in New Delhi at the age of 97.
• His last rites were conducted with full military honours at Brar Square Crematorium.
• Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth and former Army Chief General VK Singh paid tributes.
• General Sharma served as Chief of the Army Staff from April 1988 to June 1990.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 1st Aug: The Indian Army on Saturday bid farewell to former Chief of the Army Staff General Vishwa Nath Sharma, who was cremated with full military honours at Brar Square Crematorium in New Delhi.

General Sharma, a distinguished military veteran and former Army Chief, passed away in New Delhi on Friday morning at the age of 97.

Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, on behalf of all ranks of the Indian Army, laid a wreath and offered condolences to the bereaved family.

General VK Singh (Retired), Governor of Mizoram and former Chief of the Army Staff, also laid a wreath and attended the funeral.

The solemn ceremony was attended by a former Chief of Defence Staff, former Army Chiefs, the Chief of the Air Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff, serving and retired senior military officers, veterans and members of General Sharma’s family.

Distinguished Military Career

Born in London on June 4, 1930, General Sharma was the younger brother of Major Somnath Sharma, India’s first Param Vir Chakra recipient, and Lt Gen Surendra Nath Sharma, former Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

General Sharma joined the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, as part of the 5th Regular Course and was commissioned into 16 Light Cavalry on June 4, 1950.

He joined 66 Armoured Regiment as its Second-in-Command when it was raised in September 1966 and took command of the regiment in June 1968.

During his military career, General Sharma held several key command and staff appointments, including Director General of Military Operations at Army Headquarters and Commandant of the College of Combat, now known as the Army War College, Mhow.

He commanded a Mountain Brigade in Mizoram, an Armoured Brigade in Jaipur, a Mountain Division in Sikkim, a Corps in Mizoram and the Eastern Command in Kolkata.

General Sharma served as Chief of the Army Staff from April 30, 1988, to June 30, 1990. He was decorated with several honours during his military career, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

Four Decades of Service After Retirement
Following his retirement, General Sharma continued his public service by working for underprivileged communities through a free tuberculosis clinic in Himachal Pradesh.

According to the Defence Ministry, he spent four decades supporting the initiative, travelling by ambulance to remote villages and at times trekking with medical teams to high-altitude settlements to provide healthcare to communities with limited medical access.

The Indian Army said General Sharma’s distinguished service, courage and dedication to the nation would continue to inspire generations of soldiers.