Born on 8 October 1954, Razdan came from a family with a military background. His grandfather had served with the British Indian Army during the Burma campaign of the Second World War, while his father also served in the Army. From an early age, Razdan was drawn towards physical fitness and long-distance running. His comrades eventually gave him the nickname “Greyhound”, a reflection of his endurance and determination.
He joined the Indian Army and became an officer of 7 PARA, serving with the Parachute Regiment. His career took him to Jammu and Kashmir during one of the most difficult periods of the insurgency.
The operation that changed his life came on 8 October 1994, which also happened to be his 40th birthday.
At the time, then Lieutenant Colonel Razdan was serving in Jammu and Kashmir when information reached the security forces that 14 young women, aged between 14 and 30, had been abducted by terrorists and were being held captive at Damal Kunzipur.
Razdan led a small team of around 20 soldiers towards the location. The approach itself was demanding. His men covered the distance on foot before reaching the building where the hostages were being held.
The objective was clear: bring the women out safely.
The soldiers managed to reach the building and worked to get the hostages out through a kitchen window. But the operation did not end there. A close-range firefight followed, and Razdan was struck by gunfire. The bullets caused devastating injuries to his abdomen and spine.
The wounds left him paralysed below the waist.
For a soldier whose career had been built around physical strength, endurance and the demands of airborne operations, the injury could easily have marked the end of his service.
It did not.
For his courage and leadership during the hostage-rescue operation, Razdan was awarded the Kirti Chakra, one of India's highest peacetime gallantry awards.
But perhaps the more remarkable part of his story came after the award.
Razdan chose to remain in uniform.
He underwent rehabilitation and returned to military service, taking on responsibilities that did not require him to be on the battlefield. Instead of allowing the wheelchair to define what remained of his career, he continued to contribute wherever his experience and leadership were needed.
His career continued to progress, eventually taking him to the rank of Major General. He became the first wheelchair-bound officer in the history of the Indian Army to attain the rank of Major General, a milestone that made his journey exceptional even within an institution filled with stories of courage and perseverance.
He later served at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, continuing his contribution to the Armed Forces at the senior level.
The story of Major General Razdan is particularly significant because of his connection with Kashmir. The Valley was where his courage was tested in the most difficult circumstances and where an operation intended to rescue innocent hostages changed his life forever.
Yet Kashmir did not become the place where his story ended.
It became one of the most important chapters in a much longer story.
The young paratrooper who entered a dangerous building to rescue 14 women eventually became a senior Army officer who continued to serve despite permanent disability. The soldier who once ran long distances as the “Greyhound” had to adapt to a completely different physical reality, but the determination behind that nickname remained.
There is often a tendency to remember military heroes only for the moment in which they performed an act of extraordinary courage. Major General Razdan's life offers a different lesson.
His courage was not limited to the day he rescued the hostages.
It was also visible in everything that followed.
He had to learn to live with a devastating injury. He had to rebuild his career. He had to adapt to responsibilities that were different from those he had originally trained for. And through all of it, he remained committed to the Army.
That is what makes his story so powerful.
On 13 August 2026, Major General Sunil Kumar Razdan passed away, leaving behind a remarkable record of service.
He will be remembered as the paratrooper who fought terrorists in Kashmir, the officer who helped rescue 14 young women from captivity, the recipient of the Kirti Chakra, and the soldier who returned to serve after an injury that left him paralysed.
But perhaps the simplest way to remember him is this:
He was wounded in the service of the nation, but he never allowed the wound to become the end of his service.
Major General Sunil Kumar Razdan, KC, VSM (Retd.)
A paratrooper.
A gallantry awardee.
A survivor.
A leader.
The Honour Post remembers his courage, his resilience and his years of service to the nation. 🇮🇳
Lest We Forget.
