It was February 1967, four years be fore India played a pivotal role in the Bangladesh liberation war and five years after it suffered miserably during the Chinese aggression. Delhi Cantonment was not as crowded as today and the air was still nippy when two lieutenants of the Indian Army, NK Manchanda and Anju, met at the army hospital. A year later, they tied the knot and 36 years later, they retired as major generals.

From healing injured soldiers and prisoners of war to treating accident victims post retirement, they’ve served the country with their stethoscopes.Major General Anju was the first woman officer to become deputy director of medical services (now renamed MG Met) Central Command and even won a Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM). Major General NK Manchanda, who lives in Bengaluru, spoke to TOI fresh on the heels of completing Anju’s autobiography, `Bold’, which was started by her but finished by Manchanda, his daughter Sonia and son-in-law Girish Raj after Anju passed away. Excerpts from the interview:

You started your careers together. Tell us about the 37 years in service.

While our spectacular career lasted more than 37 years, it was not without challenges. Of all the years we served the country , we spent only about 50% of them together. It was difficult when we had to go to different places. At one point of time, we were separated for five years -she was posted in Rajouri (Jammu & Kashmir), while I was in Hyderabad. But our careers were fulfilling, both in terms of the service we offered and the top positions we reached, which was also very rewarding

Both of you saw two important wars -1971and Kargil in 1999. Can you recollect your experience?

During Kargil, both of us were in Delhi. I was with the army headquarters and she was posted at the Army R&R Hospital, which got all the casualties. During the 1971 war, we were both very young. I had gone through Tripura to Bangladesh as a regimental medical officer, while she was posted in Delhi. But she was the doctor who accompanied Pakistani prisoners of war on a flight and brought back our own. We worked together, rose together and retired together -March 2004 and May 2004 (Anju).

Your service didn’t end with the army. Tell us more…

For one year after retirement, we did nothing. We didn’t want to be separated again. But at the behest of former defence minister George Fernandes, we were requested to serve at Mallya and Vydehi hospitals. I joined Mallya.While I worked only for a year, she continued to work until she passed away. She even did a lot of other things apart from helping the hospital. She was a dedicated doctor, and one of a kind.

Tell us about ‘Bold’ and how the idea of writing an autobiography came to Anju’s mind.

It was her idea, and she had started writing it after we completed service. But she was a doctor first, which meant that her job after retirement became her priority and the book remained incomplete. She said she would finish it only after she quits her job, but she passed away before that.And we couldn’t let such a story, which we hope will inspire many more young women officers in the army, remain untold. ‘Bold’ is not just a mirror of Anju’s illustrious record of selflessness, but also a portrait of the life of honour in the Indian Army.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Bangalore News / TNN / September 27th, 2017