Malay Kumar Lahiri | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1934-09-20)20 September 1934 |
| Died | 16 February 1996(1996-02-16) (aged 61) New Delhi, India |
| Other names | Mike Lahiri |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Alma mater | National Defence Academy |
| Occupation(s) | Sportsman and Army Officer |
| Years active | 1954-1992 |
| Employer | Government of India |
| Organization | Indian Army |
| Known for | A footballer who played for India between 1954 and 1961. Post retirement from sports, he excelled in the Indian Army and retired as a Lieutenant General after 38 years of service. |
| Spouse | Krishna Lahiri (1961) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Param Vishisht Seva Medal |
Lieutenant GeneralMalay Kumar Lahiri,PVSM (alsoMoloy Lahiri and fondly calledMike Lahiri in Army circles;[1] 20 September 1934 – 16 February 1996) was anIndian Army General Officer and former Indian association football player.[2] He was part of the Indian teams that competed in the Asia Cup, 1959Merdeka Tournament, 1959 pre Olympic tournament, and1960 Summer Olympics.[2][3]
Malay Lahiri was born in Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh), the fourth child of Ashwini Kumar Lahiri and Narmada Lahiri. Ashwini Lahiri was the Principal ofAnanda Mohan College, Mymensingh and stayed on after partition before moving to Calcutta, West Bengal after his children had already moved. Malay Lahiri's early schooling was in Mymensingh after which he followed his elder brother to Calcutta. His immediate elder sibling was in the NDA and Malay followed him there and became a Gentleman Cadet in what was then called the Joint Services Wing. Incidentally, his youngest brother became a doctor and joined the Army Medical Corps (AMC) and retired as a Lieutenant General also, as Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, with both brothers being serving Lieutenant Generals at the same time.
Lahiri was an officer in theIndian Army[4] and played for Gorkha Brigade and Services in the Durand Tournament andSantosh Trophy.[1][5]
He was commissioned to the Third Battalion of the 3 Gorkha Rifles on 4 December 1954 and was awarded the Silver Medal. The Gold Medal in his Course was awarded to GCBipin Chandra Joshi, laterChief of Army Staff. This 14th Course was a very distinguished one with a lot of officers going on to the rank of Lieutenant General.
After theSino-Indian War of 1962, he was selected to go toFort Bragg, North Carolina to undergo training and then graduated from the US Army Special Warfare School. After successfully completing the Course in Psychological Operations, Counter Insurgency and Special Forces Operations, he came back to India to design and set-up the Commando Wing for the Indian Army at Infantry School, Mhow which was then relocated to Belgaum.
His major assignments in his 38-year career in the Indian Army were:
He was also the President, Gorkha Brigade of the Indian Army and Colonel of the Regiment of 3rd Gorkha Rifles. He was awarded the highest peacetime military award theParam Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) by the President of India in the Republic Day honours of 1992. He retired from Service on 30 September 1992, and died from cancer inNew Delhi, on 16 February 1996, at the age of 61.
| Silver Medal of the XIVth Course Indian Military Academy | |||
| Durand Cup runner-up: 1953 representing NDA | |||
| Durand Cup runner-up: 1958 representing Gorkha Brigade |  | ||
| Asia Cup in Ernakulum representing India | |||
| Merdeka Tournament runner-up:1959[6] |  | ||
| Pre-Olympic tournament in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1959 representing India | |||
| Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) in 1992 for distinguished service in the Indian Army |  |
| Insignia | Rank | Date of Rank |
|---|---|---|
 | 2nd Lieutenant | December 04, 1954 |
 | Lieutenant | |
 | Captain | |
 | Major | |
 | Lieutenant Colonel | |
 | Brigadier | |
 | Major General | |
 | Lieutenant General |
 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Param Vishisht Seva Medal | Samanya Seva Medal 1965 | Raksha Medal 1965 | Sangram Medal | Sanya Seva Medal | 25th Independence Anniversary Medal | 30 Years Long Service Medal | 20 Years Long Service Medal | 9 Years Long Service Medal |
Post his retirement, Mike Lahiri did not wish to take up any assignment. However, he accepted the offer of becoming a member of the monitoring committee overseeing preparations for the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, in addition to other international games till the Atlanta Olympics. During this assignment he was diagnosed with cancer and died a short while later on February 16, 1996.[7]
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