Major General Mohd Amin Naik is the first Kashmiri Muslim General of the Indian Army. Maj Gen Naik’s journey to the Indian Army began with his inclination for athletics.
The Maj Gen, who is interested in rowing, and has a fondness for trekking, remembers spending his first salary – that he drew as a school teacher – on what he called ‘hunter shoes’.
The sixth episode of Undefeated, titled ‘Courage For Excellence’, explores the life of the Maj Gen, winner of the Sena Medal and the highest medal awarded to an Indian sportsman, the Arjuna Award. He also won India a bronze medal at the Asian Games (1982).
Additionally, he led a successful Nanda Devi Ecological Mountaineering Expedition. Elaborating on what he learnt from his expeditions as part of the Army, the Maj Gen says there were times when he had to choose between saving his life or risking it to ensure the safety of his team of mountaineers. He says he always chose the latter because those were the values he had imbibed during his time in the Army.
He is currently the chairman of Salwan Girls School, a school that funds the education of girls from humble backgrounds.
Family Life
His family had trouble coming to terms with his life in the Army, Maj Gen Naik says. His son had to change 12 schools, he says, adding that his wife has been an invaluable support to him along the years.
“Need to Tackle Militancy”
The Maj Gen, who hails from the same village as the slain militant leader Burhan Wani, also shared his thoughts on the menace of militancy. One way to ensure the end of militancy in the Valley is to train people, allow them to develop and hone skills and give them employment, he says.
We need to tackle militancy, not militants.
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