The Indian Army on Saturday paid its final respects to former Chief of the Army Staff General Vishwa Nath Sharma (Retd.), PVSM, AVSM, ADC, who was cremated with full military honours at Brar Square Crematorium in New Delhi. General Sharma passed away on Friday morning in the national capital at the age of 97.
Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth laid a wreath on behalf of all ranks of the Indian Army and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family. General V.K. Singh (Retd.), Governor of Mizoram and a former Army Chief, also paid his respects by laying a wreath and attending the funeral.
The ceremony was attended by former Chief of Defence Staff, former Chiefs of the Army Staff, Chief of the Air Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff, serving and retired senior military officers, veterans and members of General Sharma’s family, who gathered to honour the distinguished soldier.
Born in London on June 4, 1930, General Sharma hailed from a family with a distinguished military legacy. He was the younger brother of Major Somnath Sharma, the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, and Lieutenant General Surendra Nath Sharma, who served as 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 the 16 Light Cavalry on June 4, 1950. He later became associated with the raising of the 66 Armoured Regiment, serving as its Second-in-Command from September 1966 before taking over as the regiment’s second Commandant in June 1968.
Over a military career spanning four decades, General Sharma held several key operational, command and staff appointments. These included Colonel General Staff of an Armoured Division, Brigadier General Staff of a Corps, Director General of Military Operations at Army Headquarters and Commandant of the College of Combat, now known as the Army War College, Mhow. He also commanded a Mountain Brigade in Mizoram, an Armoured Brigade in Jaipur, a Mountain Division in Sikkim, a Corps in Mizoram and the Eastern Command before assuming office as the Chief of the Army Staff on April 30, 1988. He served as Army Chief until June 30, 1990 and was decorated with several distinguished military honours during his service.
Following his retirement, General Sharma devoted more than four decades to humanitarian work through a free tuberculosis clinic in Himachal Pradesh. Continuing a family tradition of public service, he travelled to remote villages, often trekking to high-altitude settlements with medical teams to provide healthcare to underprivileged communities with limited access to medical facilities. His commitment to public service continues through his family, with his son and other relatives carrying forward the initiative.
Remembering his exceptional military leadership and lifelong dedication to the nation, the Indian Army said General Sharma’s legacy of courage, selfless service and commitment to duty would continue to inspire generations of soldiers.
