A celebrated war hero (1923-2016)
Lt. Gen. J.F.R. Jacob, hailed as the hero of the 1971 war with Pakistan which ended in the liberation of Bangladesh, was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1923 in a family of orthodox Baghdadi Jews, and had his schooling and collegiate education in the city and elsewhere.
He was commissioned into the British Indian Army at the age of 19, a career he opted for despite his father’s reservations. After graduating from the Officers Training School, Mhow, in 1943, he was posted to northern Iraq, and thereafter to North Africa to reinforce the British Army and was part of the artillery brigade that fought the Japanese Army till the end of the Second World War. He thereafter graduated from artillery schools in England and the US, specialising in the handling of advanced artillery missiles.
On his, return, he rejoined the Indian army and rose rapidly from the ranks to become a Brigadier in the year 1963. In the war with Pakistan which broke out in 1965, Jacob commanded an Infantry Division. He was elevated to the rank of Major General in 1967, and designated as the Chief of Staff of the Eastern Command. One of his first assignments was to quell the insurgency that had then gripped North-East India. His finest moment however came during the Indo-Pak war in 1971 where as a Major General and Chief of the Eastern Command, he played a pivotal role in bringing the curtain down on the war by engaging in negotiations with the Pakistani army under General A.A.K. Niazi, and in organising the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani troops to the Indian Army. His meticulous preparations and adroit moves along with those of his immediate boss Lt. Gen. J.S. Aurora during the war and his role in the surrender, won him many admirers not only in India, but in the newly liberated country of Bangladesh as well. In fact, he continues to be revered in Bangladesh and was even honoured during the country’s 41st Independence Day celebrations. The Government of India felicitated him for his stellar role in the war by awarding him a Commendation of Merit. Lt. Gen. Jacob was also a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. He hung up his boots in 1979 after serving the army for 37 years, rendering distinguished and highly meritorious service that won him a lot of accolades.
Thereafter, he had a successful stint as a businessman before he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party as a security adviser and had two gubernatorial stints in Goa and Punjab. His stint as Governor of Goa was marked by a clampdown on corruption and for the steps initiated by him for the protection of the state’s water resources and huge swathes of its jungles.
Lt. Gen. Jacob, (Jack Farj Rafael Jacob), Jake to his close circle of friends, always displayed a keen interest in the development of the country’s youth and their empowerment and held the firm belief that they should be trained to take over the mantle of leadership of the nation. He also stressed the need for good governance that could ensue only if the country’s political class remained dedicated and the bureaucrats too chipped in with their contributions.
Lt.Gen Jacob also authored two books both of which were best sellers, namely, Surrender at Dacca – Birth of a Nation, and his autobiography, An Odyssey – War and Peace – An autobiography. He was a keen votary of improved relations between India and Israel and campaigned actively for the purchase of military equipment from Israel. Handsome tributes were paid to Lt. Gen. Jacob on his demise, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi averring that India would always remain grateful to him for his impeccable service to the nation at the most crucial moments. The Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh mentioned in his message that General Jacob personified the best qualities of a soldier and a statesman and will be remembered as one of the most prominent leaders in the annals of India’s military history.