GURUGRAM (TIP): Major Maroof Raza (retd), a respected voice in India’s strategic circles, passed away today, February 27, following a prolonged battle with cancer.
Major Raza, 67, who breathed his last in Gurugram, was an Army officer with ground experience in tackling counter insurgency in the north-east. After leaving the Army, he blossomed as a military historian, a respected strategic affairs commentator and authored several books on Pakistan and China.
Known for his analytical mind he connected the gap between military doctrine and public understanding of military jargon. His work was a ‘bridge’ between academia and the rugged realities of the battlefield. “Maroof had great confidence and oratory skills, the transition towards being a strategic commentator was natural for him,” says Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh (retd), a long-standing friend of Major Raza.
Born into a military family — his father was Brigadier MM Raza from the Grenadiers regiment. Schooled at Mayo College, Ajmer, Major Raza graduated in history honors from the St Stephen’s College, New Delhi.
He joined the Army and was commissioned into the 6th battalion of the Grenadiers regiment and later the battalion was converted into 14 Mechanized Infantry. In his early days, he had extensive involvement in counter-insurgency (CI) operations, in the north -east. He later served as instructor at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, from where had passed out in December 1980.
Major Raza resigned from his commission to pursue a career in strategic studies and media and did his Master’s in War Studies from King’s College, London, and did an MPhil in International Relations from Cambridge University.
Around the same time 24×7 news channels were holding daily shows in the evening and Raza became a household name providing the “soldier’s perspective” on national security issues. His ability to explain the nuances of the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan or the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China was his forte.
His major published books include: Low Intensity Conflicts (1995); Wars and No Peace Over Kashmir (1996); Kashmir’s Untold Story: Declassified (2019); Contested Lands: India, China and the Boundary Dispute (2021).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Maroof Raza made a rich contribution to the world of journalism. He enriched public discourse with his nuanced understanding of defense, national security as well as strategic affairs. Pained by his passing.
Be the first to comment