Tribute to a Victory India Icon: Gen VK Madhok, AVSM, VSM
- MVI Desk
- Mar 20
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 21
By Maj Gen Raj Mehta
I first met Col Vinay Dalvi in 2010.
I was working in the then upcoming Flame University at Pashan, Pune as CAO cum faculty and Vinay was driven by a dream called 'Victory India' for which his mentor was a GR officer Gen VK Madhok. Though he had come to request me to write for Victory India, I remember we discussed VK sir for hours instead...over snacks, tea and finally a Guju lunch.
The Gen was like that...an addiction.
He was erudiite.
He was focused.
He had guts...grit and he had credibility. When he spoke for change at NDA for it to remain among the worlds uber triservice training academies the military fraternity listened.
This is because his career comprised of a series of firsts starting with his being from NDA's iconic first course.
He was thus a pathfinder in most of his professional activities as well as in his free lancing standards of ace readability...diversity in interests and uncompromosiing truth on what he chose to write about.
He thus set standards in constructive criticism of the NDA done with the sole aim of retaining it in its uber slot of being the worlds finest triservice academy.
Victory India thus were led by Services icons in its pursuit of excellence and key among them was the first 'Scholar- Soldier' NDA has produced and that indisputably was VK sir.
I have never met him or heard him speak. I have just heard what other NDA icons have said about him and they respect his persona...treat him with reverence. I have read a few of his 3000 published articles and wish I had had the fortune of knowing him better.
Vinay Dalvi is a Puneri as he was and was in intimate touch with the Gen for 15 years. The six Victory India volumes offer proof of their association for NDA and India good.
The Gen will be missed highly. An icon is no more. Long live the spirit of the great General and may it continue to guide Col Vinay Dalvi in his noble Mission of Victory India.
I met Gen Madhok about 18 years ago and I have had a wonderful relationship with him both personally and as a Managing Committee member of Nyati Enclave Cooperatve Society of which he was the Chairman. Gen Madhok provided great leadership and had contributed immensely to the long-term well-being of the Society. He was passionate about making our Society a model one in Pune. His care for and cordiality towards colleagues and Society staff will be remembered for a very time. We miss him very much.
Beautiful tribute to an extraordinary personality. It was a blessing to have him as a co resident in our society. He was the first Chairman and a true mentor for life. His ideology, values, kindness and righteousness was par excellent.
An era of greatness, authority yet humble, is now gone. But the legacy lives on.
I have had the privilege of knowing Vijay uncle since a long time, I always found him to be extremely well dressed and he had an unmistakable aura of being a proud army man around him.
The tales of hardships that he had to face and endure during his last days and the way he handled everything stoically, hats off to him.
They certainly don't make them like him anymore.
Indrajit mahurkar