MAJOR GENERAL (MRS) ANJU MANCHANDA, VSM
The journey through love, war and peace of a soldier, doctor and motherTHE BOLD FELLOWSHIP
Calling girls with an artistic inclination and a creative ambition, ages 18 – 23 years, for an opportunity to learn, earn and find their place in industry.
THE DETERMINED ARE NOT
DETERRED BY DESTINY.
Major General (Mrs) Anju Manchanda, VSM, was nothing short of a legend. Born into a Sikh family in the heart of a conservative, pre- Independence India, hers was always the path untrodden. Growing up to become a doctor in Jabalpur in the 1960s, she joined the predominantly male Indian Army and rose to the rank of Major General through sheer grit, resilience
and commitment.
Unfazed and unfettered by the socio-cultural constraints of her time, Anju was a trailblazer who let nothing stand in the way of her dreams, going where very few women in India had gone before. She treated casualties in two wars, commanded many hospitals across India and served in sensitive border areas while always being close to her two daughters and her husband. She was feminine yet firm, and while she wasn’t fearless, she willed herself to be bold.
Beautifully illustrated with photographs from the author’s personal archives, Bold is a compelling portrait of an astonishing woman who lived three whole and remarkable lives—doctor, officer and family woman—when most of us struggle through one. Filled with fascinating anecdotes and astute observations, this is a rare view into the life of an Army legend.
..YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE
CHOICE TO BE BOLD..
A PEEK INTO THE LIFE OF MAJOR GENERAL (MRS) ANJU MANCHANDA, VSM
“You were not born brave, nobody is. There is always this fear in your heart; yet when life gives you choices, you can decide conclusively, to be bold. That’s when you start charting your unique destiny and living a glorious life. I never took the easy way out and i never had a dull moment in my entire life.”
..YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE
CHOICE TO BE BOLD..
A PEEK INTO THE LIFE OF MAJOR GENERAL (MRS) ANJU MANCHANDA, VSM
“You were not born brave, nobody is. There is always this fear in your heart; yet when life gives you choices, you can decide conclusively, to be bold. That’s when you start charting your unique destiny and living a glorious life. I never took the easy way out and i never had a dull moment in my entire life.”
BOLD
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY
A story of the evolution of passion, patriotism, persona and professionalism.
The Indian Army holds an illustrious record of many a remarkable officer who has selflessly served and defended the nation. But the ranks still make up a predominantly male world, the tales of female officers being few and far between. What was it like to be a woman officer in 1967? Bold is a fascinating portrait of the life of honour in the Indian Army, as lived and experienced by a dedicated and patriotic figure who eventually went on to become the first woman in the Indian Army to be appointed Deputy Director of Medical Services, Central Command. It is the empowering account of the grit and achievements of a Major General, the eye-opening journal of the lived realities of an Army life as an officer climbs the rungs of service and a diary of the private aspirations and struggles of a lady, a wife, mother, a citizen. From cover to cover, Bold presents not one but the many fulfilling lives led by Major General (Mrs) Anju Manchanda, VSM, as she strove not just to inspire but be continually inspired.
12th AMC Reunion
Senior Colonel Commandant Sammelan
AMC Open Air Auditorium, Lucknow
23 March 2017
Major General (Mrs) Anju Manchanda, VSM memoir ‘BOLD’ was released by Lt Gen MK Unni, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, PHS, DGAFMS & Sr Col Comdt AMC at the 12th Army Medical Corps Reunion at the AMC Center and College in Lucknow on 23 March 2017 during Senior Colonel Commandant Sammelan.
This book is dedicated to Army Medical Corps, hopefully, this book will inspire many of us/you/them out there to make the choice to gracefully, elegantly and yet firmly be BOLD!
The story deserves a wider reach, thus the omnipresence. Proceeds, if any, will go towards girl child-related charities.
TRIBUTES FROM FAMILY
AND WELL WISHERS
The General in the Olive-Green Saree
Tributes
“It was a hot summer’s day in May of 1967. I was posted in Army Hospital Delhi at the time. On that day, like all other days, I was walking to the officer’s mess for lunch. My eyes fell on a young lady officer standing on the verandah. I could never have imagined that one day I would be married to this very smart, petite young woman. That destiny would bind our hearts together and our life would be propelled by the sheer force that was Anju.”
-Maj Gen NK Manchanda
A person like Anju comes rarely in one’s life, but leaves behind remarkable memories, which do not fade with the passage of time. She was undoubtedly an officer and a lady par excellence.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL VIJAY OBEROIIn character, in manner, in style, she epitomised true elegance and simplicity.
KALPAJA DALAVOIUnassuming, gracefully assertive and what seemed like an ocean of love that nurtured lives that came to her shore. Be they her children or passers by like me or her patients. An Anju for all please!
ARUNDHATI NAG
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