*Brigadier Ian St. John da Costa, VSM*
_A Soldier, a Citizen, a Son of the Soil_
John Aguiar
Brigadier Ian St. John da Costa belonged to a generation that witnessed India’s transformation from a young nation finding its footing to a confident republic shaping its destiny. Soldier, writer, administrator, and community leader, he lived a life defined by duty — first to the nation in uniform and later to society in civilian life. Even long after he retired from the Indian Army, the Army never truly retired from him.
Born on 26th September 1940 in Nagpur into a Goan migrant family with a proud tradition of military service spanning two generations, discipline and patriotism formed the natural backdrop of his upbringing. From an early age he displayed a keen interest in sports and music — pursuits that reflected both physical vigour and cultural refinement. These interests would remain lifelong companions, balancing the rigours of military life with a deeply human sensitivity.
His calling to serve the nation led him to the National Defence Academy and thereafter to the Indian Military Academy, from where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Kumaon Regiment on 17th December 1961. The Regiment would become not merely his professional home but, in his own words, his extended family.
He joined the 14th Kumaon and served in Jammu and Kashmir during the turbulent years of the 1960s, when the young Indian Army was consolidating its operational identity after Independence. Those early postings shaped a generation of officers who learned leadership not from textbooks but from harsh terrain, operational uncertainty, and the responsibility of men’s lives entrusted to their command.
The Indo–Pak War of 1965 tested him early in his career. As a young company commander leading Alpha Company of 14 Kumaon, he participated in the assault on the strategically vital O.P. Hill in the Naushera sector on the Western Front in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack, carried out alongside two other companies, proved decisive and is today commemorated by the Regiment as a Battle Honour Day — a lasting testament to the courage and determination displayed by the officers and soldiers involved.
War returned again in 1971, this time on the eastern front during the liberation of Bangladesh. By then, Ian da Costa had already contributed to raising the 1st Naga Regiment, an achievement that reflected both professional competence and an ability to work across diverse cultural and operational environments. Serving as Second-in-Command, he operated in a uniquely complex theatre that required military skill combined with political sensitivity.
During the Battle of Dharamshala, he led three integrated platoons composed of Mukti Bahini fighters, Border Security Force personnel, and regular soldiers of the Naga Regiment — including surrendered Naga militants who had chosen to fight alongside the Indian Army. Under his leadership, these disparate elements functioned as a cohesive fighting force. The Regulars of the 1st Naga acquitted themselves with distinction, and the battle remains commemorated as a Battle Honour Day within the Regiment.
Over the course of his military career, Brigadier da Costa held a wide range of command and staff appointments that reflected the Army’s confidence in his professional judgement. He commanded an Infantry Battalion deployed along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir — one of the most demanding operational responsibilities in the Indian Army. He later commanded an Infantry Brigade in the harsh expanses of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan and served as Brigade Major on the sensitive China border.
Equally important was his role as a teacher of soldiers. He served as an instructor at the Officers’ Training School in Madras and twice at the prestigious College of Combat in Mhow, now the Army War College. There he helped shape future commanders, passing on not only tactical knowledge but also the ethos of leadership grounded in integrity and responsibility.
In 1987, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for distinguished service, particularly recognising his leadership during counter-insurgency operations in the North East — a theatre that demanded patience, empathy, and firmness in equal measure.
Though he later commanded the 15th Kumaon, one regret remained close to his heart: that he never commanded his parent battalion, the 14th Kumaon, which he considered family. It was a sentiment that revealed the emotional bonds forged within regimental life — bonds stronger than postings or ranks.
He retired on 26th September 1994 as a Brigadier while serving as the Commandant of the Kumaon Regimental Centre at Ranikhet. For many officers retirement marks a transition away from public life. For Brigadier da Costa, it marked only a change of uniform.
He first settled in Pune, at Salunke Vihar, before returning permanently to Goa — the land of his ancestors and the place he regarded as home. In Goa, he became known less by his first name than by his rank. To most people he was simply “Brigadier.” The title reflected not vanity but respect; it symbolised a life lived in service.
His administrative abilities soon found recognition when the then Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Pratap Singh Rane, appointed him Managing Director of the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited between 1995 and 1997. During his tenure he worked towards improving efficiency and organisational discipline within the public transport undertaking. He later joined a prominent industrial house to oversee its entry into the emerging software sector — a reflection of his willingness to engage with changing times and new technologies.
Yet his deepest personal satisfaction came from restoring his ancestral home in Saligao. In 1998 he finally moved into the house he had long dreamed of rebuilding. Retirement, however, did not mean retreat from responsibility. Instead, it marked the beginning of another chapter of service — this time to community and civil society.
He immersed himself in village affairs with characteristic energy. He served multiple terms as President of the Saligao Institute, a historic social institution founded in 1929. He led the Saligao Civic and Consumer Cell, advocating citizen rights and accountability. He also served as President of the Comunidade of Saligao — a centuries-old institution central to village governance — bringing to it the same procedural discipline and fairness that had guided his military career.
His leadership extended beyond the village. He served as President of the Catholic Association of Goa and remained an active member of the Ex-Servicemen Association of Goa, continuing to support fellow veterans.
Parallel to his public engagements ran another passion — writing. A prolific columnist, his articles frequently appeared in leading Goan publications such as O Heraldo and Goa Today. His writing reflected sharp observation, deep patriotism, and an abiding concern for civic responsibility.
In 2013 he published his memoir, Diary of an Infantryman, a deeply personal yet historically valuable account. Through its pages he chronicled life in a Goan migrant community in Nagpur during the 1940s, the formative years at NDA and IMA, and offered readers a rare ringside view of the Indian Army’s transition from a colonial institution into a modern force serving an independent nation. He wrote not merely of battles such as O.P. Hill and operations in Poonch and Naushera, but of soldiers — their fears, humour, loyalty, and sacrifice.
Brigadier Ian da Costa passed away on 25th March 2022, leaving behind a legacy that extended far beyond rank or appointment. He embodied a rare continuity between soldier and citizen — proving that service to the nation does not end when one removes the uniform.
In the battlefield he led men under fire. In civilian life he led communities through example. Whether in the deserts of Rajasthan, the mountains of Kashmir, the villages of Goa, or the pages of his writing, his life stood anchored in a simple conviction: that honour lies not in recognition but in responsibility faithfully discharged.
He remains, in every sense, a son of the soil — and a soldier to the end.
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