MANGALURU: Garodi Thimmappa Alva, who participated in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, passed away on Thursday evening at his residence in Lohith Nagar, Mangaluru. He was 85 years old. The family donated Alva’s body to KS Hegde Medical Academy in Deralakatte on Friday in the presence of his wife, Komala Alva. Born into an agricultural family in the coastal region, he became a soldier defending the nation while working as a cipher. During the 1971 war, while travelling to a military camp in a helicopter, he was attacked by Pakistani soldiers’ artillery and fell into the forests of the Chittagong area, where he fought for his life and survived. This experience was published as a short book. In the 1971 India-Pakistan war, India achieved victory in a manner that astonished the world. Alva participated in three wars against Pakistan. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and grandchildren. His memoir, Garodi Maneyinda Sena Garadige, was published at his home on 19 November 2023.
