Army career

Early service

During his service in the Indian Army, MM Lakhera participated in the 1961 liberation of Goa, and the Indo Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 in the Jammu and Kashmir Sector. He later attended the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington (South India) and the Long Gunnery Staff Course at the School of Artillery, Devlali. Also attended Senior Defence Management Course at College of Defence Management of Secundrabad. He served as an instructor at the School of Artillery from 1967–70, and subsequently at the Army War College from 1978–81. Eventually, Lieutenant Colonel (at the time) Lakhera rose to command the 4th Battation of the Kumaon Regiment in Jammu & Kashmir from December 1975 to July 1978.

Higher command

On promotion to brigadier, Lakhera assumed command of a brigade at Kanpur. The formation took part in operation ‘Blue Star’ in Punjab in 1984 and also provided effective aid to Civil authority at Kanpur during 1984 riots. For his successful handling of these operations, (then) Brigadier Lakhera, was awarded the Chief of Army Staff’s Commendation Card twice—i.e., on 15 January 1985 and 15 August 1985. He subsequently held the appointment of sub area commander in Kashmir valley, in the rank of brigadier, where besides being responsible for logistical support to forward troops, he was responsible for aid to civilian authorities in the sensitive Kashmir valley. For his successful efforts in performing varied tasks, and for his professional competence in the discharge of his duty, Lakhera was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India on 26 January 1990.

Lakhera was promoted to major general in March 1990, and posted as chief of staff of the Kashmir Valley-based Corps Headquarters. He was actively involved in coordination of all counter-insurgency operations, including the sealing of the line of control in the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh Sector. At this stage, for his success in discharging his responsibilities, Major General Lakhera was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India on 26 January 1991. He subsequently commanded an infantry division.

In 1992, Lakhera was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and was initially posted as Chief of Staff of Headquarters, Central Army Command. Besides other operational and administrative responsibilities, in the aftermath of the Ayodhya incident in December 1992, General Lakhera was responsible for coordinating army assistance to a beleaguered civil administration in the sensitive States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. He was subsequently posted as chief of staff, Headquarters, Northern Army Command, dealing with the volatile insurgency in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

In June, 1993, General Lakhera took over as Adjutant General of the Indian Army, where he was actively involved with policy framing on all aspects of Manpower Planning & Management including Defence civilians. The General also served as the colonel commandant of his parent Kumaon Regiment. For distinguished services of most exceptional order, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India on 26 January 1995.