On the partition of India in 1947, Ganju Lama joined the 11th Gorkha Rifles of the new Indian Army. The regiment had been re-raised from the soldiers of the 7th and 10th Gurkha Rifles, who opted to continue their service with the Indian Army rather than join the British Army. He was made the Honorary Life Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to the President of India, and served five Presidents at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Among them were Dr. Radha Kishan, V.V. Giri, Zakir Hussain, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, and the then acting President Mohammed Hidyatullah. Ganju Lama had carried a bullet in his left leg for 20 years after the WWII, and during his service as ADC one day the bullet popped out of what was originally to be a boil on his leg. The bullet is kept at the regimental centre museum at Lucknow, and know as the 'Ganju bullet.'

    In Sikkim, he was also honoured and awarded with Sikkim's highest civilian  medal, the Pema Dorji, by Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal for his contributions and for making Sikkim proud.

He retired in 1971, and returned back to his roots at Sangmo village near Rabongla in  the south district of Sikkim, where he looked after his land and cardamom cultivation. On his retirement, the Chogyal had granted him a piece of land near his native village  Sangmo, where he farmed both seasonal crops and the profitable spice crop, cardamom. He had also inherited a part of his land from his father. He also built two schools and a monastry during his retirement. He built schools because there were no schools at the village in his time, and he wanted the children to get education. He also practiced Buddhism after retirement.  He was actively engaged with the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association, United Kingdom and used to attend the reunions there. The reunions were attended by Queen Elizabeth, the patron of the VC & GC Associations, and the Queen's Mother. At present, the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles is the President of the association. He also held the post of Vice chairman (Overseas) of the VC & GC association until his dismiss on 1st July, 2000.

    The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front Government, under Pawan Chamling in order to honour his accomplishments and bravery, has named the road from Tarku to Rabongla, as the Ganju Lama VC path. The Rabongla Senior Secondary School has also been named as the VC Ganju Lama SS School

Medal entitlement of
Hony Capt. Ganju Lama VC MM PD
7th Gurkha Rifles

1. Victoria Cross
2. Military Medal (MM)
3. 1939-45 Star
4. Burma Star
5. War Medal (1939-45)
6. Indian Service Medal (1939-45)
7. Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953)
8. Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (1977)
9. Raksha Medal (1965)
10. Indian Independence Medal (1947)
11. 20 Year's' Long Service Medal
12. 9 Years' Long Service Medal
13. Pema Dorji Medal (Sikkim)

CITATION

    ........B Company, 7th Gurkha Rifles, was ordered to counter-attack and restore the situation. Shortly after passing the starting line it came under heavy enemy medium machine -gun and tank machine-gun fire at point blank range, which covered all lines of approach. Rifleman Ganju Lama, the No. 1 of the PIAT gun, on his own safety, crawled forward and engaged the tanks single handed. In spite of a broken left wrist and two other wounds, one on his right hand and one on his leg, caused by withering cross fire concentrated upon him. Rifleman Ganju Lama succeeded in bringing his gun into action within thirty yards of the enemy tanks and knocked out the first one and then another, the third tank being destroyed by an anti-tank gun. In spite of his serious wounds, he then moved forward and engaged with grenades, to the tank crews, who now attempted to escape. Not until he hand killed them all, thus enabling his company to push forward, did he allow himself to be taken back to the Regimental Aid Post to have wounds dressed.....