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Quick Facts
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Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri is the unsung hero of the world famous Longewala battle. Brigadier Chandpuri is a retired officer of the Indian Army. Born on 22 November 1940, he hails from Montgomery, Punjab of the British India. He is the recipient of Maha Vir Chakra. Also he has won various awards by the Government of India during his service.
Early Life
After the partition of India, young Kuldip Singh Chandpuri moved to the Balachaur village in the Punjab. He was associated with the NCC at the college level & he also had cleared the NCC exam during his graduation. He attended Government College, Hoshiarpur and graduated from there in 1962. What comes as a great fact is that Kuldip Singh Chandpuri is the third serving individual from his family in the armed forces of India. Two of his younger uncles were serving as pilots in the Indian Air Force during that time.
Army Career of Kuldip Singh Chandpuri
Kuldip Singh Chandpuri was recruited in the Indian Army in the year 1962. Later he got commissioned to the prestigious Punjab Regiment of the Indian Army in 1963. He showed his valour and took part in the 1965 war which was happening in the western sector of the country. He later went to represent India as a UN peacekeeper in Egypt for a year.
Also, he got a chance to serve as an instructor at India’s most acclaimed Armed forces training unit at Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. He became the hero after the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. The decorated officer later went on becoming one of the most famous officers in the history of the Indian armed forces.
The Turning Point in the Life of Major Kuldip SIngh
Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri is highly famous for his unprecedented level of courage and valour during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. At that time, he was a major in Indian Army, he was associated with the 23rd battalion of the Punjab Regiment. During the days of instability, Major Chandpuri was deployed in the Longewala sector of the Rajasthan state.
Major Chandpuri and with his 120 soldier company defended the position for the whole night against the fully armed 2000 Pakistani soldier brigade. With just handful of a soldier, Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri retaliated against the 22nd Armored Tank regiment of the Pakistan as well. He encouraged his men to fight like it’s the last day of their lives and encouraged them by going bunker to bunker.
Due to his prodigious war skills and intellect, Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri was able to keep a hold on the Pakistani forces and Indian Air Force came to their rescue in the morning. He was able to destroy over 12 Pakistani Tanks.
There were only 2 casualties in the night-long battle, while on the other hand, Pakistani troops had encountered a bigger number of casualties.
After the Indo-Pak 1971 War
In lieu of his extraordinary gallantry, Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra by the Indian Army. He retired from the armed forces as a Brigadier and today lives with his family in Chandigarh. J. P. Dutta, a renowned movie director made a hit war movie enacting the battle of Longewala, the character of Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri was played by well-known actor Sunny Deol.
Written By: Milan Bhardwaj
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