Sayeed Muhammad of DOT : Retired Indian army officer Brig Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, who was a major in the Indian Army during the 1971 war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh, has passed away at the age of 78.
He was suffering from cancer which caused him to breath his last at a hospital in Mohali near Chandigarh
He inspired Bollywood’s 1997 blockbuster movie “Border”, reports The Daily Star citing its New Delhi correspondent.
The retired army official had held his border outpost through the night in the famous battle of Longewala in Rajasthan state with just 120 men against a full-fledged attack by advancing Pakistani Patton tanks in the Thar deserts.
He was decorated with the prestigious army medal Maha Vir Chakra for the heroic feat that had forced the Pakistani army to retreat.
Kuldip Singh’s role on the screen was played by actor Sunny Deol in the film directed by JP Dutt.
The battle of Longewala was one of the first major engagements in the western sector during the war of 1971.
A company of the Indian Army’s 23rd battalion, Punjab Regiment, commanded by him, was left with the choice of either attempting to hold out until reinforced or fleeing on foot from the Pakistani force.
Picking the former, Chandpuri ensured that all his assets were correctly deployed, and made the most use of his strong defensive position, and weaknesses created by errors in enemy tactics.