December 5, 1971, has been written in the golden words in the history of India, as on this day, 120 soldiers of the Indian army fought with 2000-3000 Pakistani soldiers accompanied by 30-40 tanks on the land of Laungewala. Laungewala proved to be one of the defining moments in the war.

23rd Battalion of Punjab Regiment, commanded by Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri successfully defended his company locality at Laungewala against a massive attack by enemy infantry & tanks. Displayed exemplary leadership and conspicuous courage, he was awarded Maha Vir Chakra.

Brigadier Chandpuri’s courage and conviction at the Longewala battlefield is known to all. Precisely for this reason, this Major Chandpuri with dynamic leadership qualities was awarded the nation’s second-highest gallantry war. Longewala is a remote outpost in the deserts of Jaisalmer, where a relatively small group of Indian soldiers held off a massive Pakistani attack through the night in the early days of the 1971 war.

During the night of the 4th, 2Lt. Dharam Veer Bhan’s platoon, while on a patrol, detected noises across the border that suggested a large number of armoured vehicles approaching. These were soon confirmed by reports — from the Army’s Air Observation Post aircraft flown by Maj. Atma Singh — in the area of a 20 km long armoured column on the track leading to the post advancing in the general direction of the Laungewala post. Directing 2Lt. Dharam Veer Bhan’s patrol to trail the advancing armoured column, Chandpuri got in touch with battalion headquarters requesting urgent reinforcements and armour and artillery support.

Battalion HQ gave him the choice of staying put, and containing the attack as much as possible, or carrying out a tactical retreat of the company to Ramgarh, as reinforcements would not be available for at least six hours.

Brigadier Chandpuri had a choice to put and defend the position at Jaisalmer or retreat but the dynamic Army officer decided to stay put and fight back. He and his personnel defended it successfully even after being outnumbered and surrounded because he and his team stopped Pakistani infantry to advance till dawn and the Indian Air Force came in.

He had inflicted heavy causalities on the enemy and forced them to retreat leaving behind 12 tanks. This is what his citation for his award state,“Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri was commanding a company battalion of the Punjab Regiment occupying a defended locality in the Rajasthan Sector. On December 5, 1971, in the early hours of the morning, the enemy launched a massive attack on this locality with infantry and tanks.

The Pakistani forces began their attack at 12:30 am. Although massively outnumbering the Indian defenders, and having surrounded them, the Pakistani troops were unable to advance over open terrain on a full-moon night, under small arms and mortar fire from the outpost. This encouraged the Indians not to give up their strong defensive position, frustrating the Pakistani commanders. As dawn arrived, the Pakistan forces had still not taken the post and were now having to do so in full daylight.

December 5 1971-when 120 soldiers of the Indian army fought with 4000 Pakistani army. In the morning, the Indian Air Force was finally able to direct some HAL HF-24 Maruts and Hawker Hunter aircraft to assist the post. By noon the next day, the assault ended completely, having cost Pakistan 34 tanks claimed destroyed by aircraft fire, 12 by ground anti-tank fire, and some captured after being abandoned, with a total of 500 vehicles claimed to have been destroyed or damaged in the desert around the post. Pakistan also lost 200 (approximately) jawans in just two days, while making an attempt to grab the Longewala check-post in the Jaisalmer district.

Major Chandpuri exhibited dynamic leadership in holding his command intact and steadfast. Showing exceptional courage and determination, he inspired his men to move from bunker to bunker, encouraging them in beating back the enemy till reinforcements arrived. In this heroic defence, he inflicted heavy causalities on the enemy and forced them to retreat leaving behind 12 tanks. In this action, Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri displayed conspicuous gallantry, inspiring leadership and exceptional devotion to duty in keeping with the highest traditions of the Indian Army.”

Based on the Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Border film is an adaptation of real-life events that happened on the battleground. Actor Sunny Deol played the character of Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri.

Service Journey of Brigadier Chandpuri

Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri was born on November 22, 1940, in Montgomiri in undivided Punjab which is now in Pakistan. At the age of 22, he joined the 23 rd Battalion of the Punjab regiment. The Punjab regiment is one of the oldest and most popular unit.

He had passed out from the Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai, in 1963. After that, he was commissioned into the 23rd Battalion of The Punjab Regiment. He took part in the 1965 war in the western sector and, thereafter, served in the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in Gaza in Egypt for about a year. He also served twice as an instructor at the Infantry School, Mhow.

Brigadier Chandpuri and controversy

Border film which was based on Brigadier Chandpuri became popular and set new records.  Brigadier Chandpuri got upset over the controversy surrounding his roel in the famous battle of Longewala’s authenticity. Credited with the splendid victory at that time, the war hero then filed a defamation suit of Rs one against Air Marshal (retd.) M.S. Bawa and Maj Gen (retd.) Atma Singh, and said, “the two of them were not there” while he was fighting the war. He demanded justice.

References:

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