Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri (English: Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, born – 22 November, 1940; death – 17 November, 2018) was a brave military officer of the Indian Army, who is known for the famous battle of Longawala. He gallantly led the Indian Army in the Battle of Longawala, for which he was awarded the ‘Mahavir Chakra’. He is considered the hero of the battle fought on Longawala front in Rajasthan during the India-Pakistan war of 1971. In this fight, Kuldeep Singh was posted at Chandpuri Longawala post. There was an entire tank regiment of Pakistan on the border and Chandpuri had only 120 soldiers under his command. He was awarded ‘Mahavir Chakra’ and ‘Vishisht Seva Medal’ for his excellent services in the Indian Army. The Bollywood film ‘Border’ was made on the bravery shown by Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri and his comrades at the Longawala front. In this film, the role of the then Major Kuldeep Chandpuri was played by actor Sunny Deol.
Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri was born on 22 November 1940 in Mint Gumri of undivided India (now part of Pakistan). After the partition of India-Pakistan in 1947, his family settled in Chandpur village of Balachaur town in Nawashahar district of Punjab. Kuldeep Chandpuri did his schooling from Government College, Hoshiarpur. He was recruited as a lieutenant in the Punjab Regiment of the Indian Army in 1962. He showed his bravery for India in the wars of 1965 and 1971. Brigadier Chandpuri also served for one year in the United Nations Emergency Services.[1]
Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandipuri was a hero of the India-Pakistan war, who wrote history with his wisdom and indomitable courage. The film ‘Border’ was based on his bravery. During this war, 120 Indian soldiers defeated three thousand Pakistani soldiers in Chandipur. During the India-Pakistan war of 1971, a cloud of dust was rising towards the sky, some distance away from Longewala Post in Rajasthan. The Indian Army soldiers deployed at the check post understood that the Pakistan Army had attacked. When the dust cleared, the Indian Army soldiers, hearing the rumbling of the tanks, took up their positions. In this battle, Indian soldiers gave a crushing defeat to Pakistan. The Indian Army had forced Pakistan to retreat. The hero of this battle was Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandipuri.
Longewala check post is an important security check post of India, but at the time when Pakistan attacked, only 120 soldiers of the Indian Army were deployed at this check post. There were soldiers of Punjab Regiment at this check post, mostly Sikh soldiers and some Dogra soldiers. The command of this post was with Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri. During the Indo-Pak war of 1971, Pakistan had a plan to enter the country by capturing the check post. For this, Pakistan had come with full preparation and strategy. That is why he sent his entire artillery regiment to destroy and capture this check post. But Pakistan probably did not know that war is fought with courage and not with weapons.
India’s courage won in this war also. This victory tells the story of the bravery of the Indian Army. Later on this battle J. P. Dutta had also made a film named ‘Border’ in which the role of Chandpuri was played by actor Sunny Deol. Not only this, Surinder Kaur, wife of Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri, did not even know where her husband was posted in the 1971 war. He came to know the story of bravery of Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri from All India Radio.[1]
The brave men of Mukti Vahini, who were fighting for their existence through the Bangladesh Liberation War, had the full support of the Indian Army. Pakistan was very upset due to this. In this confusion, Pakistan hatched a new conspiracy against India and this conspiracy was named ‘Operation Changezi’. Under Operation Changezi, the Pakistani Army had planned to enter India by attacking Longewala post in Rajasthan and reach Delhi via Ramgarh, Jaisalmer. To carry out this conspiracy, Pakistan had sent 65 tanks and 1 mobile infantry brigade along with 2000 soldiers towards Longewala Post. The result of this conspiracy of Pakistan was the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
In those days, A Company of the 23rd Battalion of the Punjab Regiment was deployed at Longewala, the last post of the India-Pakistan border. In this company deployed under the leadership of Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri, 120 soldiers had only one MMG, L-16 81 mm mortar and a jeep fitted with a cannon in the name of major weapons. Apart from this, a BSF camel squad of four constables was also deployed at this post. At around 5:40 pm on 3 December, the Pakistan Air Force attacked 11 airfields in north-western India, including Agra. On receiving information about this attack, Major Kuldeep Singh sent a patrol team of 20 soldiers under the leadership of Lieutenant Dharamveer to the border pillar. A few hours later, Lieutenant Dharamveer informed Major Kuldeep that a large Pakistani force with 65 tanks and a mobile infantry was moving towards Longewala Post. Major Kuldeep Singh immediately shared this information with the Headquarters Command and sought Air Force support. Since it was nearing night, it was not possible to get air support to Longewala post till the next morning.
Army Headquarters left the final decision to Major Kuldeep Singh with two options. The first option was to capture the post, while the second option was to retreat leaving the post vacant. 120 brave men present at Longewala post along with Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri decided to stay at the post and give a befitting reply to the enemy. To destroy the strength of the enemy tanks, a network of anti-tank mines was laid and anti-tank guns were deployed. Within no time, a convoy of enemy vehicles about 20 kilometers long gathered at a short distance from Longewala Post. Now the Indian Army and the enemy had come face to face. At around 12:30 am on 4 December 1971, artillery firing started from Pakistan side and the tanks of Pakistani Army started moving towards Longewala Post. As soon as these tanks remained at a distance of about 30 meters from Longewala Post, Indian soldiers started targeting Pakistani tanks with anti-tank guns. Within no time, two powerful enemy tanks were destroyed. This first success achieved by the Indian Army changed the course of this war.
Actually, two things happened due to the destruction of two tanks. The first thing was that the Pak Army officers felt that land mines were laid in the entire area, so they stopped the army from going further through the iron fence. The second thing that happened was that the fire from both the destroyed tanks lit up the entire area. Now the Indian Army present at the height could not only see the Pak Army clearly but could also target them with its bullets. With the help of the light of the burning tanks of the Pak Army, the Indian Army could now take precise aim at the enemy. The Indian Army under the leadership of Major Chandpuri was firing with mortar, MMG and other weapons with such precision that the enemy, many times more powerful in numbers and military resources, was frozen to its place. These brave feet of Pakistani Army increased the morale of the brave men of Indian Army manifold. At the same time, it took about two hours for the Pak Army officials to understand that there were no land mines laid on this side of the barbed wire. This new understanding of the Pak Army made the war very serious. Now along with the volley of bullets, a scuffle had also started between the soldiers. The brave men of the Indian Army, who were fighting the war with very limited resources, started filling Longewala Post with the dead bodies of the enemy with the bayonets of their rifles.
On the other hand, with the first rays of the sun, Hunter and Marut fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force had reached Longewala Post for help. Within no time these fighter planes started destroying Pakistani tanks one by one. By noon, more than 100 armored vehicles, 22 tanks and 12 tank infantry of Pakistan Army had been destroyed in this air attack. Meanwhile, the retaliatory action by the cavalry tanks and 17 Rajputana Rifles that reached the battlefield eliminated the remaining strength of the Pakistan Army. In this way, only 120 brave men of the Indian Army defeated 2000 soldiers, 65 tanks and 1 mobile infantry brigade of the enemy army with their courage. The Indian Army achieved an unprecedented victory in this war. Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri, Commanding Officer of the 23rd Battalion, was awarded ‘Mahavir Chakra’ for his outstanding fighting skills.
Describing the war, Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri had said during an interview that thousands of soldiers and 40-50 tanks of the Pakistani Army had surrounded us. It was very difficult to escape from there. It was difficult to take decisions in such circumstances. He told that at such a time he could not even leave the post and run away because his religion did not allow it. After this I inspired my soldiers to fight. Sikh regiment was stationed at Laungewala post. Chandpuri gave his soldiers the examples of martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh and his sons and said that if we leave the war and run away, it will be a disgrace on the entire Sikh community.
Brigadier Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri died at 9 am on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at Fortis Hospital, Mohali.