Chandigarh: Brig Sant Singh (retd), 94, who had been awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) in the 1965 as well as 1971 India-Pakistan wars, died on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday at a hospital in Mohali.
He was among the six officers of the Indian military who were decorated with this gallantry award twice; he was also the last surviving MVC & Bar. The MVC, India’s second highest military decoration after the Param Vir Chakra, is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy.
Brig Sant Singh is survived by his daughter Satinder Kaur and son-in-law Brig Sarabjeet Randhawa (retd).
He had also taken part in World War-II, 1947-48 India-Pakistan war and 1962 India-China war. During an interview in August this year, he had said that he was recommended for yet another MVC and also the Param Vir Chakra, but did not get it. A Lt Col in the 1965 war, he had retired in 1973. In 1971, he was one of the officers who trained Mukti Bahini, the guerrilla force formed during Bangladesh’s war of liberation.
His brigade caught the Pakistani forces off guard and marched into Dhaka, forcing the enemy to surrender. Brig Sant Singh had been associated with The War Decorated of India and remained its president. His cremation will take place in Sector 25 here on Thursday. Mourning the death, Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh said the country had lost a great soldier.
Born in Khera village of Faridkot district on July 12, 1921, Brig Singh had joined the Army during the World War-II and had fought on the Burma front. He also fought wars with Pakistan in 1948, 1965 and 1971; besides the 1962 war with China. He won the MVC in 1965 and 1971 for showing extraordinary valour on the battlefield. He had told that his name was recommended for MVC & second Bar and also for Param Vir Chakra. He retired in 1973.
In Mendhar, a cantonment is named after him to honour Gen Singh’s valour. Quietly after ceasefire, Pakistan had occupied a hill artillery post in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district. Infantry attacks to recapture it had failed, so divisional commander Lt Gen Amrik Singh detailed then Lt Col Sant Singh to plan a night assault to keep the casualties down.
Even with a smaller force, he routed the enemy on the night of November 2, 1965. “This was a difficult feature and strongly defended by the enemy. Despite enemy mines and artillery fire, Lt Col Sant Singh moved forward with his men, charged the enemy and, after a bitter hand-to-hand fight, cleared the objective. Later, taking advantage of his position, Lt Col Sant Singh moved from bunker to bunker in the face of heavy artillery and firing, to encourage his men and cleared another objective, which also had been encroached upon by Pakistani forces. Throughout, Lt Col Sant Singh displayed conspicuous gallantry and leadership of a high order,” reads his citation when he got the MVC for the first time.
In the Indo-Pak war of 1971, Brigadier Sant Singh, while commanding a sector on the Eastern Front, achieved spectacular results with a mixed force, having one regular battalion, advancing 38 miles almost on foot, to secure Mymensingh and Madhopur in eight days.
“During the advance, in spite of very stiff opposition from the enemy he cleared heavily defended positions at several places. Throughout these actions, Brigadier Sant Singh personally led and directed the troops, exposing himself to enemy medium machine gun fire and shelling. His personal gallantry, leadership, skilful handling of meagre resources, audacity, improvisation and maximum use of local resources were responsible for the successful and rapid advance against much stronger enemy in well prepared defensive positions,” reads the 1972 citation.
“He was one of those officers who trained Mukti Bahini. He launched the attack from the northern side. But his brigade moved much faster which caught Pakistanis off balance. They marched into Dhaka and forced the Pakistanis to surrender,” said Brig Randhawa.
Brig Sant Singh had a prized possession of a timepiece of Lt Gen AAK Niazi, who was leading Pakistani forces in East Pakistan, which was stopped at 10:45am of December 16, the time of arrival of Brig Sant Singh and his forces.
He was among the six officers of the Indian military who were decorated with this gallantry award twice; he was also the last surviving MVC & Bar. The MVC, India’s second highest military decoration after the Param Vir Chakra, is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy.
Brig Sant Singh is survived by his daughter Satinder Kaur and son-in-law Brig Sarabjeet Randhawa (retd).
He had also taken part in World War-II, 1947-48 India-Pakistan war and 1962 India-China war. During an interview in August this year, he had said that he was recommended for yet another MVC and also the Param Vir Chakra, but did not get it. A Lt Col in the 1965 war, he had retired in 1973. In 1971, he was one of the officers who trained Mukti Bahini, the guerrilla force formed during Bangladesh’s war of liberation.
His brigade caught the Pakistani forces off guard and marched into Dhaka, forcing the enemy to surrender. Brig Sant Singh had been associated with The War Decorated of India and remained its president. His cremation will take place in Sector 25 here on Thursday. Mourning the death, Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh said the country had lost a great soldier.
Born in Khera village of Faridkot district on July 12, 1921, Brig Singh had joined the Army during the World War-II and had fought on the Burma front. He also fought wars with Pakistan in 1948, 1965 and 1971; besides the 1962 war with China. He won the MVC in 1965 and 1971 for showing extraordinary valour on the battlefield. He had told that his name was recommended for MVC & second Bar and also for Param Vir Chakra. He retired in 1973.
In Mendhar, a cantonment is named after him to honour Gen Singh’s valour. Quietly after ceasefire, Pakistan had occupied a hill artillery post in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district. Infantry attacks to recapture it had failed, so divisional commander Lt Gen Amrik Singh detailed then Lt Col Sant Singh to plan a night assault to keep the casualties down.
Even with a smaller force, he routed the enemy on the night of November 2, 1965. “This was a difficult feature and strongly defended by the enemy. Despite enemy mines and artillery fire, Lt Col Sant Singh moved forward with his men, charged the enemy and, after a bitter hand-to-hand fight, cleared the objective. Later, taking advantage of his position, Lt Col Sant Singh moved from bunker to bunker in the face of heavy artillery and firing, to encourage his men and cleared another objective, which also had been encroached upon by Pakistani forces. Throughout, Lt Col Sant Singh displayed conspicuous gallantry and leadership of a high order,” reads his citation when he got the MVC for the first time.
In the Indo-Pak war of 1971, Brigadier Sant Singh, while commanding a sector on the Eastern Front, achieved spectacular results with a mixed force, having one regular battalion, advancing 38 miles almost on foot, to secure Mymensingh and Madhopur in eight days.
“During the advance, in spite of very stiff opposition from the enemy he cleared heavily defended positions at several places. Throughout these actions, Brigadier Sant Singh personally led and directed the troops, exposing himself to enemy medium machine gun fire and shelling. His personal gallantry, leadership, skilful handling of meagre resources, audacity, improvisation and maximum use of local resources were responsible for the successful and rapid advance against much stronger enemy in well prepared defensive positions,” reads the 1972 citation.
“He was one of those officers who trained Mukti Bahini. He launched the attack from the northern side. But his brigade moved much faster which caught Pakistanis off balance. They marched into Dhaka and forced the Pakistanis to surrender,” said Brig Randhawa.
Brig Sant Singh had a prized possession of a timepiece of Lt Gen AAK Niazi, who was leading Pakistani forces in East Pakistan, which was stopped at 10:45am of December 16, the time of arrival of Brig Sant Singh and his forces.
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