Officer who defended Poonch in ’71 war dies

Maj Gen KL Rattan (retd) breathed his last in Noida

Tribune Web Desk

Updated At : 12:30 PM May 21, 2020 IST

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20

Architect of the military defence of Poonch during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Maj Gen KL Rattan (retd) breathed his last in Noida.

Awarded the Mahavir Chakra, the second highest battle honour, he led the 6th battalion of the Sikh regiment to push back Pakistan troops. The action earned the unit “Theatre Honour” of J&K and Battle Honour “Defence of Poonch 1971”.

In 1971, then Lt Colonel Rattan, who hailed from Una in HP, defended the strategically important town of Poonch against numerically superior Pakistani force.

Pakistan attacked India’s western front. Its brigades comprising 5 Frontier Force Rifles, 7 PoK battalions and 51 Punjab Regiment were given the task of capturing two pickets—405 and 406 of Banwat Heights—besides the Poonch helipad, which were held by the 6 Sikh Battalion.

From December 3 to 6 in 1971, the enemy launched a series of attacks, but was pushed back.

The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.

The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the newspaper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.

The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).

Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia

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