K.P. Candeth
Encyclopedia
Kunhiraman Palat Candeth (Malayalam: കുഞ്ഞിരാമൻ പാലാട്ട് കണ്ടത്ത് ; 23 October 1916 – 19 May 2003) was a Major General
in the Indian army
when he led the operation to liberate Goa
from the Portuguese
occupation and served briefly as the Lieutenant Governor of the state. Subsequently, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
in the Indian Army. He was the Deputy Chief of Army Staff at the time of the 1965 war
and commanded the Western Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
.
Kerala
to MA Candeth, being the grandson of the renowned barrister and writer Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar
. His maternal grandfather was Sir C. Sankaran Nair, who was the President of the Indian National Congress
. He was very proud of his Nayanar
ancestry. "I am a Nair
from Kerala. I am a Kshatriya
", he had told this reporter at the time of the interview during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
. He had done his training at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun
, where he was highly rated in the classroom and on the playing field. Candeth was commissioned in the British Indian Army
on 30 August 1936 in 28 Field Brigade of the Royal Indian Artillery
.
, to quell local tribes. The mountainous terrain gave Candeth the experience for his later operations against Nagaland
tribals fighting for a Christian homeland in the North East. He attended the Military Services Staff College at Quetta
, capital of Baluchistan in 1945.
after Pakistan
-backed tribesmen attacked and captured a third of the province before being forced back by the Indian Army. Thereafter, Candeth held a series of senior appointments, including that of Director General of Artillery at Army Headquarters in Delhi
.
's patience ran out and he sanctioned military action.
Kunhiraman Candeth earned his name in Operation Vijay
—the Liberation of Goa
, Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule. As 17 Infantry Division commander, Candeth took the colony within a day and was immediately appointed Goa's first Indian administrator (acting as the Military Governor), a post he held till 1963.
that led to East Pakistan
breaking away to become Bangladesh
, Candeth (at that stage a lieutenant-general), was the Western Army commander responsible for planning and overseeing operations in the strategically crucial regions of Kashmir
, Punjab
and Rajasthan
where the fiercest fighting took place.
by the Government of India
. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) in the 1990s and was appointed a member of the Party's Executive Committee. He remained a bachelor till the end.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in the Indian army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
when he led the operation to liberate Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
from the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
occupation and served briefly as the Lieutenant Governor of the state. Subsequently, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in the Indian Army. He was the Deputy Chief of Army Staff at the time of the 1965 war
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
and commanded the Western Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
.
Early life
He was born in OttapalamOttapalam
Ottapalam is a town in Palakkad District of Kerala state in India. It is also the headquarters of Ottapalam taluk. Situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river , it has a rich cultural heritage and has played host to many historic events. It is famous for having several films shot here...
Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
to MA Candeth, being the grandson of the renowned barrister and writer Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar
Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar
Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar was a Malayali barrister, landlord, journalist, essay writer, critic and short story writer. He was one of the pioneers in these fields in Kerala.-Early life:...
. His maternal grandfather was Sir C. Sankaran Nair, who was the President of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. He was very proud of his Nayanar
Nayanar (Nair subcaste)
Nayanar is an honorific title used among certain clans of Nairs in the North Malabar region of Kerala. Men of these clans were mainly chiefs of fiefdoms, and formed the aristocracy and landed gentry of the area.-Etymology:...
ancestry. "I am a Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
from Kerala. I am a Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
", he had told this reporter at the time of the interview during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
. He had done his training at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
, where he was highly rated in the classroom and on the playing field. Candeth was commissioned in the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
on 30 August 1936 in 28 Field Brigade of the Royal Indian Artillery
Royal Indian Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Indian Artillery, generally known as the Royal Indian Artillery , was an administrative corps of the British Indian Army...
.
Pre-independence
Commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1936, Candeth saw action in West Asia during the Second World War. And, shortly before India's independence from colonial rule, he was deployed in the North West Frontier Province, bordering AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, to quell local tribes. The mountainous terrain gave Candeth the experience for his later operations against Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
tribals fighting for a Christian homeland in the North East. He attended the Military Services Staff College at Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, capital of Baluchistan in 1945.
Kashmir 1947
After Independence, Candeth was commanding an artillery regiment that was deployed to Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
after Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
-backed tribesmen attacked and captured a third of the province before being forced back by the Indian Army. Thereafter, Candeth held a series of senior appointments, including that of Director General of Artillery at Army Headquarters in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Goa
Following Indian independence from British rule, certain parts of India were still under foreign rule. While the French left India in 1954, the Portuguese, however, refused to leave. After complex diplomatic pressure and negotiations had failed, finally on December 18, 1961 the Indian prime minister Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
's patience ran out and he sanctioned military action.
Kunhiraman Candeth earned his name in Operation Vijay
Operation Vijay
Operation Vijay may refer to:*Operation Vijay , the operation by the Military of India that led to the capture of Goa, Daman and Diu and Anjidiv Islands*Operation Vijay , the Indian operation to push back infiltrators in the Kargil War...
—the Liberation of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule. As 17 Infantry Division commander, Candeth took the colony within a day and was immediately appointed Goa's first Indian administrator (acting as the Military Governor), a post he held till 1963.
North East
After relinquishing charge as Goa's Military Governor in 1963, Candeth took command of the newly raised 8 Mountain Division in the North-East, where he battled, although with little success, the highly organised Naga insurgents. The insurgency in Nagaland and the North East has not been quelled completely to this day.Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
that led to East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
breaking away to become Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Candeth (at that stage a lieutenant-general), was the Western Army commander responsible for planning and overseeing operations in the strategically crucial regions of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
and Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
where the fiercest fighting took place.
Awards
Lt. General Kunhiraman Palat Candeth was awarded the PVSM and also the Padma BhushanPadma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP) in the 1990s and was appointed a member of the Party's Executive Committee. He remained a bachelor till the end.
See also
- Operation VijayOperation VijayOperation Vijay may refer to:*Operation Vijay , the operation by the Military of India that led to the capture of Goa, Daman and Diu and Anjidiv Islands*Operation Vijay , the Indian operation to push back infiltrators in the Kargil War...
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- Indo-Pakistani War of 1971Indo-Pakistani War of 1971The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
- Vengayil Kunhiraman NayanarVengayil Kunhiraman NayanarVengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar was a Malayali barrister, landlord, journalist, essay writer, critic and short story writer. He was one of the pioneers in these fields in Kerala.-Early life:...