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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Major General]]
| name = Kulwant Singh Pannu
| honorific_suffix = [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]]
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|03|06|df=y}}
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| allegiance = {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
| serviceyears = 1952-1988
| rank = [[File:Major General of the Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Major General]]
| servicenumber = IC-6213
| unit = [[3 Gorkha Rifles]]<br />[[Parachute Regiment (India)|2 PARA]]
| commands =
| battles = '''[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]'''<br>[[Tangail Airdrop]]
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| awards =[[File:Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg|32px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]]
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Major General<ref>{{cite web|url=http://twdi.in/node/1221|title=Maj Gen Kulwant Singh Pannu, MVC (now deceased) @ TWDI|website=twdi.in}}</ref> '''Kulwant Singh Pannu''', [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] was an officer of the [[Indian Army]] and a recipient of the [[Maha Vir Chakra]]. He was initially commissioned as an officer in the [[3 Gorkha Rifles]] in 1952, and joined the [[Parachute Regiment (India)|Parachute Regiment]] in 1957 after completing the paratrooper officers' course. Pannu is most famous for having led 2 Para in the famous [[Tangail Airdrop]] to capture the Poongli Bridge over the [[Jamuna River (Bangladesh)|River Jamuna]] on 11 December 1971, during the [[1971 War|Bangladesh Liberation War]]. The battalion was airdropped near [[Tangail]] (now in [[Bangladesh]]) and tasked to cut off the 93 Brigade of [[Pakistani Army]] which was retreating from the north to defend [[Dhaka]] and its approaches. For his conspicuous gallantry and leadership, Pannu was awarded the [[Maha Vir Chakra]].<ref name= IAEC>{{cite web|url=http://www.eastarmy.nic.in/liberation-bangladesh05.html|title='''The Liberation of Bangladesh.'''Eastern Command, Indian Army|website=eastarmy.nic.in|access-date=28 January 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927111705/http://www.eastarmy.nic.in/liberation-bangladesh05.html|archive-date=27 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=PR>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianparachuteregiment.kar.nic.in/heroes.htm|title='''Heroes.''' The Parachute Regiment, Indian Army|website=kar.nic.in|access-date=28 January 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608081808/http://www.indianparachuteregiment.kar.nic.in/heroes.htm|archive-date=8 June 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Maha Vir Chakra==
{{Quotation|{{center|'''Gazette Notification: 18 Pres/72,12-2-72'''}}
{{center|'''Operation: 1971 Cactus Lily'''}}
{{center|'''Date of Award: 11 Dec 1971'''}}

'''Citation:'''
Lieutenant Colonel K. S. Pannu was commanding a battalion, which was airdropped near Tangail on 11 December 1971. The task involved cutting enemy routes of withdrawal and preventing his build-up at Tangail. This also involved the capture of an enemy position on a vital bridge at Poongli. The drop of the battalion was widely dispersed and Lieutenant Colonel Pannu had to move from one location to another under enemy fire to collect his platoons. It was entirely due to his cool courage, utter disregard for his personal safety and his timely and skilful direction that his battalion captured the enemy position at Poongli, under his able leadership, the battalion repulsed numerous counter-attacks inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Lieutenant Colonel Pannu displayed conspicuous gallantry, exemplary leadership, determination and devotion to duty in keeping with the best traditions of the Army.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://twdi.in/node/1440|title=Mahavir Chakra (MVC), Awardee: Maj Gen Kulwant Singh Pannu, MVC @ TWDI|website=twdi.in}}</ref>}}

==References==
<references/>

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Chakravorty |first=B. C. |editor-last=Thapliyal |editor-first=U. P. |title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners |year=1995 |publisher=Allied Publishers |isbn=978-81-7023-516-3 |page=269 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzizVBSb4YsC&pg=PA269 |entry=IC–6213; Lt Col Pannu, Kulwant Singh, MVC}}
*{{cite news |last=Dutta |first=Sujan |title=Lt Col Kulwant Singh Pannu, Maha Vir of 2 Para |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/features/lt-col-kulwant-singh-pannu-maha-vir-of-2-para-297878 |work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] |date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/v5E7a |archive-date=18 August 2021 |url-status=live}}

{{1971 Indo-Pak War}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pannu, Kulwant Singh}}
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:People of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Maha Vir Chakra]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Para Commandos]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:1932 births]]

{{India-mil-bio-stub}}

Kulwant Singh Pannu - Revision history

Bot at 12:34, 8 October 2022