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{{Short description|Indian Army officer (1969–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Brigadier (India)|Brigadier]]
| name = Lakhbinder Singh Lidder
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|size=100%|country=IND|SM|VSM}}
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
|nickname = Tony
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1969|06|26|df=yes}}
| death_date = {{death date and age |2021|12|8|1969|6|26 |df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[New Delhi]], India
| death_place = Nanjappachatiram, [[Vandicholai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| branch = [[File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|24px]] [[Indian Army]]
| unit = [[Jammu and Kashmir Rifles|2 JAK RIF]]
| battles =
| serviceyears = 1990–2021
| rank = [[File:Brigadier of the Indian Army.svg|25px]] [[Brigadier (India)|Brigadier]]
| awards = [[File:Sena_Medal_ribbon.svg|30px]] [[Sena Medal]]<br>[[File:Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|30px]] [[Vishisht Seva Medal]]
| servicenumber = IC-49905M<ref name=commission/>
| Image Size =
}}

[[Brigadier (India)|Brigadier]] '''Lakhbinder Singh 'Tony' Lidder''' {{Post-nominals|size=100%|country=IND|SM|VSM}} (26 June 1969 – 8 December 2021) was an [[Indian Army]] officer. He was the [[Military assistant|Defence Assistant]] to the [[Chief of Defence Staff (India)|Chief of Defence Staff]] (CDS) of the [[Indian Armed Forces]] [[General (India)|General]] [[Bipin Rawat]]. He died in the [[2021 Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 crash]] along with the CDS and 12 officers and defence personal from the Indian Army and [[Indian Air Force]].<ref name="Firstpost_Tony">{{cite news |last=Sodhi |first=J. S. |date=9 December 2021 |title=The Tony I knew: Remembering Brig LS Lidder who lost his life with CDS Bipin Rawat in Coonoor helicopter crash |url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/the-tony-i-knew-remembering-brig-ls-lidder-who-lost-his-life-with-cds-bipin-rawat-in-coonoor-helicopter-crash-10198601.html |work=Firstpost |location= |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="Tribune_Brigadier_cremated">{{cite news |author= |date=10 December 2021 |title=Brigadier Lidder cremated with full military honours; Rajnath Singh, Ajit Doval, ML Khattar pay last respects |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/defence-minister-nsa-haryana-cm-pay-last-respects-to-brigadier-lidder-348649 |work=The Tribune |location= |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Born into a military family, Lidder - then still Singh - completed his studies at the Kendriya Vidyalaya in [[Mhow]], where he was a brilliant student. After passing the exam for the [[National Defence Academy (India)|National Defence Academy]] (NDA) on his first attempt, he joined the 77th course of the NDA in January 1987 and was assigned to the academy's India Squadron.<ref name="Firstpost_Tony"/> After the NDA, he entered the [[Indian Military Academy]] (IMA) where he excelled, serving as cadet sergeant major of his company (Alamein Company) in his third term.<ref name="Firstpost_Tony"/>

==Career==
On 15 December 1990, Lidder was commissioned a [[second lieutenant]] in the second battalion, the [[Jammu and Kashmir Rifles]].<ref name=commission>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1763 |date=26 September 1992 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1992/O-0470-1992-0039-18774.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> From 1992 to 1995, he served in the [[Kashmir Valley]] as a company commander and his battalion's adjutant,<ref name="Firstpost_Tony"/> with promotion to lieutenant on 15 December 1992.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1872 |date=9 October 1993 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1993/O-0410-1993-0041-16532.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> During his posting, he played a key role in coordinating and directing his battalion's operations,<ref name="Firstpost_Tony"/> and "for acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage" was awarded the [[Sena Medal]] (SM) as an acting [[Captain (armed forces)|captain]] in the January 1994 Republic Day awards list.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 1: President's Secretariat |page=266 |date=19 March 1994 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1994/O-0358-1994-0012-14236.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He also received the Chief of Army Staff’s Commendation Card and the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief’s Commendation Card for his services,<ref name="Firstpost_Tony"/> and was promoted to substantive captain on 15 December 1995.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=390 |date=23 March 1996 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1996/O-0277-1996-0012-10095.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

Lidder was subsequently posted to the NDA as a squadron commander, followed by appointment as an adjutant at the Indian Military Academy.<ref name="Firstpost_Tony"/> Promoted to [[major]] on 15 December 2000,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1465 |date=15 December 2001 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2001/O-2471-2001-0050-112740.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> he adopted his surname of "Lidder" in 2003 while stationed at the NDA.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part IV: Advertisements and Notices|page=175 |date=28 June 2003 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2003/W_26_2011_138.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> During this period, he completed the Staff Course and the Higher Command Course, receiving promotion to [[Lieutenant colonel|lieutenant-colonel]] on 16 December 2004.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=2418 |date=3 December 2005 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2005/W_49_2012_119.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He then commanded his battalion in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], as a part of the United Nations [[MONUSCO]] peacekeeping force, serving in an Indian Army brigade commanded by then-Brigadier [[Bipin Rawat]].<ref name="Firstpost_Tony"/>

Returning to India, Lidder served as a director at the Military Operations Directorate.<ref name="Tribune_Brigadier_cremated"/> He was promoted to substantive [[Colonel (India)|colonel]] (by selection) on 1 May 2009.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=2207 |date=27 November 2010 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2010/W_48_2010_034.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He served as the [[Military attaché|defence attaché]] in the embassy in [[Kazakhstan]] before receiving promotion to [[Brigadier (India)|brigadier]] on 20 September 2017 (seniority from 1 November 2015),<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=2970 |date=25 December 2021 |url=https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2021/232121.pdf |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and being given command of a brigade in [[Himachal Pradesh]] on the Indo-Tibetan border.<ref name="CDS_staff">{{cite news |last1=Singhal |first1=Pallavi |last2=Chhina|first2=Man Aman Singh|last3=Chaba|first3=Anju Agnihotri|date=9 December 2021 |title=On CDS’s staff: Brigadier in line for a promotion, Lt Col who had served in Siachen |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/on-rawat-staff-brigadier-who-served-in-siachen-7663227/ |work=The Indian Express |location= |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref> A frequent writer and defence analyst, Lidder published a number of articles on Indian and regional military developments, including for the [[Centre for Land Warfare Studies]].<ref name="CDS_staff"/> After completing advanced courses at the [[National Defence College (India)|National Defence College]], New Delhi, Lidder was selected by his former commanding officer Rawat, by then Chief of the Defence Staff, to serve as his Defence Assistant.<ref name="Firstpost_Tony"/> Awarded the [[Vishisht Seva Medal]] (VSM) in 2020,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/List%20of%20all%20gallantry%20and%20distinguished%20service%20awardees.%20-%20Copy%201.pdf |title=List Of Personnel Being Conferred Gallantry And Distinguished Awards On The Occasion Of Republic Day-2020 |author= |date=25 January 2020 |website=Press Information Bureau |publisher=Ministry of Defence |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref> he joined Rawat's staff that year.<ref name="CDS_staff"/> In 2021, he was selected for promotion to [[Major general (India)|major general]], and was scheduled to have been appointed [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding]] (GOC) of a [[Division (military)|division]] in 2022.<ref name="Firstpost_Tony"/>

==Death==
{{Main|2021 Indian Air Force Mi-17 crash}}
Lidder died in the crash of an [[Indian Air Force]] [[Mil Mi-17|Mil Mi-17V-5]] transport helicopter on 8 December 2021. He was accompanying CDS Gen.Bipin Rawat, his wife and the rest of his staff on a flight to the [[Defence Services Staff College]] (DSSC) in [[Wellington, Tamil Nadu]], where Rawat was scheduled to address the institution's personnel and students. At around 12:10 p.m. local time, the aircraft crashed near a residential colony of private tea estate employees on the outskirts of the hamlet of Nanjappachatiram, [[Bandishola]] panchayat, in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area of [[Coonoor]] taluk, [[Nilgiris district]].<ref name="TNIE_chopper_crash">{{cite news |last1=M. |first1=Saravanan|last2=Sundar|first2=P. S. |date=8 December 2021 |title=First Chief of Defence Bipin Rawat, 12 others killed in chopper crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/dec/08/first-chief-of-defence-bipin-rawat-12-others-killed-in-chopper-crash-in-tamil-nadus-coonoor-2393293.html |work=The New Indian Express |location= |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="TNIE_Coonoor">{{cite news |last=M. |first=Saravanan|date=8 December 2021 |title=Coonoor helicopter mishap: 'One of the injured men asked for water', recount eyewitnesses |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/dec/08/coonoor-helicopter-mishap-one-of-the-injured-men-asked-for-water-recount-eyewitnesses-2393307.html|work=The New Indian Express |location= |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="Sulur_tragedy">{{cite news |last=Saravanan |first=M.|date=9 December 2021 |title=Sulur chopper tragedy: 'Never seen anything this tragic', say Coonoor fire and rescue personnel |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/dec/08/sulur-chopper-tragedy-never-seen-anything-this-tragic-say-coonoor-fire-and-rescue-personnel-2393297.html|work=The New Indian Express |location= |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref> The crash site was 10 km from the flight's intended destination.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Madhav|first=Pramod |date=8 December 2021|title=CDS General Bipin Rawat's chopper crashes in Tamil Nadu|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/army-chopper-crash-tamil-nadu-coonoor-1885464-2021-12-08|access-date=10 December 2021|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref> Apart from Group Captain Varun Singh, who was an instructor at the DSSC, all of the persons aboard the flight were killed; of those, only the bodies of General Rawat, his wife and Lidder could be readily identified.<ref name="last_rites">{{cite news |last1=Kaushik |first1=Krishn |last2=Bhatnagar|first2=Amil|date=10 December 2021 |title=General Bipin Rawat’s last rites today, Army works to identify remains of ten |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/general-bipin-rawats-last-rites-today-army-works-to-identify-remains-of-ten-7664931/ |work=The Indian Express |location= |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref>

Along with those of the others killed in the crash, Lidder's body was flown to Palam Air Base in Delhi on 9 December. He was cremated with full military honours at the [[Delhi Cantonment#Brar Square crematorium|Brar Square crematorium]] in [[Delhi Cantonment]] at 9:00 a.m. on 10 December 2021.<ref name="last_rites"/> Among those in attendance were [[Minister of Defence (India)|Defence Minister]] [[Rajnath Singh]], [[National Security Advisor (India)|National Security Advisor]] [[Ajit Doval]] and [[List of chief ministers of Haryana|Chief Minister of Haryana]] [[Manohar Lal Khattar]].<ref name="Tribune_Brigadier_cremated"/>

==Personal life==
Lidder was the son of the late Colonel Mehnga Singh. He was survived by his mother, brother Raj Lidder and sister Sukhwinder Cheema, along with his wife Geetika, a schoolteacher, and their 17-year-old daughter, Aashna.<ref name="Tribune_Panchkula">{{cite news |author= |date=9 December 2021 |title=Panchkula loses decorated Brigadier in crash that killed CDS|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/defence-minister-nsa-haryana-cm-pay-last-respects-to-brigadier-lidder-348649 |work=The Tribune |location= |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=|date=9 December 2021 |title=‘We must give him a smiling send-off’: Brigadier LS Lidder’s wife |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chopper-crash-brigadier-l-s-lidder-7665942/ |work=The Indian Express |location= |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref>

==Decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sena_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|colspan="4"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Samanya Seva medal.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Special Service Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Operation Parakram medal.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND High Altitude Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=MONUC_Medal_bar.gif|width=106}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|
|[[Sena Medal]]
|[[Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|
|-
|[[Samanya Seva Medal]]
|colspan="2"|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Special Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Operation Parakram Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Sainya Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|High Altitude Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|Videsh Seva Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|50th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|-
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|30 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|20 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Service and campaign medals|9 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[MONUSCO]]
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lidder, Lakhbinder Singh}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:United Nations military personnel]]
[[Category:People from Haryana]]
[[Category:Indian Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:National Defence College, India alumni]]
[[Category:National Defence Academy (India) alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sena Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2021]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in India]]
[[Category:Victims of helicopter accidents or incidents]]

Lakhbinder Singh Lidder - Revision history

Bot at 13:38, 15 December 2022