Indian Army Lieutenant General KPD Samanta, 1971 Indo-Pak and Kargil War hero, dies aged 70

Lieutenant General KPD Samanta (retired), a veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan War, 1984 Operation Blue Star and Kargil War in 1999, died on Monday (April 13, 2020) in New Delhi aged 70. The Army officer was suffering from cancer and breathed his last at Delhi's Apollo Hospital. His last rites were held at Brar Square in Delhi Cantonment on Monday afternoon.

An alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Military Academy, Lt Gen Samanta was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Artillery Regiment of the Indian Army. A former Director General of the Rashtriya Rifle, which is responsible for anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Lt Gen Samanta commanded the Bofors Artillery Brigade during the Kargil War in 1999 and under his leadership, the gunners inflicted massive casualties on the Pakistani soldiers and terrorists hiding in the icy heights of the Himalayas.

Lt Gen Samanta had also taken part in Operation Rajshak in Punjab to neutralise the Khaistani terror groups and in the 2001 Operation Parakram following the attack on Indian Parliament by Pakistani terrorists. The officer was a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) during his military career. He also served as a member of the Armed Force Tribunal in Kolkata under the Eastern Army Command.

Several military veterans mourned the loss of Lt Gen Samanta. They also recalled the vital role he played during the different military operations during his illustrious career.

Regret to info:

Lt Gen KPD Samanta (Retd), Gunner from 34 NDA, passed away at 0730 hrs today at Apollo Hospital.
Last Rites today at Brar Square at 3 PM.
May his Soul RIP.

Eternally in Grief...

— The Cynic (@StratMan001) April 13, 2020

Sad to learn about it. Condolences to the family. Rich tributes to his immense contribution in nation building. Om Shanti https://t.co/wFzVoPhiHZ — Lt Gen Gyan Bhushan (@bhushan_gyan) April 13, 2020

sad to receive this news. a very soft spoken and professional soldier. may GOD grant eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to the family to bear this loss — Maj. Gen. CM Seth (@cmseth1) April 13, 2020

Lost a very good friend and confidante of the last 45 years Lt Gen KPD Samanta - an indispensable member of the War Veteran Officers Association Odisha. Funeral today organized by the Army HQ in #Delhi. A big personal loss to me. May you Rest In Peace https://t.co/6r4SURpL16 — Lt. Gen Narayan Mohanty (@NarayanM321) April 13, 2020

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, too, paid his condolences to the brave soldier.

#Odisha mourns the loss of one of its most illustrious sons, Lt Gen (retd) KP Dhal Samanta. He was a veteran of 1971 War, Op Blue Star, Siachen & Kargil War. A proud alumnus of Sainik School, BBSR retired as DG of Rashtriya Rifles India’s main counter insurgency force in J&K. — Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) April 13, 2020

“Odisha mourns the loss of one of its most illustrious sons, Lt Gen (retd) KP Dhal Samanta. He was a veteran of 1971 War, Op Blue Star, Siachen & Kargil War. A proud alumnus of Sainik School, BBSR retired as DG of Rashtriya Rifles India’s main counter-insurgency force in J&K,” he tweeted.

After completing his schooling from Sainik School Bhubaneswar, Samanta joined the 34th NDA Course in July 1965 as a 19-year-old and passed out in May 1968. He then joined IMA Dehradun for his pre-commission training and was commissioned in the Indian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1969.