Remembering Mahavir Chakra Major Anup Singh Gahlaut, brave and exemplary leader in 1971 Indo-Pak War

 

 

 

 

 

Major Gahlaut was born on 19th Sept. 1940 to an army officer, Lt Col Dalel Singh Gahlaut, in Nangloi village, Delhi. Being born to an army officer, he grew up to be as bold and courageous as his father was. He was commissioned in 3 Dogra Regiment in 1962.

 

 

On 3rd Dec, during Indo-Pak war of 1971, Dogra regiment was deployed in Laksham in the east. The regiment was assigned to move into enemy-held territory and put up road-blocks all along the Chauddagram-Laksham road. Two companies surged ahead and had two enemy platoons trapped. The enemy had realised that they had been surrounded and there was no route of escape for them unless they overran one of the Dogra campanies.

 

 

Major Gahlaut was leading one platoon from the front and it was deployed in the open when he recieved an unexpected enemy attack from the rear. The determinant officer rallied his troops with utmost fierceness encouraging his men to give it back to the forces of Pakistan. Amid heavy firing, the brave- heart sustained grievous wounds but refused to give in. Though hours later, we lost the brave son of the country as he succumbed due to bleeding profusely.

 

 

Maj Anup Singh Gahlaut was part of Indo-Pak war of 1965 also. The seventeen-day war had caused thousands of casualties on both sides and witnessed the largest engagement of armored vehicles and the largest tank battle since World War II.