Brigadier Kailas Prasad Pande's tale of valour is certainly one for the books. This one incident dates back precisely 52 years during the 1971 India-Pakistan war and Operation Cactus Lily on the eastern front had taken a fearsome turn. Leading this battle was Brigade Commander Brigadier Shiv Yadav, who had been severely injured, forcing him to withdraw from the battlefield.
The Indian Army was determined not to let Operation Cactus Lily face any setback. Therefore, Lieutenant General Sagat Singh, the Corps Commander of the Fourth Corps, entrusted the responsibility of leading 61 Mountain Brigade to Brigadier Kailash Prasad Pandey, affectionately known as Brigadier Tom Pande.
Taking charge of the 61 Mountain Brigade and formulating a new strategy for the war, Brigadier Pande broke into the enemy lines like a thunderstorm on December 6, 1971.
He, along with his brigade, covered a distance of 40 miles (64 km) in the next 72 hours. They confronted and overcame every challenge and adversary that came their way during this journey. By this point, Brigadier Pande had gained control over every location within the 40-mile radius. However, he did not stop there. On December 9, 1971, he advanced further with the 12 Kumaon Infantry Battalion and an armored detachment, swiftly capturing the strategically important communication centre Daudkandi to the southeast of Dhaka.
Following this, Brigadier Pande also seized the Daudkandi Steamer Station on the southern bank of the Meghna River. Consequently, a large number of Pakistani soldiers found themselves trapped between Cumilla and Daudkandi. With no escape route except surrender, they had no choice but to surrender to Brigadier Pande.
Ultimately, the enemy surrendered on December 9. This remarkable success led to the capture of 1,500 Pakistani soldiers, including Lieutenant Colonel Naeem, a commanding officer in the Pakistani Army. It was the largest surrender from the Pakistani side on the eastern front so far. In the ongoing battle, Brigadier Pande had completely secured Chandina, Daudkandi and Mainamati. In the Mainamati confrontation, Brigadier Pande's warfare skills left the enemy completely powerless and compelled them to kneel before him.
Furthermore, on December 16, Brigadier Sheikh Mansoor Hussain Atif, the commander of Pakistan's 117 Infantry Brigade, surrendered before Brigadier Pande with 50 of his officers and 5,000 soldiers. In recognition of Brigadier Kailash Prasad Pande's leadership skills and bravery displayed in this war, he was honoured with India's second-highest gallantry award, the Mahavir Chakra.
