Major General KV Krishna Rao
Tribune News Service,New Delhi, January 30
Former Army Chief Major General KV Krishna Rao, who played a key role in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, died today in New Delhi. He was 92. During the 1971 war, General Rao, who was heading the 8 mountain division then, and Lt Gen Sagat Singh, who was leading the 4 Corps, launched the first-ever helicopter-borne launch of troops in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. *Obituary: He put down insurgency in Northeast, J-KFor the job, General Rao had handpicked troops of the 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (the battalion of the current Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag). On December 6, General Rao’s division was tasked to capture Sylhet in the north-eastern part of that country. Six brigades of the Pakistan Army had fortified the town. The plan to send its own troops onboard helicopters was audacious. However, in a 12-hour operation using Mi-4 helicopters of the Indian Air Force, a full brigade of the Army had been moved across the Surma river. The troops had held back Pakistanis who were forced to surrender and that move allowed the other Indian troops to capture Dacca, the then name of Dhaka, from the eastern flank.During his tenure as the Army Chief from June 1, 1981, to July 1983, General Rao conceptualised to fortify defences in Arunachal Pradesh fearing Chinese incursions, a plan that was finally put in place under “Operation Falcon” in 1986 by General K Sundarji.General Rao was commissioned into the Army in August 1942. He had served in Burma, North West Frontier and Baluchistan during the Second World War. He was Chairman of the expert committee constituted by the government on Re-organisation and Modernisation for Defence of the country. He was the Western Army Commander during 1979-81.He was appointed the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in 1989, when a proxy war developed in the state and reached its peak. Barring a three-year break, he was the Jammu and Kashmir Governor till May 1998. In this capacity, he was instrumental in restoring peace and democracy in the insurgency-riven state. In a condolence message, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said: “The country has lost one of its best known military leaders.” Army Chief General Suhag also expressed deep condolences on General Rao’s demise.
Former Army chief Krishna Rao dead
CHANDIGARH/ DELHI: Gen KV Krishna Rao, 92, former chief of Army Staff and a former governor of J&K, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura, passed away at the Army’s Base Hospital, Delhi Cantonment, on Saturday.
Lt Gen KJ Singh, Army Commander, Western Command, expressed condolences on behalf of all ranks on the demise of the former commander of Western Command. He described him as a general with extraordinary leadership qualities and finest military mind. Kotikalapudi Venkata Krishna Rao was born on July 16, 1923 and remained the governor of Jammu and Kashmir from 1989-90 and from 1993-1998.
Gen Rao was commissioned in Mahar Regiment in 1942. As a young officer, he served in Burma, North West Frontier and Baluchistan during Second World War. He participated in the first war against Pakistan in 194748. He commanded a Mountain Division during the 1971 war, wherein his division captured the Sylhet area and liberated northeast Bangladesh. He displayed outstanding leadership, courage, determination and drive during this war and was awarded the Param Vishisht Sewa Medal.
When a proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir had reached its peak, he was reappointed the governor. In this capacity, he was instrumental in restoring peace and democracy in the state.
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar remembered the veteran’s contribution in the 1971 war. “The country has lost one of its best military leaders. He was a visionary who led ably, inspired a generation of soldiers and initiated modernisation of the Army in early 1980s. His contribution in the 1971 war and in maintaining unity and integrity of the country will be remembered,” Parrikar said. J&K governor NN Vohra expressed grief over the demise and conveyed sympathies with the family. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also expressed grief.