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{{Short description|Former general in the Indian army}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2011}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific_prefix=[[Lieutenant General]]
| honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant general (India)|Lieutenant General]]
|name = Kunhiraman Palat Candeth
| name = Kunhiraman Palat Candeth
|honorific_suffix=[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]]
| honorific_suffix = [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]]
|image= Kunhiraman Palath Candeth-.jpg
| image = Kunhiraman Palath Candeth-.jpg
|office = [[List of Governors of Goa|Military Governor of Goa, Daman and Diu]]
| office = [[List of Governors of Goa|Military Governor of Goa, Daman and Diu]]
|term_start = 19 December 1961
| term_start = 19 December 1961
|term_end = 6 June 1962
| term_end = 6 June 1962
|predecessor = ''Post Established''
| predecessor = ''Post Established''
|successor = T. Sivasankar (as [[List of Governors of Goa|Lieutenant Governor of Goa, Daman and Diu]])
| successor = T. Sivasankar (as [[List of Governors of Goa|Lieutenant Governor of Goa, Daman and Diu]])
|birth_date= 23 September 1916
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|09|23|df=yes}}
|death_date= 19 May 2003
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2003|05|19|1916|09|23|df=yes}}
|birth_place=[[Ottapalam]],[[Kerala]],[[India]]
| birth_place = [[Ottapalam]], [[Malabar District]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]
|death_place=
| death_place =
|placeofburial=
| placeofburial =
|nickname=
| nickname =
|allegiance={{flag|British India}}<br> {{flag|India}}
| allegiance = {{flag|British India}}<br> {{flag|Republic of India}}
|branch={{army|British India}}<br>{{army|India}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
|serviceyears=1934–1973
| serviceyears = 1934–1973
|rank= [[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg|14px]] [[Lieutenant General]]
| rank = [[File:Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.svg|14px]] [[Lieutenant General]]
|unit=[[Royal Indian Artillery]]
| unit = [[Royal Indian Artillery]]
|commands=[[File:IA_Western_Command.jpg|20px]] [[Western Command (India)|Western Army]]<br/> 8 Mountain Division<br/>17 Infantry Division
| commands = [[File:IA_Western_Command.svg|20px]] [[Western Command (India)|Western Army]]<br/> 8 Mountain Division<br/>17 Infantry Division
|battles=[[World War II]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1947]]<br />[[Operation Vijay (1961)|Operation Vijay]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]
| battles = [[World War II]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1947]]<br />[[Operation Vijay (1961)|Operation Vijay]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1965]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]
|awards= [[File:IND Padma Bhushan BAR.png|23px]] [[Padma Bhushan]]<br />[[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
| awards = [[File:Padma Bhushan Ribbon.svg|23px]] [[Padma Bhushan]]<br />[[File:Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|20px]] [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|relations= [[C. Sankaran Nair|Sir C. Sankaran Nair]] (Maternal Grandfather) <br/> [[Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar]] (Paternal Grandfather)
| relations = [[C. Sankaran Nair|Sir C. Sankaran Nair]] (Maternal Grandfather) <br/> [[Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar]] (Paternal Grandfather)<br/>[[C. Madhavan Nair|Sir C. Madhavan Nair]] (Maternal Uncle)
|laterwork= [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP)
| party = [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]
}}
}}


[[Lieutenant General]] '''Kunhiraman Palat Candeth''', [[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]] ([[Hindi]]: के पी कंडेथ; 23 October 1916&nbsp;– 19 May 2003), best known as '''K. P. Candeth''', was a senior [[Army ranks and insignia of India|army officer]] in the [[Indian Army]] who played a commanding role in [[Indian annexation of Goa|Liberation of Goa]] from [[Portuguese India|Portuguese control]] in 1961, and briefly tenured as the [[List of Governors of Goa|Military Governor in Goa, Daman and Diu]].
[[Lieutenant General (India)|Lieutenant General]] '''Kunhirāman Pālātt Kandèt''',[[Param Vishisht Seva Medal|PVSM]] (23 October 1916&nbsp;– 19 May 2003) was a senior [[Army ranks and insignia of India|officer]] in the [[Indian Army]] who played a commanding role in the [[Indian annexation of Goa|Liberation of Goa]] from [[Portuguese India|Portuguese control]] in 1961, and briefly served as the [[List of Governors of Goa|Military Governor of Goa, Daman and Diu]].


He later served as the [[Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Deputy Chief of Army Staff]] based on [[GHQ India|GHQ in New Delhi]] at the midst of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|second war]] in 1965, and later effectively commanded the [[Western Command (India)|Western Command]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|third war]] with Pakistan in 1971.
He later served as the [[Vice Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Deputy Chief of Army Staff]] based in [[GHQ India|GHQ in New Delhi]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|second war]] in 1965, and later effectively commanded the [[Western Command (India)|Western Command]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|third war]] with Pakistan in 1971.


==Early life==
==Early life==
He was born in [[Ottapalam]], [[Madras Presidency]] (now [[Kerala]]) in [[British Raj|British India]] (now [[India]]) to MA Candeth, being the grandson of the landlord and writer [[Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar]]. His maternal grandfather was [[Sir C. Sankaran Nair]], who was the President of the [[Indian National Congress]].<ref>C. Sankaran Nair By Kumara Padmanabha Sivasankara Menon p.138</ref><ref>BJP today, Volume 12. Page:20, Column:3</ref> He had done his training at the [[Rashtriya Indian Military College|Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College]], [[Dehradun]], where he was highly rated in the classroom and on the playing field. Candeth was commissioned in the [[British Indian Army]] on 30 August 1936 in 28 Field Brigade of the [[Royal Indian Artillery]].
He was born in [[Ottapalam]], [[Malabar District]] (now [[Kerala]]) in [[British Raj|British India]] (now [[India]]) to M. A. Candeth, the son of the [[Nayanar (Nair subcaste)|Nayanar]] landlord and writer [[Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar]]. His maternal grandfather was [[Sir C. Sankaran Nair]], who was the President of the [[Indian National Congress]].<ref>C. Sankaran Nair By Kumara Padmanabha Sivasankara Menon p.138</ref><ref>BJP today, Volume 12. Page:20, Column:3</ref>


==Military career==
==Military career==
===Pre-independence===
===Pre-independence===
Commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1936, Candeth saw action in West Asia during the Second World War. And, shortly before India's independence from colonial rule, he was deployed in the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North West Frontier Province]], bordering [[Afghanistan]], to quell local tribes. The mountainous terrain gave Candeth the experience for his later operations against [[Nagaland]] separatists in the North East. He attended the Military Services Staff College at [[Quetta]], capital of [[Baluchistan (Pakistan)|Baluchistan]] in 1945.
Commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1936, Candeth saw action in West Asia during the Second World War. Shortly before India's independence from colonial rule, he was deployed in the [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North West Frontier Province]], bordering [[Afghanistan]], to quell local tribal uprisings. The mountainous terrain gave Candeth the experience for his later operations against [[Nagaland]] separatists in the North East. He attended the Military Services Staff College at [[Quetta]], capital of [[Baluchistan (Pakistan)|Baluchistan]] in 1945.


===Kashmir 1947===
===Kashmir 1947===
Line 45: Line 46:


===Goa===
===Goa===
Following Indian independence from British rule, certain parts of India were still under foreign rule. While the French left India in 1954, the Portuguese, however, refused to leave. After complex diplomatic pressure and negotiations had failed, on 18 December 1961 [[Defence Minister of India|Defence Minister]] [[V.K. Krishna Menon]] ordered the military to overrun Goa and oust the Portuguese.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Faleiro |first=Valmiki |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYLyEAAAQBAJ |title=Goa, 1961: The Complete Story of Nationalism and Integration |date=24 July 2023 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5708-175-7 |language=en}}</ref> Candeth, whose father was close to Menon, all three of them being related as elite [[Nair|Nairs]],<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ram |first=Janaki |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PSFuAAAAMAAJ |title=V.K. Krishna Menon: A Personal Memoir |date=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-564228-5 |language=en}}</ref> was chosen by Menon to command in [[Operation Vijay (1961)|Operation Vijay]]—the Liberation of [[Goa]], Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule. In an obituary tribute to Candeth, The Independent of London however referred to him as "born into a middle-class Anglo-Indian family"<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 July 2003 |title=Lt-Gen K. P. Candeth |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ltgen-k-p-candeth-36784.html |access-date=17 April 2024 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> while early scholarly references also referred to him as Kenneth P. Candeth.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rubinoff |first=Arthur G. |title=India's Use of Force in Goa |date=1971 |publisher=Bombay; Popular Prakashan |edition=1st | publication-date=1971 |pages=92 |language=English}}</ref> https://web.stanford.edu/group/tomzgroup/pmwiki/uploads/1074-1971-Rubinoff-a-BTS.pdf As 17 Infantry Division commander, Candeth took the colony within a day and was immediately appointed Goa's first Indian administrator (acting as the Military Governor), a post he held till June 1962.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Malhotra |first=G. C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DFqbAAAAMAAJ |title=Cabinet Responsibility to Legislature: Motions of Confidence and No-confidence in Lok Sabha and State Legislatures |date=2004 |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat |isbn=978-81-200-0400-9 |language=en}}</ref> Controversial as the military action was, Candeth inevitably received critical coverage in the western press, although the primary brunt of criticism was Menon, followed by Nehru.
Following Indian independence from British rule, certain parts of India were still under foreign rule. While the French left India in 1954, the Portuguese, however, refused to leave. After complex diplomatic pressure and negotiations had failed, finally on 18 December 1961 the Indian prime minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]'s patience ran out and he sanctioned military action.
Kunhiraman Candeth earned his name in [[Operation Vijay (1961)|Operation Vijay]]—the Liberation of [[Goa]], Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule. As 17 Infantry Division commander, Candeth took the colony within a day and was immediately appointed Goa's first Indian administrator (acting as the Military Governor), a post he held till June 1962.


===North East===
===North East===
After relinquishing charge as Goa's Military Governor in 1963, Candeth was appointed GOC, Nagaland on 23 August 1963.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=339 |date=5 October 1963 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He took command of the newly raised 8 Mountain Division in the North-East on 15 November 1963,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=9 |date=11 January 1964 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> where he battled, although with little success, the highly organised Naga insurgents. The insurgency in the North East has not been quelled completely to this day. On 7 May 1965, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (DCOAS) with the acting rank of lieutenant-general.<ref name="DCOAS">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=211 |date=2 April 1966 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He was promoted lieutenant-general on 17 January 1966,<ref name="lt_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=211 |date=2 April 1966 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and was appointed GOC-in-C, Western Command on 27 September 1969.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1072 |date=1 November 1969 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
After relinquishing command as Goa's Military Governor in 1963, Candeth was appointed GOC, Nagaland on 23 August 1963.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=339 |date=5 October 1963 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He took command of the newly raised 8 Mountain Division in the North-East on 15 November 1963,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=9 |date=11 January 1964 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> where he battled, although with little success, the highly organised Naga insurgents. The insurgency in the North East has not been quelled completely to this day. On 7 May 1965, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (DCOAS) with the acting rank of lieutenant-general.<ref name="DCOAS">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=211 |date=2 April 1966 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 17 January 1966,<ref name="lt_gen">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=211 |date=2 April 1966 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> and was appointed GOC-in-C, Western Command on 27 September 1969.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1072 |date=1 November 1969 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>


==Indo-Pakistani War of 1971==
==Awards and later life==
⚫
Lt. Gen. Kunhiraman Palat Candeth was awarded the [[PVSM|Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] and also the [[Padma Bhushan]] by the [[Government of India]].<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref> Retiring from the army on 21 October 1972,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=105 |date=27 January 1973|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> he joined the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) in the 1990s and was appointed a member of the Party's Executive Committee.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |last2= |last3= |first3= |title='Liberator of Goa' Candeth dead |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/liberator-of-goa-candeth-dead/articleshow/46887325.cms |access-date=5 December 2022 |website=The Times of India |date= 19 May 2003|language=en}}</ref>
During the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] that led to [[East Pakistan]] breaking away to become [[Bangladesh]], Candeth (at that stage a lieutenant-general), was the Western Army commander responsible for planning and overseeing operations in the strategically crucial regions of [[Kashmir]], [[Punjab region|Punjab]] and [[Rajasthan]] where the fiercest fighting took place.

==Awards==
⚫
Lt. Gen. Kunhiraman Palat Candeth was awarded the [[PVSM|Param Vishisht Seva Medal]] and also the [[Padma Bhushan]] by the [[Government of India]].<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 }}</ref> He joined the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) in the 1990s and was appointed a member of the Party's Executive Committee.<ref>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/Liberator-of-Goa-Candeth-dead/articleshow/46887325.cms Liberator of Goa Candeth dead]</ref> He remained a bachelor till the end.


==Dates of rank==
==Dates of rank==
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|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-2.svg|35px]] || [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] || British Indian Army || 1940 (acting)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/><br>1 January 1941 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/><br>30 August 1944 (substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-2.svg|35px]] || [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]] || British Indian Army || 1940 (acting)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/><br>1 January 1941 (temporary)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/><br>30 August 1944 (substantive)<ref name="Indian_Army_List_47"/>
|-
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-2.svg|35px]] || Captain || [[Indian Army]] || 15 August 1947<ref name="insignia" group="note">Upon independence in 1947, India became a [[Dominion of India|Dominion]] within the British [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. As a result, the rank insignia of the [[British Army]], incorporating the [[Tudor Crown]] and four-pointed [[Order of the Bath|Bath Star]] ("pip"), was retained, as [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] remained Commander-in-Chief of the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. After 26 January 1950, when India became a [[Republic of India|republic]], the [[President of India]] became Commander-in-Chief, and the [[Lion Capital of Asoka|Ashoka Lion]] replaced the crown, with a five-pointed star being substituted for the "pip."</ref><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_OF-2.svg|35px]] || Captain || [[Indian Army]] || 15 August 1947<ref name="insignia" group="note">Upon independence in 1947, India became a [[Dominion of India|Dominion]] within the British [[Commonwealth of Nations]]. As a result, the rank insignia of the [[British Army]], incorporating the [[Tudor Crown (heraldry)|Tudor Crown]] and four-pointed [[Order of the Bath|Bath Star]] ("pip"), was retained, as [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] remained Commander-in-Chief of the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. After 26 January 1950, when India became a [[Republic of India|republic]], the [[President of India]] became Commander-in-Chief, and the [[Lion Capital of Asoka|Ashoka Lion]] replaced the crown, with a five-pointed star being substituted for the "pip."</ref><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British Army (1928-1953) OF-6.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] || Indian Army || 1948 (acting)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|align="center" |[[File:British Army (1928-1953) OF-6.svg|35px]] || [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] || Indian Army || 1948 (acting)<ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|-
|align="center" |[[File:British_Army_(1920-1953)_OF-3.svg|35px]] || Major || Indian Army || 30 August 1949<ref name="major_subs">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1520 |date=29 October 1949 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|align="center" |[[File:British Army (1920–1953) OF-3.svg|35px]] || Major || Indian Army || 30 August 1949<ref name="major_subs">{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1520 |date=29 October 1949 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref><ref name="insignia" group="note"/><ref name="insignia_designs"/>
|-
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Major_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major]] || Indian Army || 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=227 |date=11 February 1950 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|align="center" |[[File:Major_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Major (rank)|Major]] || Indian Army || 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)<ref name="insignia_designs">{{cite web|title=New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193914/http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_38/ACC%20NO%20807-BR/HOM-1950-01-06_484.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=227 |date=11 February 1950 |publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>
|-
|-
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant_Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] || Indian Army || 1953
|align="center" |[[File:Lieutenant_Colonel_of_the_Indian_Army.svg|35px]] || [[Lieutenant-Colonel]] || Indian Army || 1953
Line 99: Line 96:


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.hinduonnet.com/2003/05/20/stories/2003052002461300.htm K.P. Candeth's obituary in ''The Hindu'']
*{{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20070427113529/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2003/05/20/stories/2003052002461300.htm K.P. Candeth's obituary in ''The Hindu'']}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060714020422/http://www.goavidhansabha.gov.in/pastgov.php https://web.archive.org/web/20060714020422/http://www.goavidhansabha.gov.in/pastgov.php]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060714020422/http://www.goavidhansabha.gov.in/pastgov.php https://web.archive.org/web/20060714020422/http://www.goavidhansabha.gov.in/pastgov.php]

{{S-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Moti Sagar}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Deputy Chief of the Army Staff]]|years=1965-1966}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jagjit Singh Aurora]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Harbaksh Singh]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command]]|years=1969-1972}}
{{s-aft|after=M. L. Thapan}}
{{S-end}}

{{Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}}
{{Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1970–79}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1970–79}}
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[[Category:People from Ottapalam]]
[[Category:People from Ottapalam]]
[[Category:History of Goa]]
[[Category:History of Goa]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians|Candeth, KP]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Kerala|Candeth, KP]]
[[Category:Rashtriya Indian Military College alumni]]
[[Category:Rashtriya Indian Military College alumni]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal]]
[[Category:Deputy chiefs of Army Staff (India)]]

Latest revision as of 16:03, 28 December 2024

Lieutenant General
Kunhiraman Palat Candeth
PVSM
Military Governor of Goa, Daman and Diu
In office
19 December 1961 – 6 June 1962
Preceded byPost Established
Succeeded byT. Sivasankar (as Lieutenant Governor of Goa, Daman and Diu)
Personal details
Born(1916-09-23)23 September 1916
Ottapalam, Malabar District, Madras Presidency, British India
Died19 May 2003(2003-05-19) (aged 86)
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
RelationsSir C. Sankaran Nair (Maternal Grandfather)
Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar (Paternal Grandfather)
Sir C. Madhavan Nair (Maternal Uncle)
Awards Padma Bhushan
Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Military service
Allegiance British India
 Republic of India
Branch/service Indian Army
Years of service1934–1973
Rank Lieutenant General
UnitRoyal Indian Artillery
Commands Western Army
8 Mountain Division
17 Infantry Division
Battles/warsWorld War II
Indo-Pakistan War of 1947
Operation Vijay
Indo-Pakistan War of 1965
Indo-Pakistan War of 1971

Lieutenant General Kunhirāman Pālātt Kandèt,PVSM (23 October 1916 – 19 May 2003) was a senior officer in the Indian Army who played a commanding role in the Liberation of Goa from Portuguese control in 1961, and briefly served as the Military Governor of Goa, Daman and Diu.

He later served as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff based in GHQ in New Delhi during the second war in 1965, and later effectively commanded the Western Command during the third war with Pakistan in 1971.

Early life

[edit]

He was born in Ottapalam, Malabar District (now Kerala) in British India (now India) to M. A. Candeth, the son of the Nayanar landlord and writer Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar. His maternal grandfather was Sir C. Sankaran Nair, who was the President of the Indian National Congress.[1][2]

Military career

[edit]

Pre-independence

[edit]

Commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1936, Candeth saw action in West Asia during the Second World War. Shortly before India's independence from colonial rule, he was deployed in the North West Frontier Province, bordering Afghanistan, to quell local tribal uprisings. The mountainous terrain gave Candeth the experience for his later operations against Nagaland separatists in the North East. He attended the Military Services Staff College at Quetta, capital of Baluchistan in 1945.

Kashmir 1947

[edit]

After Independence, Candeth was commanding an artillery regiment that was deployed to Jammu and Kashmir after Pakistan-backed tribesmen attacked and captured a third of the province before being forced back by the Indian Army. Thereafter, Candeth held a series of senior appointments, including that of Director General of Artillery at Army Headquarters in Delhi, to which he was appointed on 8 September 1959, with the acting rank of major-general (substantive colonel).[3]

Goa

[edit]

Following Indian independence from British rule, certain parts of India were still under foreign rule. While the French left India in 1954, the Portuguese, however, refused to leave. After complex diplomatic pressure and negotiations had failed, on 18 December 1961 Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon ordered the military to overrun Goa and oust the Portuguese.[4] Candeth, whose father was close to Menon, all three of them being related as elite Nairs,[4][5] was chosen by Menon to command in Operation Vijay—the Liberation of Goa, Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule. In an obituary tribute to Candeth, The Independent of London however referred to him as "born into a middle-class Anglo-Indian family"[6] while early scholarly references also referred to him as Kenneth P. Candeth.[7] https://web.stanford.edu/group/tomzgroup/pmwiki/uploads/1074-1971-Rubinoff-a-BTS.pdf As 17 Infantry Division commander, Candeth took the colony within a day and was immediately appointed Goa's first Indian administrator (acting as the Military Governor), a post he held till June 1962.[8] Controversial as the military action was, Candeth inevitably received critical coverage in the western press, although the primary brunt of criticism was Menon, followed by Nehru.

North East

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After relinquishing command as Goa's Military Governor in 1963, Candeth was appointed GOC, Nagaland on 23 August 1963.[9] He took command of the newly raised 8 Mountain Division in the North-East on 15 November 1963,[10] where he battled, although with little success, the highly organised Naga insurgents. The insurgency in the North East has not been quelled completely to this day. On 7 May 1965, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (DCOAS) with the acting rank of lieutenant-general.[11] He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 17 January 1966,[12] and was appointed GOC-in-C, Western Command on 27 September 1969.[13]

Awards and later life

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Lt. Gen. Kunhiraman Palat Candeth was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and also the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.[14] Retiring from the army on 21 October 1972,[15] he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 1990s and was appointed a member of the Party's Executive Committee.[16]

Dates of rank

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Insignia Rank Component Date of rank
Second Lieutenant British Indian Army 15 July 1937 (seniority 30 August 1936)[17]
Lieutenant British Indian Army 30 November 1938[18]
Captain British Indian Army 1940 (acting)[17]
1 January 1941 (temporary)[17]
30 August 1944 (substantive)[17]
Captain Indian Army 15 August 1947[note 1][19]
Brigadier Indian Army 1948 (acting)[note 1][19]
Major Indian Army 30 August 1949[20][note 1][19]
Major Indian Army 26 January 1950 (recommissioning and change in insignia)[19][21]
Lieutenant-Colonel Indian Army 1953
Colonel Indian Army 30 August 1956[22]
Brigadier Indian Army 30 August 1959[23]
Major General Indian Army 8 September 1959 (acting)[3]
Lieutenant-General Indian Army 7 May 1965 (acting)[11]
11 January 1966 (substantive)[12]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Upon independence in 1947, India became a Dominion within the British Commonwealth of Nations. As a result, the rank insignia of the British Army, incorporating the Tudor Crown and four-pointed Bath Star ("pip"), was retained, as George VI remained Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces. After 26 January 1950, when India became a republic, the President of India became Commander-in-Chief, and the Ashoka Lion replaced the crown, with a five-pointed star being substituted for the "pip."

References

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  1. ^ C. Sankaran Nair By Kumara Padmanabha Sivasankara Menon p.138
  2. ^ BJP today, Volume 12. Page:20, Column:3
  3. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 24 October 1959. p. 260.
  4. ^ a b Faleiro, Valmiki (24 July 2023). Goa, 1961: The Complete Story of Nationalism and Integration. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5708-175-7.
  5. ^ Ram, Janaki (1997). V.K. Krishna Menon: A Personal Memoir. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-564228-5.
  6. ^ "Lt-Gen K. P. Candeth". The Independent. 18 July 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  7. ^ Rubinoff, Arthur G. (1971). India's Use of Force in Goa (1st ed.). Bombay; Popular Prakashan. p. 92.
  8. ^ Malhotra, G. C. (2004). Cabinet Responsibility to Legislature: Motions of Confidence and No-confidence in Lok Sabha and State Legislatures. Lok Sabha Secretariat. ISBN 978-81-200-0400-9.
  9. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 5 October 1963. p. 339.
  10. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 11 January 1964. p. 9.
  11. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 2 April 1966. p. 211.
  12. ^ a b "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 2 April 1966. p. 211.
  13. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 1 November 1969. p. 1072.
  14. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  15. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 27 January 1973. p. 105.
  16. ^ "'Liberator of Goa' Candeth dead". The Times of India. 19 May 2003. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d Indian Army List (Special Edition) August 1947. Government of India Press. 1947. p. 226.
  18. ^ Indian Army List (April 1939). Government of India Press. 1939. pp. 221P.
  19. ^ a b c d "New Designs of Crests and Badges in the Services" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2017.
  20. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 29 October 1949. p. 1520.
  21. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 11 February 1950. p. 227.
  22. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 20 April 1957. p. 97.
  23. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 31 October 1959. p. 266.
[edit]
Military offices
Preceded by
Moti Sagar
 Deputy Chief of the Army Staff
1965-1966 		Succeeded by
Preceded by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command
1969-1972 		Succeeded by
M. L. Thapan
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