Former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command and overall force commander of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, Lt Gen Depinder Singh, passed away in Panchkula on Tuesday at the age of 96.His mortals remain were consigned to the flames with full military honours today. He is survived by a daughter.Commissioned into the Eight Gorkha Rifles in December 1950, he has served as the Military Assistant to the then Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, making him a witness to high-level decision making and key events that shaped the course of history, especially the 1971 Bangladeshi liberation campaign.He was in Field Marshal Manekshaw’s staff from 1969 to 1973.Having participated in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, where he was the brigade Major of 41 Mountain Brigade that stopped the Pakistani advance towards Akhnoor, he later commanded a Gorkha Rifles battalion in counter insurgency environment.In 1975, during Sikkim’s merger into India, he was closely involved in the sensitive operation to disarm the then ruler, Chogyal’s personal bodyguard, the Sikkim Guards.After being promoted to Brigadier, he had commanded a brigade in Sikkim. Following a stint as the commander of the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan, he commanded the 36th Infantry Division as a Major General.As the GOC-in-C, Southern Command, he was appointed as the overall force commander of the IPKF when the India – Sri Lanka accord was signed in 1987 to disarm Tamil militant groups like the LTTE.While the operation in Sri Lanka, which saw intense and bitter battles, were largely considered a tactical military success, there were heavy Indian casualties and it threw up several hard lessons.Lt Gen Depinder Singh’s illustrious career was marked by courage, integrity and unwavering dedication to the nation. A proud and fine embodiment of the Gorkha spirit and values of bravery, loyalty and selfless service, he led with quiet strength, dignity and inspired all, Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh (retd), former Military Secretary to the President and Governor of Puducherry.”He was among the tallest figures of the Gorkha Brigade. Despite being a real soldier he was gentle and kind hearted, and his demise is a big loss to the Gorkha community as well as the service fraternity at large,” Lily Bawa, his neighbour whose husband , Lt Col IS Bawa was decorated posthumously with the Maha Vir Chakra said.After retiring in February 1988, Lt Gen Depinder authored several books, including one on the legacy of Field Marshal Manekshaw and others on his Sri Lankan experiences. He also remained active on the social front, speaking at various seminars and writing in military affairs.