Lt Gen B C Nanda passes away

Lt General (Retd) Biddanda Changappa Nanda passed away on Wednesday. He was 87. He was suffering from age-related ailments and died en route to a private hospital in Mysuru. He is survived by his wife and four daughters.

The last rites will be performed with full honours on Thursday noon, said family sources. B C Nanda had served as the Army Commander Northern Command.

Born to Biddanda Chengappa Bollavva on May 12, 1931, he was the son of Field Marshal K M Cariappa’s sister. He had served in the army between 1951 and 1989.

His father Changappa was a forest officer in Commonwealth Nations and had given priority to the conservation of forest. The college in Coimbatore and an island at Andaman and Nicobar is named after Changappa.

After completing his primary schooling in Madikeri, B C Nanda moved to Madras and later to Dehradun for his higher education. He also did his higher education in Royal College of Defense in London.

Close associates of B C Nanda said, “Indian Military Academy was situated in front of his house while he was pursuing his post graduation at Dehradun. He was inspired by the military officials at the Academy. Though his family wanted him to be a doctor, Nanda was attracted to the military and subsequently joined the Indian Army, where he served in various capacities.”

He was an ardent lover of sports and attended hockey, football and cricket tournaments in various parts of Kodagu, post his retirement.

An ex-serviceman said that Nanda was a voice of ex-servicemen in the district and pressed for various demands such as sites for ex-servicemen. He spent his autumn years in his residence at Abbey Falls Road.