Indian War Heroes

Jaswant Singh Rawat – The War hero of India China war 1962

December 7, 2021

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Jaswant Singh Rawat – The War hero of India China war 1962

A soldier who killed 300 enemies, the man who saved Arunachal Pradesh from the Chinese. The war hero of Indo China war in 1962 “Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat”. The 21 year old is the one who fought for 72 hours with the Chinese Army and this lone warrior killed more than 300 enemies in 72 hours.

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was a man of bravery who was born on 19 August 1941. In 1962 at the age of 21 he received the Mahavir Chakra in the War with China.

This 21-year-old Sepoy from the unit refused to leave the battleground when the troops of Garhwal Rifles were given the command to go back from the Battle of Nuranang. Showing extraordinary courage, he took the post and gave a hard time to the Chinese soldiers with his boldness. Rifleman Jaswant Singh fought courageously for three days and was killed in the battle, and almost to the last man.

India China War 1962

In this adventurous act, the young man crept in the snow to silence the enemy medium machine gun that was shooting lethal fire on Indian troops.

Indian soldiers prevented them from capturing Arunachal by beating back the fifth Chinese attack. China had an immense loss in their number of soldiers as they lost over 300 men, the most casualty it suffered in the war.

Jaswant Singh’s drenched snow. Far from his own land Garhwal, the poor chowkidar’s son kept up to become Tawang folklore, where the unofficial story of his bravery is more known than what is written on the official plaque.

“Locals say that bhaisaab defied orders and defended his post after the troops around him had withdrawn. He was helped by two local girls, Nura and Sela. He fired from three different locations, making the Chinese believe that they were confronted by a large number of Indian soldiers. When they finally came to know that he was the lone soldier, they shot him and severed his head,” says Vijay Rawat of his brother, taking some time to wipe his tears and compose himself.

“They say the Chinese acknowledged his bravery and sent a brass replica of his head that is now in the memorial.”

Perhaps, this might be one of the reasons why director Avinash Dhyani had made a biopic on Jaswant Singh Rawat in 2019.

The Hindi movie 72 Hours: Martyr Who Never Died, directed by Avinash Dhyani, starring himself Virendra Saxena and many other talented actors is based on the story of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat.

Vijay Rawat declared that his body did not come home as it was not recognizable and the country did not have the means to bring all its soldiers home.

His trunk was received with some of his stuff. They made several copies out of one passport picture in various sizes for his memory.

Vijay Rawat thinks that his brother deserved the Param Vir Chakra. His bravery deserved the highest award for gallantry, not the second highest he said.

Jaswant’s Mahavir Chakra had mentioned that along with two other soldiers, he took charge of the MMG, lobbed grenades and killed three Chinese soldiers. The execution was high-priority to changing the course of the battle.

“I have written to Modiji about this. If Netaji’s files can be reopened, my brother’s case can also be taken up,” he says.

“If not for his sacrifice, the Chinese would have reached Assam.”

Jaswantgarh War Memorial (Arunachal Pradesh)

Jaswant Garh is a well-known tourist spot in Arunachal Pradesh. It is mostly visited all year round. This place was commonly known as Jaswantgarh War Memorial. This was built as a garland in honor of the remembrance of the late Jaswant Singh Rawat. Jaswant Rawat was esteemed by a memorial at the place where he battled with the Chinese army. Today, visitors flocking from different states can be noticed in Jaswant Garh. This spot is one of the must visit attractions to visit in Arunachal Pradesh.

From about 25 kilometers from Tawang in Nuranang district Jaswant Garh is located. This major attraction lies at an altitude of about 10,000 feet and a fascinating aspect is that, all over the memorial has a dotted camouflage pattern   around the temple-like structure.

Anyhow, presently it is found that the Garhwal Rifles deployed on the Indian western borders. An additional interesting thing about this memorial is that you can observe at least a few personnel here, looking after Jaswant Garh (Rawat). This place under the name of a great person is a must visit and can make a day out of it by simply visiting the attraction and snacking along with different quick foods to keep you warm during cold weather. This popular tourist destination serves all kinds of snacks for food lovers to refresh themselves and visit the destination.

Jaswant Singh’s exhibition of boldness, and his passion for his nation has made him a great man of inspiration to Indian soldiers.

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