Meet Rifleman JS Rawat: Fought 300 Chinese Troops Alone For 72 Hours, Shot Himself With Last Bullet

The Indian soil has seen war since the beginning of time, and that hasn't changed after the independence in 1947. However, protecting the borders on either front have been the brave children of the motherland we call 'Bharat Mata'. One such son of the homeland was the Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, who laid down his life for his country.

During the last phase of the Indo-China war in 1962, the Indian Army was fighting with all its might at the North-East Frontier Agency (Nefa). Unfortunately, they were faced with an acute shortage of manpower and ammunition. This resulted in Jaswant Singh Rawant's battalion facing repeated assaults by the Chinese troops on November 17, 1962. Nonetheless, what the soldier did was encrypted in the soul of the Indian military's history.

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat single-handedly fought the Chinese Troops for 72 hours

Jaswant Singh Rawat was a young adult when he joined the Indian Army at the age of 19 in 1960. The soldier hailed from Baryun, a small village in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. Filled with love and devotion, he was part of the renowned 4 Garhwal Rifles, which is well-known for its gallantry and battle honours in various operations. Jaswant Singh Rawat was 22 years old when his bravery etched his name in the heart of the regiment for his unmatched dedication to the motherland. The soldier was fighting at the Indo-China border in the 1962 war. While the brave platoon fought with all its might, they were soon outnumbered and outgunned.

According to officials, the Chinese troops had advanced the attacks on the Indian Army at 5 am that day. While Jaswant and his brave mates took their positions, the shortage of manpower and ammunition soon got to them. Even though they were able to beat two of China's PLA groups. The Chinese troops soon switched to Medium Machine Guns, which proved to be deadly for the men across from them. Nonetheless, Jaswant, along with his soldier brothers, Lance Naik Trilok Singh Negi and Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain, tried to seize the MMG, but unfortunately, Lance and Gopal lost their lives, while Jaswant was severely injured. 

Despite the major loss, Jaswant Singh Rawat refused to retreat from his post and fought the enemy troops alone. Jaswant sought help from two Monpa girls, Sela and Noora and asked them to jump from bunker to bunker to confuse the enemy while the soldier alone fired shots at them. This continued for 72 hours, with the Chinese army unable to ascertain how many soldiers were engaged in firing at them. This delay and confusion cost the enemies 300 of their army men, earning the Indian army time to prepare to take over. 

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat shot himself with his last bullet

According to the locals, while Jaswant Singh Rawat was fighting China's People's Liberation Army troops, a man who was supplying food and other rations to the soldier was captured by the Chinese PLA soldiers. Afraid for his life, the man told the Chinese men about the reality of the situation, leaving them absolutely stunned. However, knowing the fact, the troops attacked in full force, and while one girl was killed by a grenade burst, the other girl was captured. Jaswant knew that he was cornered, but being killed by the Chinese army was not acceptable to him, so with his last bullet in the barrel of his gun, the soldier shot himself before he could be captured by the Chinese.

Jaswant Singh Rawat's head was cut off by the Chinese army 

Enraged by Jaswant Singh Rawat's last action, the Chinese army did something that was beyond brutal. The enemy troops cut off his head and took it back to China. However, once the ceasefire was in place, the Chinese officials were impressed by his bravery and returned his head along with a brass bust of the brave soldier as a mark of honour.

Jaswant Singh Rawat still guards his post

According to the legends shared in the military, Jaswant Singh Rawat still guards his post. At the Jaswantgarh War Memorial, his bed and uniform are prepared daily, and his everyday essentials are kept near the statue. This is because the troops deployed there believe that the brave soldier is still there and performs his duties. It is a well-known tale in the army that if a soldier falls asleep while on duty, Rifleman Jaswant Singh slaps him and wakes him up.

Jaswant Singh Rawat is still given a pension years after his death

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra and even received a promotion years after his passing. Not only that, the Ministry of Defence still writes a cheque for his pension decades after his death as a mark of respect for the soldier. A memorial including a statue and a Smriti Sthal was formed in honour of Jaswant Singh Rawat, 52 kilometres southeast of Tawang and north of the Se-la Tunnel on National Highway-13's Dirang-Tawang section. The memorial holds a lot of importance in the hearts of every soldier who ever joined the armed forces and reads:

"The 4 Garhwal Rifles was awarded the 'Battle Honour Nuranang', the only battle honour awarded to an Indian Army unit in the Sino-Indian war of 1962."

What are your thoughts on the life and devotion of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat? Let us know.

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