Salutations to 4th Garhwal Rifles’ Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, who single handedly killed 300 Chinese soldiers in 1962
These days when twenty brave hearts n dare devils of Indian Army have laid down their precious lives while valiantly fighting the notorious Chinese, killing 40 soldiers of People Liberation Army at Galwan Valley, our thoughts spontaneously go back to 1962 era when our dare devil n brave heart of 4 Garhwal Rifles, twenty four year old Martyr, Rifleman Jaswant Singh who single handedly killed more than 300 Chinese soldiers n officers, while ferociously n with immense valour fighting the war of Nurarang at Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh for incessant 72 hours laid down his precious life whose head was decapitated by the Chinese Army.
While the hectic firing was being exchanged between the Indian Army n the PLA, the Chinese forces in large numbers entered Arunachal Pradesh killing good number of Indian soldiers at Tawang.
After confronting heavy casualties and diminishing of the ration of Garhwal Rifles including amunitions, the Garhwal Rifles’ seniors were constrained to instruct their soldiers at Nurarang, Tawang to leave their positions immediately in order to save their lives.
The Chinese advancement and dominance compelled several soldiers to unwillingly leave their positions but highly patriotic, brave and full of valour angry Jaswant Singh Rawat and two of his compatriots of 4 Garhwal Rifles viz lance Naik Trilok Singh Negi and Gopal Singh Gusain flatly refused to leave their positions but instead pledged to fight the coward Chinese soldiers tooth and nail, preferring to lay down their lives for the country in the line of duty than to leave their positions on the war front. They were so angry by the extensive casualties that they wanted to give a befitting reply to the Chinese soldiers by avenging these casualties.
According to the reliable versions of the 1962 war of Nurarang in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, the trio Rifleman Jaswant Singh, Lance Naik Trilok Singh n Gopal Singh of 4 Garhwal Rifles continued firing on Chinese soldiers from their positions but were worried about the extensive damage done to the Indian side viz heavy casualties of Indian soldiers compelling remaining soldiers to leave their positions.
However, now only three of them were left on the heavy war front facing the Chinese heavy intermittant firing from a bunker through a machine gun.
Raifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat planned to damage the Chinese bunkar from where these soldiers were heavily firing cladestinely, inflicting huge damage to the Indian side thus killing our soldiers via their machine guns incessantly.
Least worried for their precious lives these trio continued firing on the Chinese with the help of two local girls giving them clues about the enemy positions, who hailed from Arunachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile Rifleman Jaswant Singh, Lance Naik Trilok Singh n Gopal Singh Gusain threw a grenade on the bunker of the Chinese by cladestinely going to their side and killing several Chinese soldiers. After the extensive damage to the Chinese soldiers Trilok Singh Negi was grievously injured n later on succumbed to his grievous injuries.
Meanwhile the Chinese machine gun was brought by Rifleman Jaswant Singh on the Indian side and turned its position towards the Chinese positions killing more than three hundred PLA soldiers.
Prior to the Chinese Bunker destruction by clandestinely lobbing the granade n killing several Chinese solders by turning the position of Chinese machine gun towards the PLA soldiers, Rifle Jaswant Singh continued firing at Chinese soldiers from his position.
It is said that he fought empty stomach for 72 hours single handedly and killed more than 300 Chinese soldiers. After decapitating dare devil n brave heart Rifle Jaswant Singh who shot himself on his tample , the Chinese realised that it was not the Garhwal Rifle battalion but a single soldier who killed more than 300 Chinese soldiers by his extreme courage, valour n brave heart.
Later on they presented his metallic head trophy to the Indian government as a mark of respect for his bravery with Salutes. Thereafter , a temple was built at Tawang Arunachal Pradesh worshipped by the officers n jawans of Indian Army.
He till date gets periodic promotions as any other fauji gets and has been promoted to the rank of captain. His shoes are polished daily, dress ironed n food served at a scheduled time.
It is believed that Rifleman Jaswant Singh soul still exists n roams in Tawang n blesses one n all on duty. Salutations to this great soldier for his outstanding sacrifice for the nation. Rifleman Jaswant Singh’s mother died last year. The supreme sacrifice of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat of 4 Garhwal Rifles, Lance Naik Trilok Singh Rawat n Gopal Singh Gusain in protecting Arunachal Pradesh from the greedy coward Chinese is written in the golden letters in India’s war history.
He had been bestowed with the highest coved honour Mahavir Chakra posthumously. A bollywoodmovie has also been made on his outstanding bravery and supreme sacrifice at a young age of merely 22.
