Jaswant Singh Rawat: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}

| honorific_prefix     = [[Rifleman]]

| name                 = Jaswant Singh Rawat

| honorific_suffix     = [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]]

| image                 = Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, Maha Vir Chakra, 4 Garhwal Rifles.jpg

| caption               = Army headshot of Rawat from the 1960s

| birth_date           = {{birth date|df=yes|1941|08|19}}

| birth_place           = Baryun, [[Garhwal District]], [[United Provinces (1937–50)|United Provinces]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br>{{small|(present-day [[Chamoli district]], [[Uttarakhand]], [[India]])}}

| death_date           = {{death date and age|df=yes|1962|11|17|1941|08|19}}

| death_place           = [[Nuranang Falls|Nuranang]], [[North-East Frontier Agency]], [[India]]<br>{{small|(present-day [[Arunachal Pradesh]], [[India]])}}

| branch               = {{army|India}}

| allegiance           = {{flagicon|India}} [[Republic of India]]

| rank                 = [[Rifleman]]

| unit                 = 4th [[Garhwal Rifles]]

| serviceyears         = 1

| battles             = [[Sino-Indian War]]

| awards               = [[File:Maha Vir Chakra ribbon.svg|32px]] [[Maha Vir Chakra]]

[[Rifleman]] '''Jaswant Singh Rawat''', [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]] (19 August 1941 – 17 November 1962) was an [[Indian Army]] soldier serving in the [[Garhwal Rifles]] who was awarded the prestigious [[Maha Vir Chakra]] posthumously as a result of his actions during the battle of Nuranang in present-day [[Arunachal Pradesh]], [[India]], during the [[Sino-Indian War]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-04-13|title=72 Hours: A Movie On Jaswant Singh, The Man Who Saved Arunachal Pradesh From The Chinese|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/the-heroic-story-of-jaswant-singh-the-man-who-saved-arunachal-pradesh-from-the-chinese-army-247929.html|access-date=2020-07-12|website=IndiaTimes|language=en-IN}}</ref>

The [[Rifleman]] Jaswant Singh Rawat was serving in the 4th battalion, 4th [[Garhwal Rifles]] on 17 November 1962 during the Battle of [[Nuranang Falls|Nuranang]], in the [[North-East Frontier Agency]] (now [[Arunachal Pradesh]]). On that day, the 4th Garhwal Rifles had beaten back two [[People's Liberation Army]] charges on their position. During a third intrusion, a Chinese [[medium machine gun]] (MMG) had come close to the Indian defenses and was firing accurately at their positions. [[Rifleman]] Jaswant Singh Rawat, along with [[Lance Naik]] Trilok Singh Negi and [[Rifleman]] Gopal Singh Gusain volunteered to subdue the MMG.<ref>{{Cite news|last=ANI|date=2019-11-18|title=War heroes of 1962 Sino-Indian war remembered on Nuranang Day|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/war-heroes-of-1962-sino-indian-war-remembered-on-nuranang-day-119111801674_1.html|access-date=2021-07-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=author|title=Heroes of 1962 war in Arunachal: Battle of Nuranang {{!}} The Arunachal Times|url=https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2019/12/22/heroes-of-1962-war-in-arunachal-battle-of-nuranang/|access-date=2021-07-12|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-07|title=The Story of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat: The Hero Of Nauranang|url=http://www.scrolldroll.com/the-story-of-rifleman-jaswant-singh-rawat/|access-date=2021-07-12|website=Stories for the Youth!|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat MVC {{!}} Honourpoint|url=https://www.honourpoint.in/profile/rifleman-jashwant-singh-rawat-mvc/|access-date=2021-07-12|language=en-US}}</ref>

Rawat's company eventually decided to withdraw, but Rawat remained and kept up the fight with the help of two local girls named Sela and Noora. Later, Sela was killed and Noora captured. Rushing from position to position, Rawat held off the enemy for 72 hours until the Chinese captured a local supplier, who told them that they were facing only one fighter. The Chinese then stormed Rawat's position, but the exact details of his death are unclear. Some accounts claim that Rawat shot himself with his last round of ammunition; others state that he was taken prisoner and executed by the Chinese. But out of respect for his bravery, the Chinese commander eventually returned Rawat's severed head and a brass bust of him to India after the war was over.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian Army’s ‘Immortal’ soldier Jaswant Singh Rawat, on duty even after being martyred|url=https://indiannewsweekly.com/2021/10/21/indian-armys-immortal-soldier-jaswant-singh-rawat-on-duty-even-after-being-martyred/|date=2021-10-21|access-date=2022-05-21|language=en}}</ref>

The bravery shown by Jaswant Rawat was honored by building a memorial at the post where he fended off the [[People's Liberation Army]] but lost. The post which he held was named "Jaswant Garh".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/139091/not-china-alone-renamed-places-tawang/|title=When It Comes to Renaming Places in Tawang, China Is Not Alone|last=Pisharoty|first=Sangeeta Barooah|website=thewire.in|language=en-GB|access-date=6 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2019/12/22/heroes-of-1962-war-in-arunachal-battle-of-nuranang/|title=Heroes of 1962 War in Arunachal, Battle of Nuranang|date=22 December 2019|author=M Panging Pao}}</ref> Another honor bestowed upon him is that he continues to serve even after death; he has been awarded promotions as if he is still serving.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas|last=Talbot|first=Ian|publisher=Yale University Press|year=2016|isbn=978-0300216592}}</ref>