Jaswant Singh Rawat

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat was an Indian soldier who won the Mahavir Chakra Bravery Award.

It was the final phase of the Sino-Indian War in November 1962. Even as his company was asked to fall back, Jaswant Singh remained at his post at an altitude of 10,000 feet and held back the rampaging Chinese for three days single-handedly. It is presumed that he shot himself when he realized that he was about to be captured. It is alleged that the Chinese cut off Jaswant Singh's head and took it back to China. However, after the ceasefire, the Chinese commander, impressed by the soldier's bravery, returned the head along with a brass bust of Jaswant Singh. The bust, created in China to honor the brave Indian soldier, is now installed at the site of the battle, a location now known as Jaswantgarh. Jaswant Singh's saga of valor and sacrifice continues to serve as an inspiration to all army personnel posted in this sector.

Army personnel passing by this route, be it a general or a jawan, make it a point to pay their respects here. Jaswant, who was awarded a Mahavir Chakra for his bravery is not the only soldier to be honored thus. There are several memorials built along the way. One of them in fact is right on the border at Bumla honoring Subedar Joginder Singh who won a posthumous Param Vir Chakra for his bravery.

References

*http://uttarakhand.prayaga.org/heroes.html

*http://ia.rediff.com/news/2002/oct/29chin.htm