Bhairon Singh Rathore: BSF veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan war Bhairon Singh Rathore passed away in Jodhpur on Monday. Actor Suniel Shetty essayed the war hero’s character in the 1997 movie ‘Border’.
Bhairon Singh was 81.
‘BSF salutes his bravery ‘
“The braveheart took his last breath at AIIMS, Jodhpur, today. DG BSF and all ranks condole the passing of Naik (retd) Bhairon Singh, Sena Medal, the hero of the Longewala battle during the 1971 war. BSF salutes his intrepid bravery, courage and dedication towards his duty,” the force said in a tweet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed grief over his death.
“Naik (retd) Bhairon Singh Ji will be remembered for his service to our nation. He showed great courage at a crucial point in our nation’s history. Saddened by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family in this hour of sadness. Om Shanti,” Modi tweeted.
Shah, remembered meeting the war hero during his visit to Jaisalmer in December last year. He said in his Tweet, the “tale of his bravery will keep motivating the future generations.”
‘Brave warrior of the 1971 war’
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed sadness over the death of Rathore and described him as a “brave warrior of the 1971 war”. “Naik (retd) Bhairon Singh Ji, was such a brave warrior of the 1971 war who showed amazing courage in the Battle of Longewala. I am deeply saddened by his death. My condolences to his bereaved family. Bhairon Singh Ji’s contribution to the military history of India will remain indelible,” he tweeted in Hindi.
According to Bhairon Singh’s son Sawai Singh, his father was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jodhpur on December 14, two days before the 51st anniversary of the war. He probably suffered from paralysis.
“Doctors told us that my father possibly suffered a brain stroke. He was in and out of ICU over the last few days,” Singh said.
Rathore lived with family in Solankiatala village, about 100 km from Jodhpur.
A BSF spokesperson said Bhairon Singh Rathore’s body was taken to Jodhpur where a wreath laying ceremony will be held on Tuesday after which the cremation will be conducted in his village with full military honours.
Rathore was deployed at Longewala
Rathore, deployed at the Longewala post in the Thar desert of Jaisalmer, commanded a small BSF unit of six to seven personnel. They were accompanied by 120 soldiers of the Army’s 23 Punjab regiment. It was the bravery of these men that decimated an assaulting Pakistani brigade and tank regiment at this location on December 5, 1971.
Rathore received the Sena Medal in 1972 for his gallantry. He served in the 14th BSF battalion during the war. Rathore retired from service as a Naik in 1987.
BSF records about the Longewala battle state, “When one of the 23 Punjab boys was killed, Lance Naik Bhairon Singh took his light machine gun and inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing enemy.”
‘Great inspiration to his comrades’
“It was only their courage and determination to do or die that won the day and Lance Naik Bhairon Singh became a great inspiration to his other comrades on the post,” says official records.
Actor Suniel Shetty, who essayed Bhairon Singh Rathore’s bravery in the 1997 movie ‘Border’, paid tributes on Twitter. “Rest in power Naik Bhairon Singh Ji. Heartfelt condolences to the family,” he tweeted.
In the past Rathore had said he had watched Border and certain things about Longewala were shown correctly.
Also Read: Uttar Pradesh: 5 arrested in Lucknow for lowering electricity metre reading
Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER.
