LT COL DEWAN RANJIT RAI
Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai, MVC, was an Indian Army officer who played an instrumental role during the Indo-Pak war of 1947. A role, that he carried out duty fully to his martyrdom and subsequently getting awarded with the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously while commanding 1st Sikh during the 1947 operations in Kashmir.
Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai was born in Gujranwala in a Punjabi family on 06th Feb 1913. His early schooling was carried out in Bishop Cotton School, Shimla. Later, he joined the Indian Military Academy as part of the first course. Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai got commissioned on 01st Feb 1935 and was attached with British Army Regiment, the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry in India.
Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai was later appointed to the British Indian Army and posted to the 5th Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment on 24th Feb 1936. By the April of 1944, he was serving with the recruiting Staff in the capacity of a Major. He was selected for posting as a military attach to Washington, D.C. in the year 1947, but the directions were changed and he was detailed for the ongoing operations in Kashmir.
While in the capacity of Commanding Officer, 1st Bn the Sikh Regiment, busy making arrangements for arriving refugees in Gurgaon, he alongwith 2 companies was airlifted to Srinagar to thwart the evil designs of the Invading Pakistani forces in the valley. In Srinagar, Col Rai was handed over the onerous yet ever so important task of defending Srinagar from the invading Pakistani forces and to ensure the security and maintenance of the Srinagar Airfield to enable Indian reinforcements to reach the operational area.
With time as his enemy, Lieutenant Colonel Rai personally went out making arrangements for the defence of the city with the numerically inferior force at his command while at the sametime ensuring the maint and security of the most important asset for the operations – the Srinagar Airfield. He personally carried out reconnaissance and led operations with utter disregard to his personal safety thus exhibiting determination and inspiring leadership. As part of his plan for the defence of the city, Lieutenant Colonel Rai led his troops to defend the Baramulla – Srinagar highway near the township of Pattan. The force under his command though numerically inferior was undaunted and fought valiantly against a numerically superior enemy.
He was successful in protecting the Srinagar Airfield thus ensuring the landing of reinforcements which ultimately resulted in the defeat and expelling of the invaders from Kashmir. Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai, attained martyrdom on 27th Oct 1947 while leading his men in defensive operations at Pattan. He was the first officer of the Indian Army after the Independence to be awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously. The gallant officer laid down his life in the line of duty exhibiting courage of the highest order in a successful endeavour to defend the city of Srinagar.
– Lt Col Akhil Dhawan
