Rajouri, a picturesque town in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, lies at the foothills of the Himalayas near the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan. Steeped in history, it was once ruled by Rajput kings and played a key role during the Mughal and British eras. The town is home to historical landmarks, including forts, temples, and palaces, and hosts a vibrant cultural mix of communities such as Dogra, Pahari, Kashmiri, and Gujjar. Its diverse festivals, like Diwali, Eid and Baisakhi, showcase its cultural richness. During the 1947-48 Indo-Pak War, Rajouri was a strategic location, witnessing heavy clashes between Indian and Pakistani forces, contributing significantly to the defence of the region.
While the decisive battle for Srinagar was being fought in the Valley, the situation in the Jammu region was fast deteriorating. The Pakistani aggression in this area started on October 15, 1947. The Raiders were mostly local Muslims from across the border reinforced by Muslim deserters of the State Forces and supported and led by Pakistani Regulars. They were well backed from across the borders by Pakistan Army with supplies, arms, ammunition and fire support. The State Forces in the area were stationed at the towns of Mirpur, Kotli, Poonch, Jhangar, Naushera, Bhimbergali, Rajauri and Beri Pattan.
The Raiders succeeded in capturing large areas close to the border and besieging the towns with overwhelming forces. Thousands of refugees had taken shelter in these towns. The plan was to capture Rajauri was for 19 Infantry Brigade to advance from Naushera to Rajauri, a distance of about 50 kms and with enemy holding a number of positions on the dominating features enroute. The road from Naushera to Rajauri was a single lane road in a bad state of repair. To delay the Indian Forces, the enemy had created a large number of landslides, blown up culverts and minor bridges and established a number of roadblocks using felled trees, mines and booby traps.
Lt Rane and his men of the engineer platoon kept clearing the roadblocks with total disregard for their personal safety. An audacious plan to use tanks along the bed of the Tawi River was conceived and succeeded as the enemy fled in panic. The capture of Rajauri was a magnificent achievement. The advance of 48 kms through thickly wooded hills along a poorly maintained road denied at almost every kilometre by landslides, road blocks and mines was a remarkable feat.
CITATION
Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane
BOMBAY ENGINEERS (SS-14246)
On 8 April 1948, Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane, Bombay Engineers, was ordered to be in charge of the mine and roadblock clearing party at Mile 26 on the Naushera-Rajouri road which passes through very hilly country.
At 1100 hours, on that date near Nadpur South, just as Second Lieutenant Rane and his party were waiting near the tanks to start the work of clearing the mines ahead, the enemy started heavy mortaring of the area, with the result that two men of the mine-clearing party were killed and five others including Second Lieutenant Rane were wounded. The officer at once reorganized his party and started work for the tanks to go on to their position. Throughout the day he was near the tanks under heavy enemy machine-gun and mortar fire.
After the capture of Barwali Ridge at about 1630 hours, although knowing that the enemy had not been completely cleared of the area, Second Lieutenant Rane took his party ahead and started making a diversion for the tanks to proceed. He worked on till 2200 hours that night in full view of the enemy and under heavy machine-gun fire.
On 9 April he again started work at 0600 hours and worked on till 1500hrs when the diversion was ready for the tanks to proceed. As the armoured column advanced, he got into the leading carrier and proceeded ahead. After proceeding about half a mile he came across a roadblock made of pine trees. He at once dismounted and blasted the trees away. The advance continued. Another 300 yards and the same story was repeated. By this time it was getting on to 1700 hours. The road was curving round the hill like a snake. The next roadblock was a demolished culvert. Second Lieutenant Rane again got on with the job. Before he could start work, the enemy opened up with their machine-guns, but with super courage and leadership he made a diversion and the column proceeded ahead. The roadblocks were becoming numerous but he blasted his way through. It was now 1815 hours, and light was fading fast. The carrier came across a formidable roadblock of five big pine trees surrounded by mines and covered by machine-gun fire. He started removing the mines and was determined to clear the roadblock but the armoured column commander appreciating the situation got the column into a harbour area.
On 10 April 1948 at 0445 hours, Second Lieutenant Rane again started work on the roadblock in spite of machine-gun fire with the support of one troops of tanks. With sheer will power he cleared this roadblock by 0630hours. The next thousand yards was a mass of roadblocks and blasted embankments. That was not all. The enemy had the whole area covered with machine-gun fire but with superhuman efforts, in spite of having been wounded, with cool courage and exemplary leadership and complete disregard for personal life, he cleared the road by 1030 hours.
The armoured column proceeded ahead and got off the road into the riverbed of the Tawi but Second Lieutenant Rane continued clearing the road for the administrative column. The tanks reached Chingas by 1400 hours. Second Lieutenant Rane appreciating that the opening of the road was most vital, continued working without rest or food till 2100 hours that night.
On 11 April 1948, he again started work at 0600 hours and opened the road to Chingas by 1100 hours. He worked on that night till 2200 hours clearing the road ahead.
Srinagar Airport → Rajouri Town
