1971 India-Pak war hero of Longewala post admitted to AIIMS-Jodhpur

Jodhpur/New Delhi: Bhairon Singh Rathore (81), the veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan war whose bravery at Rajasthan's Longewala post was portrayed by actor Suniel Shetty in Bollywood movie 'Border', is battling health issues and has been admitted to the AIIMS in Jodhpur.

Rathore's son Sawai Singh told PTI that his father was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Jodhpur on December 14, two days before the 51st anniversary of the war, after his health deteriorated and his limbs got affected in what seemed like a paralysis.

"Doctors told us that my father has possibly suffered a brain stroke. He has been in and out of ICU over the last few days," Singh told PTI. The Singh family lives in Solankiatala village, about 120 kms from Jodhpur.

Rathore was deployed at the Longewala post in the Thar desert, commanding a small BSF unit that was accompanied by a company 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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called Rathore, a retired BSF lance naik, over phone a few days back and told him the nation was indebted to his contribution in the 1971 war and the nation is praying that for his revocery, according to Sawai Singh.

Bhairon Singh Rathore, posted with the 14th BSF battalion during the war, retired in 1987.

Singh said that AIIMS-Jodhpur had taken care of his father earlier too and the entire cost of the treatment is being taken care by the government, as like always. "However, sometimes I have to get medicines from the market as they are not available at the hospital," he said.

Officers from the Border Security Force (BSF) and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army responsible for guarding the India-Pakistan front along the Thar desert area have also visited the hospital to inquire about his health and treatment, officials said.

According to BSF records about the 1971 war at Longewala post, "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." "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," the official records state.

He received the Sena Medal in 1972 for his gallant action. Rathore has also been decorated with numerous other civilian awards and military felicitations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah met him in Jaisalmer in December last year when he visited the border town for the Raising Day celebrations of the BSF.

Bhairon Singh Rathore's role was assayed by Suniel Shetty in the 1997 Hindi movie 'Border'. While the reel Bhairon Singh (Shetty) was shown killed in action in the movie, the real BSF soldier and his legacy of guts, glory and bravery lives on.

"My father is a simple man. He recounts the story of the 1971 war when people ask him. He only gets a monthly pension of Rs 12,000 plus Rs 2,000 allowance for the bravery medal given to him... the authorities know about his condition...we hope they will help us," Sawai Singh said.