The Battle for Rajauri during the first India-Pakistan War (1947-48), or the First Kashmir War, was one of the most crucial engagements of the war. The Indian Army had successfully recaptured Jhangar on 18 March 1948, but the real test lay ahead as they advanced from Naushera to Rajauri. This was not just a military campaign—it was a mission to rescue innocent civilians from the clutches of enemy raiders, who had taken over Rajauri and were keeping the residents under torturous conditions.
The treacherous path ahead was riddled with mines, roadblocks, and enemy artillery fire. It was here that 2nd Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane and his section of the 37 Assault Field Company, attached to the 4 Dogra Regiment, rose to the occasion.’
Early Years
Major (then Second Lieutenant) Rama Raghoba Rane was born on 26 June 1918 in Chendia village in Karwar district of Karnataka. Born in a Konkan Kshatriya Maratha community, Second Lieutenant Rama Raghoba Rane completed his education in different parts of the country due to his father’s job. While growing up in the 1930s, he was greatly influenced by the call of Mahatma Gandhi, who asked the youth to demand freedom from the British reign. He began taking part in the campaigns related to the non-cooperative movement.
When his father came to know about his affiliation with the movement, Second Lieutenant Rane was sent back to his ancestral village at Chendia. At the age of 22, he decided to join the British Indian Army, while the Second World War was in full swing. On 10 July 1940, Rane enlisted in the Bombay Engineer Regiment and passed out as the “Best Recruit”. He was handed Commandant’s Cane for his outstanding performance. Subsequently, he was promoted to the position of Naik.
After his training, Second Lieutenant Rane was posted to the 28th Field Company, an Engineering unit of the 26th Infantry Division which, at the time, was fighting the Japanese in Burma. For his dedication, commitment, hard work and leadership qualities, Rane was selected for a Short Service Commission prior to the partition. In 1947, following the country’s independence, Second Lieutenant Rane remained in the Indian Army and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers on 15 December 1947 as a Second Lieutenant. As a young officer Major Rama Raghoba Rane played a vital role in Indo-Pak War of 1947-48.
Background to the Battle of Rajauri
Rajauri, a town in Jammu and Kashmir, was a vital link in the region due to its strategic location on the Naushahra-Poonch route. In late 1947, Pakistani raiders, supported by tribal militias, captured the town, unleashing massacres, destruction, and immense suffering on the local population. To counter this, the Indian Army launched an offensive to retake Rajauri, ensuring the safety of its people and preventing further enemy advances.
On 18 March 1948, Indian forces recaptured Jhangar, a major stepping stone towards Rajauri. The advance was led by 4 Dogra Regiment, supported by 37 Assault Field Company (Engineers), and armored columns. The mission was fraught with heavy enemy resistance, difficult mountainous terrain, roadblocks, and minefields.
On 8 April 1948, while clearing a minefield, enemy mortar fire claimed the lives of two sappers and left five others wounded, including Rane himself. However, neither pain nor danger deterred him. Ignoring his own injuries, he rallied his men and completed the task by evening, enabling the tanks to push forward.
This was just the beginning. The road ahead was still unsafe, littered with obstructions and heavily guarded by the enemy. Through the night, Rane worked tirelessly, clearing paths for the armored columns. The very next day, he and his men toiled for twelve relentless hours, removing mines and roadblocks under incessant enemy fire. Where the road was unnegotiable, he carved new paths, ensuring the battalion’s advance.
The challenges only escalated. On 10 April, he faced an enormous blockade—five massive pine trees laden with mines and covered by machine-gun fire. Undeterred by the barrage, he cleared the obstacle in just two hours, paving the way for Indian troops to surge another 13 kilometers. The final roadblock, heavily guarded by enemy pickets, required Rane to crouch under a tank and blast the obstruction with mines, a feat requiring unmatched courage and precision. By the night of 11 April, after working a staggering 17 hours without rest, the road to Chingas and beyond was finally open.
Legacy
After the war, Rane was promoted to Lieutenant on 14 January 1950 and as Captain on 14 January 1954. On 27 May 1955, he received a regular commission as a Captain, with the service number IC-7244. In July 1954, he was awarded the Chief of Army Staff’s Commendation Card for devotion to duty for his work during the Maha Prabhu Mela in Kashmir. He then went on to command a Bomb-Disposal Platoon and retired as a Major on 25 June 1968. But his love for the Army did not let him leave. He continued to serve in the Army until 7 April 1971 at which time he retired from the Services. Second Lieutenant Rane married Rajeshwari on 3 February 1955 and the couple had three sons and a daughter. After retirement, he settled down in Pune.
Besides the Param Vir Chakra, Second Lieutenant, Rane also received five “Mention-in-Dispatches” and a Commendation by the Chief of Army Staff during his Service career. In 1994, Major Rane passed away at the age of 73, at Command Hospital, Southern Command in Pune. He is survived by his wife Mrs Rajeshwari Rane, who continues to live in Pune.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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