Lieutenant Subash Chander Chanan

Lieutenant Subash Chander Chanan joined the Army after completing his initial education and was recruited into the Corps of Engineers. Later he got selected to be trained as an officer and was commissioned into 2 Rajput Battalion of the Rajput Regiment, the infantry Regiment well known for its fearless soldiers. After completing his training, very early in his service career, he got involved in the thick of operations as border tension arose with Pakistan in 1962.  As the situation in the northeast worsened and war looked imminent, Lieutenant Subash Chander’s unit 2 Rajput was inducted in the northeast in the year 1962.

Namka Chu Battle (Indo-China war): 20 Oct 1962

During the 1962 Indo-China war, Lt Subash Chander’s unit, 2 Rajput was deployed in the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region. With the rising tensions with China on the North Eastern border Lt Subash Chander’s unit under the command of Lt Col Maha Singh Rikh and Major Gurdial Singh as 2IC (Second-in-Command) was moved to the banks of the Namka Chu River by October 10 1962, as a part of 7 Infantry Brigade. The brigade was stretched on a twelve-mile front along the Namka Chu, with the marching time from one end to the other being five days. The battalion was deployed in a trackless wilderness, where no mules could go and no civilian population lived which could help logistically. The shortage of winter clothing added to the hardships of the troops but they rose to the occasion and showed exemplary courage in the days to follow. By 19 Oct 1962, the Chinese had occupied all the dominating heights in the area. 

Namka Chu was a gorge situated east of the remote Tri Junction of Tibet, Bhutan, and India. It was 200 km from the railhead of Misamari and 60 km from the roadhead of Tawang. The Nyamjang River flowed through, Tibet and entered India at Khinzemane. It met Namka Chu 1½ miles south of Khinzemane. Local grazers used seven improvised bridges to take their cattle across the Namka Chu. The Thagla ridge which sprawled from west to east overlooked Namka Chu and had four prominent passes Dum Dum La (17,000 feet), Karpola II (16,000 feet), Yamatso La (16,000 feet) and Thag La (14,000 feet). The dispute in this area revolved around Thagla Ridge. The Chinese claimed it was on the Tibetan side and India claimed it was on its side of the McMahon line. Accordingly, in 1959 an Assam Rifles post was established at Khinzemane. The Chinese disputed it and a force of 200 Chinese pushed back the weak Indian force towards the bridge on the Nyamjang Chu at Drokung Samba which they claimed was the McMahon line. After the Chinese retired the Indians again reoccupied the post. Namka Chu at various points had wooden logs spanning the waters acting as makeshift bridges across it. These were the features where the units of the 7 Infantry Brigade were deployed. 7 Inf Bde consisted of 9 Punjab, 1 Sikh, 1/9 GR,  2 Rajput, 4 Grenadiers and 5 Assam Rifles battalions.

2 Rajput elements were deployed across 4 km from the temporary Bridge to Bridge 3. Lt Subash Chander’s Bravo Company was deployed at the Log Bridge with Battalion HQ at Bridge 4. Lt Subash Chander as Company Commander of Bravo Company had Sub Mohan Lal with him as his senior JCO. The flanking platoons on either side were under the command of two dependable JCOs viz. Jemadar Gian Chand and Sub Har Lal. The skirmishes that had begun on 10 Oct 1962, soon escalated into a full-scale war. On 20 Oct at 5:14 a.m. enemy’s 150 guns and mortars opened upon all the localities at Namka Chu and Tsangdhar. During the heavy shelling by the enemy, Lt Subhash Chander received information from his outposts of the enemy infiltration into his defences under continuous heavy shellings. He told his men to fight to the last man and last round. Inspired by the courage and leadership of Lt Subhash Chander, not a single man left his post in his Company. 

Lt Subhash Chander having realized that the Chinese attack was coming from the rear, came out in the open exhorting his No 5 platoon to get out of the bunkers and face the rear. In the meantime, one of the enemy mortar shells hit the cookhouse just above the Company command post setting it on fire. Burning kerosene and ghee tins cascaded down the cookhouse, forcing Lt Subhash Chander back into his bunker. The resultant fire engulfed the bunker too and Lt Subhash Chander was burnt alive, much to the horror of his watching troops. Lt Subhash Chander Chanan was a valiant soldier and a fine officer who led from the front like a true military leader. He laid down his life in the service of the nation and will always be remembered for his exceptional courage and steadfast devotion to his duty.