Lt Col Shanti Swarup Rana AC

Lt Col Shanti Swarup Rana was born on 17 September 1949 in the village of Badla in Hoshiarpur district, Punjab. He was the youngest among four brothers and three sisters. From an early age, he displayed qualities of intelligence, discipline, and compassion that would later define his personality and career. He received his early education at the Government School in Rampur, located in the same district. A bright and diligent student, he consistently ranked among the best in his class. As he grew older, young Lt Col Shanti Swarup developed a deep admiration for the Armed Forces and a strong desire to serve the nation. His fascination with the Army’s ideals of courage, discipline, and patriotism only intensified with time. Driven by this passion, he joined the Indian Army in the Corps of Signals, marking the beginning of his distinguished military journey. He initially joined the Army as a soldier and served with dedication for six years, during which his discipline, sincerity, and leadership qualities became clearly evident. Recognizing his potential, he was selected for the prestigious Army Cadet College (ACC), Dehradun, which paved the way for him to become a commissioned officer. After successfully completing his training at ACC, he was commissioned into the 3 Bihar battalion on 11 June 1977 as a Second Lieutenant. He went on to earn his subsequent promotions, rising to the rank of Lieutenant on 11 June 1979 and Captain on 11 June 1983, reflecting his professional competence and commitment to duty.

In 1980, he married Ms. Savita, marking the beginning of a happy family life. The couple was blessed with a son and a daughter, who remained a source of strength, joy, and pride for him throughout his service. Throughout his career, Lt Col Rana proved himself to be an officer of exceptional ability and dedication. He participated in several key military operations, including 'Operation Rhino', 'Operation Pawan', and 'Operation Rakshak', each of which demanded courage, endurance, and tactical acumen. His performance in these challenging assignments earned him the respect of his superiors and the admiration of his subordinates. In recognition of his competence and leadership, Lt Col Rana was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1994. He was subsequently appointed as the Second-in-Command of the 13 Rashtriya Rifles, a unit actively involved in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir. In this demanding role, Lt Col Rana continued to embody the finest traditions of the Indian Army — leading from the front, ensuring the welfare of his troops, and upholding the highest standards of professionalism and valour.

Hafurda Forest Operation : 02 Nov  1996

On 02 November 1996, Lt Col Shanti Swarup Rana, the Second-in-Command of 13 Rashtriya Rifles, was assigned a critical counter-insurgency mission in the Hafurda forest of Kupwara district, Jammu & Kashmir. The area was known to be a stronghold of heavily armed militants who had established multiple camps and bunkers in the dense forest terrain. The mission’s objective was to locate and destroy these terrorist hideouts, which were being used as bases for planning and executing attacks against security forces and civilians in the region.Leading from the front, as was his hallmark, Lt Col Rana personally took charge of the operation. With exceptional tactical acumen, he and his team began combing the forest, maintaining stealth and precision in movement. After a meticulous search, Lt Col Rana spotted four well-fortified hideouts, stocked with large quantities of arms, ammunition, and explosives — including nearly 800 kilograms of explosives. Fully aware of the grave danger, he swiftly formulated a plan of action. In a daring and well-coordinated assault, Lt Col Rana and his men crawled towards the first bunker, lobbed hand grenades, and succeeded in destroying all four enemy hideouts. Even after this significant success, Lt Col Rana did not let his guard down. As the operation progressed, his troops detected another hidden bunker, indicating that more militants were still entrenched in the area. The terrorists, realizing they were being cornered, opened heavy and indiscriminate fire from their fortified positions. Undeterred by the intensity of the gunfire, Lt Col Rana once again displayed exceptional leadership and fearlessness. He reorganized his troops under fire, directed their counter-attack, and personally crawled forward to neutralize the threat.

He threw grenades into the bunker, forcing the militants out of their hiding place.In the fierce exchange that followed, two foreign mercenaries emerged firing wildly. Without hesitation, Lt Col Rana engaged them in close combat and eliminated both, displaying remarkable marksmanship and composure under pressure. However, during this intense engagement, he was seriously wounded by bullets fired from another direction. Despite his critical injuries, Lt Col Rana refused to retreat or allow his men to lose focus. Instead, he continued to encourage and guide his troops, motivating them to fight on with courage and determination. As the gun battle raged, one more terrorist attempted to advance toward the Indian position. Summoning the last of his strength, Lt Col Rana once again charged forward, confronting the militant in a face-to-face encounter. In an act of supreme bravery, he shot the terrorist dead, but in doing so, sustained additional fatal injuries. Lt Col Shanti Swarup Rana succumbed to his wounds on the battlefield, laying down his life in the finest traditions of the Indian Army. His courage, selflessness, and indomitable spirit inspired his men to complete the mission successfully, destroying the terrorist network and recovering a large cache of arms and explosives. Lt Col Rana was posthumously awarded the "Ashok Chakra", India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, for his conspicuous bravery and supreme sacrifice.

Lt Col Shanti Swarup Rana is survived by his wife, Smt. Savita Rana, son, and a daughter.

The citation for "Ashok Chakra" awarded to Lt Col Shanti Swarup Rana reads –

On 2 November 1996, Lt Col Swarup Rana while serving with 13 Rashtriya Rifles was entrusted with the task of destroying two terrorist camps in the Hafurda forest of Kupwara District in Jammu & Kashmir. He spotted four well fortified hideouts stocked heavily with arms and ammunition including tonnes of explosives. In a gallant and swift strike, he destroyed these hideouts. One more well concealed hideout came to his notice. During the action that followed, the terrorists resorted to heavy firing from their well fortified bunker. Lt Col Rana organised his troops, crawled towards the bunker and threw hand grenades inside. Two foreign mercenaries came out firing heavily. He killed both of them instantaneously.

Meanwhile, the terrorists seriously injured Lt Col Rana in heavy firing from another location. In spite of this, the gallant officer kept on boosting the morale of his soldiers. When one more terrorist advanced towards the soldiers, Lt Col Rana without caring for this own life, charged and killed him in a hand-to-hand encounter. In this action, this gallant officer sustained fatal bullet injuries and made the supreme sacrifice. Lt Col Rana displayed indomitable courage, patriotism and gallantry of the highest order. For this act of indomitable courage, Lt Col SS Rana was awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously.

• A statue in honour of Lt Col Shanti Swaroop Rana, Ashok Chakra (Posthumous) has been installed at the Central Park of 'Rajeev Vihar Army Welfare Housing Society', Manimajra, Chandigarh.