Major Shaitan Singh Bhati (1 December 1924 – 18 November 1962) was an Indian Army officer who posthumously received the Param Vir Chakra for his leadership during the Battle of Rezang La in the 1962 Sino-Indian War. He commanded a company of the 13 Kumaon Regiment and was killed in action while rallying his men.
Overview
Major Shaitan Singh Bhati was born on 1 December 1924 in Jodhpur State and joined the Indian Army in 1949. By 1962 he had risen to the rank of major.
During the Battle of Rezang La in the 1962 Sino‑Indian War, he commanded a company of the 13 Kumaon Regiment in Ladakh. The Chinese force was significantly larger than his own.
Despite being outnumbered and under heavy fire, he moved between posts to organise the defence of his position.
For his actions he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously after his death on 18 November 1962.
Early life
Shaitan Singh Bhati was born on 1 December 1924 into a Rajput family of the Bhati clan in Banasar village, Jodhpur state, Rajputana. His father was Lieutenant Colonel Thakur Hem Singh Bhati, who had served in France with the Indian Army during World War I and was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the British government.
Singh studied at the Chopasni Senior Secondary School in Jodhpur, where he completed his matriculation. He was known at the school for his skills as a football player.
After finishing his schooling in 1943, Singh enrolled at Jaswant College. He completed his graduation there in 1947.
Life and work
Shaitan Singh Bhati was born on 1 December 1924 in Banasar village, Jodhpur state, Rajputana, into a Rajput family of the Bhati clan. His father, Lieutenant Colonel Thakur Hem Singh Bhati, had served in France with the Indian Army during World War I and was awarded the Order of the British Empire by the British government. Singh completed his schooling at Chopasni Senior Secondary School, Jodhpur, where he was noted for his football skills, and after matriculation in 1943 he attended Jaswant College, graduating in 1947.
On 1 August 1949, Singh joined the Jodhpur State Forces as an officer. Following the merger of the princely state of Jodhpur into India, he was transferred to the Kumaon Regiment. He was promoted to captain on 25 November 1955 and participated in operations in the Naga Hills and in the 1961 Indian annexation of Goa. On 11 June 1962, he was promoted to the rank of major.
During the 1962 Sino‑Indian War, Major Singh commanded the 13th Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment, Charlie ‘C’ company, which was positioned at Rezang La in the Chusul sector at an altitude of 5,000 metres. The battalion, comprising 120 soldiers, defended five platoon posts against a large Chinese assault that began on the morning of 18 November 1962. Singh moved between posts to reorganise defenses and boost morale, and was seriously wounded while doing so. He was evacuated by his men, but was killed when he was placed behind a boulder and succumbed to his injuries. His body was found at the same boulder, brought to Jodhpur, and cremated with military honours.
The battle at Rezang La resulted in 114 Indian casualties out of 124 soldiers, while Chinese casualties exceeded 3,000. Major Singh’s leadership and sacrifice became a symbol of valor during the conflict, and his actions are remembered as part of the broader narrative of the 1962 war.
Legacy and memory
Shaitan Singh is commemorated in several memorials across India. The National War Memorial’s Param Yodha Sthal, a dedicated area within the memorial complex that honors Param Vir Chakra awardees, includes a bust and a bronze relief of Shaitan Singh among the 21 recipients displayed.
In the Himalayas, the Chushul War Memorial in Chushul town is dedicated to Major Shaitan Singh’s company in the Chushul plains. The complex was renovated and rededicated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 18 November 2021 and now features a museum and a mini‑theatre.
The Rezang La War Memorial at Tsaga village, 12 km south of Chushul, also honors the battle in which Shaitan Singh fought. A smaller memorial at the exact site where his body was found was dismantled in late 2023 following the 2020–2021 China–India skirmishes to create a buffer zone along the Line of Actual Control, a move that drew criticism. The larger, renovated memorial at Chushul remains intact.
A square in Jodhpur city also commemorates him with a statue, ensuring that his legacy is remembered in both his home state and at national memorial sites.
Based on: the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0) — facts from that source; edited and translated by Times of Rajasthan.