Tapishwar Narain Raina

Early life and education Raina was born in a Kashmiri Pandit family on 24 January 1921, the son of Rai Bahadur A. N. Raina, sometime Postmaster-General of Punjab. He received his early education in Ludhiana, where his father had been posted as Head Postmaster. While a college student in Lahore, at the University of the Punjab, Raina joined the 4th Punjab University Training Corps in October 1938. which became the Kumaon Regiment in 1948. Raina initially joined 10/19 Hyderabad, then at Agra, but was posted to 2/19 Hyderabad in December 1942.

Post-Independence Over August 1949 - January 1951, Raina served as Indian Army Liaison Officer at the School of Infantry in Warminster, UK.

He was the Brigade Commander at Chushul in Ladakh during November 1962. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his handling of the Battle of Chushul. He was a veteran of the 1962 war and 1971 wars.

On 5 January 1965, Lieutenant-Colonel Raina was appointed Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of the XXXIII Corps in West Bengal. As a major general, Raina went on to become the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 25 Infantry Division in Poonch.

On 7 October 1971, Raina was appointed GOC of II Corps in the Khulna sector, with the acting rank of Lieutenant General. He raised the Corps in Krishnanagar and commanded it during operations in the Eastern Theatre of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, where it captured the important towns of Khulna, Jessore, Jhenida, Magura and Faridpur and also the area between the rivers Ganges and Padma. For his contributions in the war Raina was awarded the Padma Bhushan. He served as the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1 June 1975 to 31 May 1978.

During his tenure as the COAS, the central government led by Indira Gandhi declared a state of national emergency in India. Before the imposition of the emergency, it is believed that the Prime Minister asked for the Army's support in the venture, but General Raina bluntly told the Prime Minister that the army would not be used to 'further her ends' but obey only those orders of a 'legally construed government.' . This was considered a crucial moment that kept the Indian Army out of politics at a critical juncture.

Later life Raina died on 19 May 1980 in Ottawa, while serving as India's High Commissioner to Canada. Following his funeral and cremation with full military honours in Delhi on 25 May,

Awards and decorations

Dates of rank

In popular culture In the Bollywood movie 120 Bahadur, which is based on Battle of Rezangla Ajinkya Deo portrayed Brig Raina's character.