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Rajinder Singh Sparrow

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Rajinder Singh (3 October 1911- May 1994) was an Indian army major general and a two time member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament. He was nicknamed 'Sparrow'.

Served in the ranks of the Indian army 3 October 1932 to 31 January 1938. Attended the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun and was commissioned onto the Unattached List, Indian Army 1 February 1938. Spent the next year attached to The King's Regiment (Liverpool), a British Army regiment, stationed on the North West Frontier.[1] He was then admitted to the Indian Army and joined the 7th Light Cavalry on 24 February 1939. Promoted Lieutenant 30 April 1939.[2] He served during World War II. He opted for the Indian Army upon the partition of India in 1947 and commanded the 7th Light Cavalry from September 1947 to May 1949.

He was awarded two Mahavir Chakras, the second highest military decoration in India, first for his role during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, for outstanding leadership during the advance and capture of Jhangar.[3] and later for displaying gallantry in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.[4] During the 1965 war he was GOC of the 1st Armoured Division.[5][6]

Held the appointment of regimental Colonel of the 7th Light Cavalry from July 1959 to July 1969.

After retirement he joined politics and became minister in the short lived Gurnam Singh ministry in 1967. Later he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 and 1985 from Jalandhar constantuency as a candidate of Indian National Congress.[7][8][9] He died in May 1994, at the age of 83.[4]

References

  1. ^ Indian Army List, January 1939
  2. ^ Indian Army List, various dates
  3. ^ "Red letter day for 7 Light Cavalry". The Tribune (Chandigarh). 1 November 1998. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Former Congress(I) MP Rajinder Singh Sparrow passes away : Signposts". India Today. 15 May 1994. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  5. ^ "Major General Sparrow". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  6. ^ R. D. Pradhan; Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan (2007). 1965 War, the Inside Story: Defence Minister Y.B. Chavan's Diary of India-Pakistan War. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. pp. 50–. ISBN 978-81-269-0762-5.
  7. ^ "List of winner/current and past and runner up MPs of Jalandhar Parliamentary Constituency, Punjab". 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Seventh Lok Sabha Members". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Eighth Lok Sabha Members". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 7 July 2014.


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