Tapishwar Narain Raina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tapishwar Narain Raina was the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army during 1975-78. Later he served as ambassador to Canada.

Raina belonged to the Kumaon Regiment and was a veteran of the Second World War, as well as the 1962 and 1971 Wars. His education was done at Ludhiana because his father Pandit B.N.Raina was posted here as Head Postmaster located next to Bhadaur House. ^[1] He was married to Marie Antoinette Raina.^[2]

During the second world war, 2nd Lieutenant Raina was injured a grenade accident which resulted in the loss of an eye. He had a glass eye in place for the rest of his career in the army.

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.

Later, Raina became the Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of the XXXIII Corps in West Bengal. ^[3]

In 1971, Raina was a Lieutenant General, and was the General Officer Commanding of II Corps in the Khulna sector. Raina was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to the War.

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 imposed national emergency in India. Before the imposition of the emergency, it is belived 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. ^[4].