Last Rites to Be Held Today with Full Military Honours
Agra: Lieutenant Colonel Zaheer Singh Rathore, a valiant soldier of the 1965 and 1971 wars, passed away this morning. He was born in Sarouth village of Etah district. On the special request of the top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party, he had contested the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Aliganj as a BJP candidate.
Colonel Rathore served as a trainer of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Mukti Bahini and played a crucial role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh.
During his posting at the Pokhran Cantonment, he planted nearly 4,000 trees in the desert region, astonishing the Forest Department. Inspired by this extraordinary initiative, the Government of India adopted a resolve to promote plantation in desert areas. Owing to this remarkable contribution, he is also remembered as the “Father of the Green Revolution in the Desert.” The large trees seen today along the roadsides of Pokhran Cantonment stand as a living testimony to his efforts.
In 1981, while on leave from the Army in his native village Sarouth, he single-handedly confronted the notorious dacoit Chhaviram and his gang, who were a symbol of terror across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. He successfully protected the villagers from loot and loss of life. For this exceptional bravery, he was honored by the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Vishwanath Pratap Singh.
He was the father-in-law of Group Captain Dr. Kunwar Jai Pal Singh Chauhan, an eight-time world record holder and National President of the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Council.
Lieutenant Colonel Rathore is survived by one son and three daughters.
His last rites will be performed today at 4:00 PM at the Tajganj cremation ground with full military honors. The funeral procession will depart with full military honors, draped in the national flag, from his residence:
Flat No. 110, Grand Fort Society, in front of St. Francis School, Paschim Puri, Sikandra.
