Honoring Arjun Kumar Rasaily: A Forgotten Hero of Meghalaya

July 8 1987 the day which i will never forget. I was a young boy just age 4.playing with my younger brother outside my house on veranda my mother washing cloths. When i say my father leaving with his uniform that was the last time i saw my father. He was the troop havildar commander who had to go to base camp in oinam it was his last day of jungle patrolling he insisted to go even when his commandant ask him to rest. He was a dedicated soldier who could not leave his fellow comrades  behind in jungle while he takes rest at home. All i remember is my father in jungle uniform leaving the house without saying goodbye to my mother. What a black day it was not realizing that i would never see him again. On the 9 July 1987 i say my father body brought dead his face which could not express feelings for his kids and wife anymore. I had lost a shelter ,guide, father's love mourning the word “father” stolen from my life. no more word to call father someone had snatched away that word from my life. He was a brave soldier who took 3 bullets to his body for the country. A martyr who will never depart from my soul my father who gave me his name his "blood of bravery" who left for me to take pride even after his death  

On July 9, 1987, a sudden attack by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) on an Assam Rifles outpost in Oinam Hill village, Manipur, changed countless lives. Among the nine brave jawans who fell was Arjun Kumar Rasaily, a soldier from Meghalaya whose sacrifice remains largely unsung. Stationed in the heart of a volatile region, Rasaily and his comrades faced an ambush that claimed their lives and saw 150 weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition looted, triggering the infamous Operation Bluebird.

Hailing from Meghalaya, Rasaily embodied the quiet courage of soldiers guarding India’s frontiers. His death at Oinam marked the beginning of a tragic chapter, as the 21st Assam Rifles launched a counter-insurgency operation that led to widespread human rights violations, leaving scars on the Naga villagers of Oinam and beyond. While the operation’s fallout overshadows the soldiers’ stories, Rasaily’s sacrifice deserves remembrance—not just as a casualty of conflict but as a symbol of duty in the face of danger.

The memory of Arjun Kumar Rasaily, like many soldiers from Meghalaya, fades in the shadow of history’s complexities. Yet his courage, alongside the pain of Oinam’s villagers, reminds us of the human cost of conflict. As we honor this forgotten hero, we also reflect on the need for peace and justice for all affected by that fateful day. Let us salute Havildar  Rasaily, whose life was given for his nation, and strive to ensure his name is never lost to time.

Decades later, the 21st Assam Rifles honors Arjun with a photo at their post guard, labeled a Shaurya Chakra recipient—a tribute to his bravery during the attack that sparked Operation Bluebird, a controversial counter-insurgency effort. Yet, this recognition rings hollow. Arjun’s son, now grown, discovered no such medal was awarded to their family. Official martyr lists omit his name, and inquiries to authorities yield no answers, only silence. “What a hypocrisy,” his son laments, heartbroken that a soldier who laid down his life is denied the honor he deserves.

From Meghalaya, possibly near Assam Bazar, Arjun embodied the courage of the Northeast’s unsung heroes. The 21st Assam Rifles, stationed in a volatile region, faced immense challenges, yet their failure to rectify this oversight betrays the very valor they claim to celebrate. His son carries the “blood of bravery,” proud of his father’s legacy but wounded by the lack of recognition. This is not just a personal grievance—it’s a call to honor all forgotten martyrs whose sacrifices are reduced to empty gestures.

Arjun Kumar Rasaily’s story demands justice. The authorities must investigate why his name is absent from gallantry records and ensure his family receives the honor owed. Let us salute this martyr, whose courage endures in his son’s heart, and fight for the recognition he was denied.