Unsung hero from Kutch who helped Indian Army, now in Gujarati textbooks

The patriotic story of Ranchhod Pagi is to be added to Gujarati subject textbooks for class 7

Pagi helped Indian Army soldiers trace enemy posts

Updated: Jun 29th, 2023


The Gujarat State Textbook Board will add a lesson, titled ‘An Army of One Man’ based on Ranchhod Pagi, written by Ravji Gabbani, to the Gujarati subject textbook of class 7 this year.

Who is Ranchhod Pagi?

A nomadic from Gujarat’s Banaskantha was the most trusted guide of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971. Pagi had some unique skills; he could identify a person’s gender, height, and weight by their footprints. By reading the footprints of the camel in the desert, he could estimate the number of people riding on that camel.

A victory guide

During the 1965 war, the Vidhyakot post near the Kutch border was captured by Pakistani forces. At that time, Ranchhod Pagi helped a unit of 10,000 Indian soldiers trace the location of 1200 Pakistani soldiers at the risk of his own life. He also helped the Indian army capture several key posts during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

FM Sam Manekshaw impressed by Pagi

Ranchhod Pagi was reportedly invited to lunch by field marshal Sam Manekshaw after the 1971 victory, and the legendary field marshal also rewarded him ₹300. Apart from this, he was honoured with the ‘Sangram Medal’, ‘Police Medal’, and ‘Samar Seva Star’ for his selfless contribution to the nation.

PM Modi reportedly applauded the unsung hero Ranchhod Pagi, saying, “It is our priority to give respect to the bravery of extraordinary heroes in ordinary circumstances.”

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