Colonel Dr. A. G. Rangaraj (First Indian Paratrooper)

 

The note appears to be a personal dedication from someone named Anne to Dr. Rangaraj, written in Kabul on 7 June 1979 in a 1971 copy of a book entitled “Narratives of the Mission of George Bogle to Tibet: and of the Journey of Thomas Manning to Lhasa”.

To my great friend Dr. Rangaraj

From Anne

Kabul 7 June 1979

Based on the context and timing, it's very likely that this refers to Colonel Dr. A. G. Rangaraj (12 March 1917– 23 March 2009)an Indian Army medical officer and public health expert who played a key role in smallpox eradication efforts in Afghanistan during that period.

Dr. Rangaraj was working with the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1979 as a senior adviser on smallpox eradication. He collaborated closely with Afghan health officials and international teams to lead one of the most challenging public health campaigns in a conflict zone.

Dr. Rangaraj was a remarkable figure with a long career in the Indian Army; he first fought in the British Indian Army in WWII, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-48, the Korean War and the Annexation of Goa in a military career spanning 2 decades. He is accredited as being the First Indian Paratrooper.

For his exemplary leadership across a three-year deployment in Korea, Lieutenant Colonel Rangaraj was awarded the coveted Maha Vir Chakra, the second-highest military decoration in India. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 93.

His career and achievements are too many to mention here; for full details visit his page on wikipedia