The True Heroes of our Nation

President approves 9 Ashok Chakras among
428 defence decorations

www.kaumudi.com

NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil
has approved the award of the Ashok Chakra, the highest gallantry
award in peacetime, to 9 security personnel who laid down
their lives fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai
and New Delhi.

These are part of the 428 gallantry and other defence decorations
to armed forces personnel and others on the occasion of the
country’s 60th Republic Day, it was announced on Sunday.

Patil will on Monday present the 11 Ashok Chakras, including
two announced on Aug 15, 2008 for Assistant Commandant Pramod
Kumar Satapathy of the Orissa Armed Police (posthumous) and
R.P. Diengdoh of the Meghalaya Police (posthumous) at Rajpath
before the start of the Republic Day parade.

Posthumous Ashok Chakras will also be conferred on Col. Jojan
Thomas and Havildar Bahadur Singh Bohra of the Indian Army;
National Security Guard (NSG) commandos Maj. Sandeep Unnikrishnan
and Havildar Gajender Singh; Maharashtra Police officials
Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar and Tukaram Gopal
Ombale; and Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, a defence
ministry statement Sunday said.

The army personnel had died fighting terrorists in Kashmir,
while the NSG commandos and the Mumbai police officers died
during the Nov 26-29 terror attack on India’s commercial capital
that claimed the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners,
and injured over 300.

Sharma died during a gunfight with terrorists who were suspected
to have staged a series of bomb blasts in the national capital
in September.

The President has also approved the award of 13 Kirti Chakras,
30 Shaurya Chakras, 91 Sena Medals (Gallantry), one Bar to
Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry), four Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry),
one Bar to Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry), four Vayu Sena Medals
(Gallantry), 29 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, two Uttam Yudh
Seva Medals, one Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 50 Ati Vishisht
Seva Medals, five Yudh Seva Medals, two Bar to Vishisht Seva
Medals, 122 Vishisht Seva Medals, one Bar to Sena Medal (Devotion
to Duty), 40 Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), eight Nao Sena
Medals (Devotion to Duty) and 14 Vayu Sena Medals (Devotion
to Duty).

The recipients of the Kirti Chakra, the second highest gallantry
award in peacetime, are Lt. Col. Saurabh Singh Shekhawat,
Lt. Col. Osiris Das, Capt. Zala Ajitkumar Arshibhai, Capt.
Paras Limboo, Subedar Indra Bahadur Pun, Havildar Rale Santosh
Tanaji, Naik Tape Yajo (Posthumous), Nitya Nanda Bora (Posthumous),
Sapper V. Sathish, Arun Raghonath Chitte (Posthumous), Ambadas
Ramchandra Powar (Posthumous), Sashank Chandrasen Shinde (Posthumous)
and Mukesh Bhikaji Jadhav, (Posthumous).