Headlines
Two fallen bravehearts to get Ashoka Chakra on Republic Day
New Delhi, Jan 26
Major Mukund Varadarajan and
Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh will be posthumously awarded the nation's
highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra, at the Republic
Day parade Monday.
Both of them laid down their lives while
fighting heavily-armed terrorists in separate gun-battles in Jammu and
Kashmir last year.
Varadarajan, while leading an anti-terrorist
operation in a village in Shopian district April 25, 2014, displayed
exemplary leadership skills and courage - despite being wounded himself -
which culminated in the elimination of three top-ranked Hizbul
Mujaheddin terrorists. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Singh,
while on a search operation in the state's Kupwara district Aug 24,
2014, came under heavy fire from terrorists and got killed.
A
total of 374 gallantry and other defence decorations to armed forces
personnel have been announced on the occasion of 66th Republic Day.
These
include an Ashoka Chakra (to Singh as Varadarajan's award had been
announced on Independence Day 2014), three Kirti Chakras, 12 Shaurya
Chakras, 48 Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), 11
Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), 28 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, three
Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, three Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 53 Ati
Vishisht Seva Medals, 13 Yudh Seva Medals, 42 Sena Medals (Devotion to
Duty), eight Nao Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), 19 Vayu Sena Medals
(Devotion to Duty), four Bars to Vishisht Seva Medal and 124 Vishisht
Seva Medal, a defence statement said.