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Thursday, May 08, 2008
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Medals presented for valour

Sandeep Dikshit

Loudest applause for ten bravehearts who were awarded posthumously

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

Touching gesture: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil with the wives of those who were awarded posthumously for their gallantry during the Defence Investiture Ceremony in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil presented 26 medals for valour, mainly to Army personnel, at a defence investiture ceremony here on Wednesday. She followed the precedent set by the former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam of walking up to the next of kin of the deceased and presenting them the citation and medal.

Applause was the loudest and longest for all 10 brave hearts, who were given the medal posthumously.

While Ashok Chakra was presented to none this time, four Army men including two posthumously were awarded Kirti Chakra (the second highest award for valour during peacetime). Three Army personnel including two officers were recognised for their bravery in Jammu and Kashmir and one was honoured for counter-insurgency operations in the eastern sector.

Major K.P. Vinay and Sepoy Suresh were awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously for operations in Baramulla and Kupwara. As many as 22 persons including eight posthumously were given Kirti Chakra. An army jawan and a Border Roads Organisation engineer were posthumously given the award for saving lives during a flood and a landslip. Two Indian Air Force officers were given the award for flying round the globe in a micro light aircraft.

Fifteen persons were given Kirti Chakra for operations in Jammu and Kashmir, including six posthumously. Three were recognised for operations in the eastern sector.

The men who died during operations were Sowar Sultan Singh (Srinagar), Sapper B.R.V. Pattar (flood operations in Andhra Pradesh), Lance Naik Bhawan Singh (Kupwara), Guardsman Ajesh Ma (an unspecified area in J & K), R. Srikumar (BRO - for Arunachal Pradesh landslip), Lance Naik B. S. Ganpat (Uri), Naib Subedar Subhash (Bandipura) and Sepoy Badal Hasda (Kupwara).

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