Havildar Hangpan Dada, who sacrificed his life while valiantly fighting and killing four terrorists after they infiltrated from PoK into Kashmir, Pathankot bravehearts lt Col Niranjan, and Corporal Gurusevak Singh are among the 82 Defence and paramilitary personnel for whom President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday approved gallantry awards. Dada is bestowed with Ashok Chakra, the country’s highest peace-time gallantry award.
Dada (36) hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, eliminated four intruding terrorists before laying down his life at a height of 13,000 feet in the harsh and icy Himalayan range of north Kashmir on May 27 this year. He valiantly fought at the treacherous Shamsabari range in north Kashmir with heavily-armed terrorists who had infiltrated from Pak-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
lt Col Niranjan EK, head of NSG’s bomb disposal unit, was killed while sanitising a terrorist’s body during the Pathankot air base terror attack in January. Niranjan, hounoured with Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry medal of the country, was an officer of the Army’s Corps of Engineer, and was part of the special NSG commandos unit that was rushed to the IAF base in Punjab after four terrorists entered the high-security military facility on the intervening night of January 1-2.
Navy sailor Veer Singh, who retrieved under difficult circumstances two bodies from the Dornier aircraft of the force that had crashed last year off Goa, has also been chosen for the gallantry award Nao Sena Medal along with lt Commander Vikash Kumar Narwal.
Squadron leader Abhishek Singh Tanwar and Squadron leader Bhavesh Kumar Dubey have been selected for Vayu Sena Medal. Indian Coast Guard’s Commandant Radhakrishna Rajesh Nambiraj and Kuldeep Pradhan Yantrik will receive Tatrakshak Medal.
The gallantry awards approved by the President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, include one Ashok Chakra, 14 Shaurya Chakras, 63 Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Nao Sena Med-als and two Vayu Sena Medals.
The Army got one Ashok Chakra (posthumous), 11 Shaurya Chakras (6 posthumous) and 63 Sena Medal (12 posthumous).