Call of courage:These Army heroes inspire many -Vijay MohanTribune News Service: Vet. Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Call of courage: These Army heroes inspire many

Vijay Mohan:Tribune News Service

Western Command felicitates 23 bravehearts

with Sena Medal
Chandigarh, January 20Naik Anil Kumar of 1 Para was

among the bravehearts, who had stormed and liberated

Nariman House during the terrorist attack in Mumbai

in 2008. With victory at his feet, a few months later, the

commando etched another story of gallantry. This time,

however, with his blood, as he fell fighting a similar

enemy but in a different location.

On a counter-terrorist operation in the rough jungles of

Kupwara in March 2009, a far cry from the earlier

cosmopolitan battleground, Anil spotted terrorists and

opened fire. Retaliatory fire came in from three directions

and in the melee, he rushed forward to rescue a buddy.

Anil received gunshot wounds, but returned fire, killing

two militants. He, however, succumbed to his injuries,

and was decorated with the Sena Medal. Three Army

commandos associated with the Mumbai operations

were among 23 personnel awarded the Sena Medal at

the Western Command investiture ceremony in

Pathankot today. Four of them, however, were

posthumous. Other tales of heroism that flowed forth

at the ceremony included that of Lt Satbir Singh

from the Army Education Corps (AEC), who too laid

down his life combating terrorists in the North-East.

Detecting terrorist movements while leading a team

of commandos and police, he opened fire and killed

one of them. After rescuing a wounded soldier, he

again engaged the terrorists, killing another.
Naik Kishori Lal of 8 Grenadiers and Pankaj Gurung of

4/8 Gorkha Rifles also attained martyrdom, while

displaying the same legacy of courage and leadership.
Pankaj was leading a scout party near Manipur when on

observing suspicious movements, he forewarned other

security teams. In the ensuing action, he received

injuries on his chest and arms, but held on to his position

and engaged the enemy. His timely warning and

subsequent action averted a major incident.
Kishori was leading a small team to cut off an escape

route of terrorists in Kupwara, when the troops came

under intense fire. He was hit in the leg, but he

outmaneuvered the terrorists and came face to face

with them from the flanks. In the ensuing gunfight,

Kishori was fatally injured.
Major Sanjay Kandwal of Kumaon Regiment and Naik

Sate Singh of the Parachute Regiment were decorated

for their leadership, courage and acumen during the

Mumbai carnage. After evacuating scores of foreign

and Indian hostages from the Taj Hotel, they charged
into a bar where terrorists were holed up and neutralised

them.

Of the 23 gallantry awards, 19 went to the Infantry,

including the Parachute and Special Forces. The other

recipients were one each from the Armoured Regiment,

Army Ordnance Corps, Electronics and Mechanical

Engineers and the AEC. Three officers, Maj-Gen

(now Lt- Gen) GM Nair (Infantry), Maj-Gen Surendra

Nath (Armoured) and Brig SB Negi (Infantry) were

awarded the Vashisht Seva Medal for meritorious

services

The medals were presented by the General Officer

Commanding, Western Command, Lt Gen Shankar

Ranjan Ghosh. A large number of senior officers

and their wives were also present on the occasion.

Veteran Prabhjot Singh Chhatwal PLS Retd.

Mob: 098554-09128 Telefax-0175-5000896.