New Delhi: Havildar Abdul Majid, from the 9 Para SF, was considered a hero not only within his own unit but also in Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir where he came from. On the challenging terrain of Poonch and Rajouri, he stood as a formidable force against terror and is described by his unit members as the go-to man when it came to operations.
Majid was among the six Kirti Chakra and 16 Shaurya Chakra — the country’s second and third highest awards, respectively, for uncommon courage during peacetime — awardees this Republic Day.
Among the recipients were four who were honoured with the award posthumously.
ThePrint takes a look at the acts of bravery of this year’s recipients.
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Major Digvijay Singh Rawat (Kirti Chakra)
The officer, who hails from the 21 Para SF, won the Kirti Chakra for operations in Manipur. His citation read that immediately on insertion in Manipur, the Major, who was the troop commander, established an innovative and thorough intelligence network, which enabled him to map all Valley Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGs) accurately.
During an operation, Major Rawat received intelligence of VBIGs planning to target a VIP scheduled to visit Manipur. Based on this intelligence, Major Rawat activated his source to mislead the insurgent groups towards an ambush location. The source successfully channelised the insurgent group to the intended area, where, on being challenged by the Indian Army, terrorists opened heavy fire using automatic weapons.
Major Rawat tactfully manoeuvred his party to engage the terrorists and himself crawled to a flank and eliminated one ‘self-styled captain’ and injured another.
Similarly, during another operation, the officer received intelligence of infiltration of VBIGs cadres. Using his knowledge of the area, he established a close knit surveillance grid and successfully apprehended three senior cadres by physically overpowering them in close quarter combat.
Major Deependra Vikram Basnet (Kirti Chakra)
The citation said Major Deependra Vikram Basnet was the commander of an ambush deployed in the Keran sector of Kupwara district along the Line of Control on 15 June 2023. This ambush was deployed on receipt of intelligence regarding likely infiltration by a group of five terrorists.
His surveillance team spotted these terrorists and provided early warning to him. Post-midnight on 16 June, as the terrorists entered the ambush, he brought down heavy fire onto them. The leading terrorist, firing indiscriminately, threw grenades onto Major Deependra and his team.
Unmindful of his own safety, the officer crawled towards the terrorist amidst heavy fire and killed him at a close range. In the ensuing firefight, he came face to face with a second terrorist. Without second thought, he engaged this terrorist in fierce hand to hand combat and killed him with his combat knife. He continued to resolutely control the operation and assisted in elimination of a third terrorist who was pinning down his team. The officer risked his life to safeguard his troops and ensured success of the operation. The operation eliminated five heavily armed foreign terrorists.
Late Captain Anshuman Singh (Kirti Chakra)
Captain Anshuman Singh was a young officer commissioned into the Army Medical Corps on 19 March 2020. He joined 26 Punjab as medical officer for Chandan Complex in Siachen. During the night of 19 July 2023, Chandan Dropping Zone witnessed a major fire incident. The officer heard the call of fire and rushed out of his fibreglass hut.
He rescued 4-5 individuals from the adjacent fibreglass hut which was covered in smoke and was on the verge of catching fire. This is when he saw that the medical investigation room was engulfed in fire.
He went inside his fibreglass hut to retrieve the medical aid box but could not make his way out as the flames had spread and engulfed his hut due to high velocity winds. He could not be rescued despite repeated efforts. His mortal remains were retrieved from the shelter after the fire was doused.
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Havildar Pawan Kumar (Kirti Chakra)
Havildar Pawan Kumar Yadav, on receipt of fresh and specific intelligence of infiltration by 4-5 terrorists, promptly volunteered to lay ambush in a densely forested area along the LoC in Kupwara district of J&K. He laid ambush in close proximity to the enemy post.
When his team was fired upon from a close distance, displaying intrepid nerves of steel, he voluntarily moved ahead and crawled under indiscriminate firing of terrorists despite heavily mined terrain and thick vegetation, eliminating one fleeing terrorist.
A second terrorist was still on the run. With total disregard for his own safety, he continued chasing the second terrorist under overwhelming fire. Despite being physically exhausted, he exhibited raw courage by successfully neutralising the second terrorist in hand-to-hand combat.
Late Havildar Abdul Majid (Kirti Chakra)
Havildar Abdul Majid was a squad commander of 9 Para SF who has been operating in Jammu and Kashmir since 2011.
On 22 November 2023, during a search operation in forested areas of Rajouri district, his squad moved in to evacuate Captain M.V. Pranjal of 63 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion who was mortally wounded due to terrorist’s fire.
Bringing down heavy fire to pin down the terrorists, he crawled forward and evacuated the officer to a safe area and returned back to his position.
He manoeuvred his squad near the natural cave where the terrorists were hiding and firing indiscriminately. Despite being hit by a bullet in his leg during firing and bleeding profusely he closed in with the terrorist hiding in the cave and lobbed a grenade inside, which forced the injured terrorist to come out of the cave. Sensing danger to own troops, Havildar Majid swiftly changed his position and charged towards the terrorist killing him at close quarters before succumbing to his injuries.
Late Sepoy Pawan Kumar (Kirti Chakra)
On 27 February 2023, specific input was received regarding the presence of terrorists in a village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Sepoy Pawan Kumar laid an impregnable cordon and led search from the front and volunteered to undertake room intervention along with his buddy.
As he approached the first floor, hiding terrorists resorted to grenade lobbing and indiscriminate firing. Sepoy Pawan Kumar retaliated with restraint to prevent collateral damage while preventing terrorists escape.
Sensing grievous danger to his colleagues, in an act of supreme courage and indomitable spirit, he dashed ahead and engaged one terrorist in hand-to-hand combat and snatched his weapon before eliminating him at very close quarters while injuring a second terrorist. In this intense firefight, Sepoy Pawan Kumar sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
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Major Maneo Francis (Shaurya Chakra)
Major Maneo Francis PF, the assault team commander of 21 Para SF has been operating in Manipur since 2022. Within a short duration, he is said to have developed an immaculate intelligence network and kept close surveillance on terrorist activities in Manipur, resulting in accumulation of accurate intelligence of Valley Based Insurgent Groups.
On receipt of reliable intelligence of likely sabotage activity on a VIP Major Francis planned an operation to foil the plan by the terrorists. Through painstaking efforts and protracted surveillance done over a long period, he identified a likely crossing point of an insurgent group near a border pillar and laid an ambush at the site. Four heavily armed personnel were moving towards the ambush site. On being challenged, the terrorists opened heavy fire using automatic weapons. In retaliation, unmindful of personnel safety, he quickly manoeuvred and outflanked the insurgents and successfully eliminated a ‘self-styled major, commander’ of an insurgent group and injured another insurgent at close range using his superior combat skills.
He continued engaging the balance insurgents who were following the leading four, thus ensuring safety of his men.
Major Amandeep Jakhar (Shaurya Chakra)
Major Amandeep Jakhar was part of the cut-off group of an ambush deployed in the Keran sector of Kupwara district along the Line of Control on 15 June 2023. This ambush was deployed on receipt of intelligence regarding likely infiltration by a group of five terrorists.
On 16 June 2023, as the ambush was sprung, two terrorists tried to escape while firing indiscriminately towards the officer and his team. Major Amandeep, despite being under heavy fire, pursued these two terrorists. In this action he came face to face with one terrorist whom he killed in fierce hand to hand combat. Another terrorist had taken cover behind a tree and brought down heavy automatic and grenade fire. Sensing grave danger to his troops, Major Amandeep, unmindful of his personal safety, moved closer to this terrorist to draw him out of cover. As the terrorist took aimed fire onto the officer and got exposed, his buddy eliminated this terrorist.
The operation resulted in the elimination of five heavily armed foreign terrorists.
Late Captain M.V. Pranjal (Shaurya Chakra)
On 22 November 2023, based on information about terrorist presence in forested areas of Rajouri district, Captain M.V. Pranjal was leading a small team surveillance operation in an area which also included civilian presence consisting of women and children.
His citation read that while maintaining stealth under cover, he spotted the movements of two terrorists, who too spotted him and opened fire.
Sensing danger to the women and children, disregarding his own safety, he rushed out and pushed them out of danger and simultaneously engaged the terrorists from minimum cover. Despite his team size and heavy fire, he continued maintaining contact with the terrorists till the arrival of additional troops. In the process, he succumbed to a fatal gunshot wound.
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Captain Akshat Upadhyay (Shaurya Chakra)
On the intervening night of 27-28 May 2023, Captain Akshat Upadhyay and his party established a temporary operating base in Manipur.
At 0300 hours, he observed one house catching fire at a distance in the village and also noticed movement of a large mob towards the village.
Captain Akshat Upadhyay deployed his party tactically and ordered to fire an illumination round for better observation. As soon as the illumination round was fired, his party came under effective heavy automatic fire from the direction of the burning house. Under heavy fire, he immediately moved tactically and led his team towards the rear of the mob.
He warned the mob not to burn the houses but he was again fired upon.
Captain Akshat Upadhyay retaliated the fire thus eliminating four insurgents and apprehending five along with war-like stores. The action forced the remainder of the mob to disperse thus saving the village and lives of 200 villagers, read his citation.
Late Rifleman Alok Rao (Shaurya Chakra)
On 3 May 2023, ethnic riots erupted in Manipur and the situation quickly deteriorated in the entire state. To control the worsening situation, columns of 18 Assam Rifles were deployed. Rifleman Alok Rao was part of an Internal Security column deployed in the most sensitive area in the district.
The column was tasked to occupy a highest tactical feature overlooking the villages involved in violent activities. On 10 May 2023, Rifleman Rao was deployed in the light machine gun bunker. At around 1130 hours, 10-12 suspected armed insurgents were seen moving to his position.
Realising an imminent danger to his position and to his colleagues, he challenged the armed group who opened fire without warning. He therefore effectively returned fire in which two/three insurgents sustained injuries and were forced to flee thereby saving his colleagues.
However, in the ensuing firing he also sustained a gunshot wound and was evacuated to military hospital wherein he succumbed to his injuries.
Civilian Parshotam Kumar (Shaurya Chakra)
Parshotam Kumar, a resident of Rajouri district is a farmer by profession and village defence committee member. He is a go-getter with a panache of service to the nation ingrained in him and has been responsible for ensuring the safety and security of his village. In August 2023, while in the jungle with his family collecting firewood, he spotted two suspicious armed individuals with rucksacks resting in close vicinity to his location.
Realising the imminent danger to the village, he quietly moved his family members to safety of their house and fetched his weapon while also alerting other members of village defence committee, police and the Army.
While the forces were closing in, unmindful of his safety, he tailed the two terrorists and with raw courage and excellent fieldcraft, he closed in on the terrorists and engaged them from a close distance. He maintained contact with the other till security forces closed in. His brave act led to the neutralisation of one foreign terrorist. This display of astute patriotism, courage and heroism under fire earned him the Shaurya Chakra.
Lt Bimal Ranjan Behera (Shaurya Chakra)
On 6 March 2023, ONGC reported an operational emergency and sought Indian Navy’s diving assistance urgently.
Armada Sterling V, a Fuel Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel deployed off Kakinada for a major offshore development project, critical for the nation’s energy security, had to abruptly suspend operations due to entanglement of fishing nets at the fuel extraction mechanism.
Lt Bimal Ranjan Behera was part of the diving team deployed to render assistance. At the FPSO, a vertical dive of 18 feet to bilge keel followed by horizontal dive of 100 feet athwart ships was required to reach the turret to restore operations. The underwater conditions were perilous. The vessel’s complex u/w fitments, menacing currents, sharp barnacles and the bulbous bow presented a ferocious waterbody. Diving to depths of even a few feet was gravely risky. Divers were unable to merely stabilise.
Lt Bimal Ranjan Behera stepped up fearlessly as lead diver. At about 1000 hours on 12 March, as soon as the officer dived, the waters brutally assaulted him, throwing him and leaving him instantly breathless.
The officer gallantly descended 18 feet to reach the bilge keel. Without respite the officer continued diving. As the enormous turbulence swirled and pushed, he precariously hung onto the bottom chain, hauled himself and the long umbilical, advancing barely few inches at a time, and successfully reached the turret area traversing 100 feet athwart ships.
Fighting complete exhaustion, the officer extricated the nets around the turret and cleared the bell mouths one by one. Realising that orienting and clearing the turret by another diver would be risky, the officer shouldered bulk of diving efforts himself during this gruelling diving operation. He repeatedly dived 16 times for 552 minutes in two phases, negotiating the complex underwater fitments as also the sharp cuts inflicted by barnacles and cleared the nets around the turret. Subsequently, braving the whirlpools, the officer dived and video-graphed under the turret. This offered an accurate underwater picture. The complex fuel extraction equipment was extricated from the nets and seamless installation of additional underwater fuel lines was enabled.
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