NEW DELHI: Three Army personnel will be awarded the Ashok Chakra, posthumously, by the President on Republic Day. They are Colonel V. Vasanth, Captain R. Harshan and Naib Subedar Chuni.
Col. Vasanth of 9 Maratha Light Infantry laid down his life in an operation to flush out militants near Uri town in Jammu and Kashmir. He is survived by his wife Subhashini, a Bharatanatyam dancer; daughters Rukmani and Yashodha and parents. Col. Vasanth’s wish
In 1997, Col. Vasanth told his wife that she should use her talent and experience to tell the story of the army wife. This suggestion led to the formation of The Silent Front, an organisation dedicated to the widows of martyrs. Captain Harshan was a tough officer endowed with uncommon tenacity which reflected in his relentless pursuit of terrorists in the harsh confines of the Lolab valley of Jammu and Kashmir. In March last he single-handedly eliminated two terrorists in an operation that targeted two top leaders of Hizb-ul Mujahideen of North Kashmir.
Later that month, he received inputs about the presence of a group of hardcore terrorists in the Chhoti Margi area of Lolab. Despite continuous snowfall, he, along with his troops, rushed there and threw a cordon round the hideout early in the morning. Taking advantage of poor visibility, the terrorists rushed out, firing. Coming face to face with them and though his troops were outnumbered, Capt.
Harshan killed one terrorist on the spot but fell down after receiving a gunshot wound in the neck. He continued to engage the terrorists before succumbing to his injuries. His valour inspired his colleagues to eliminate the remaining terrorists, one of whom had been wounded by the officer.
The award for Capt. Harshan will be received by his father K. Radhakrishnan Nair. Naib Subedar Chuni Lal had the rare distinction of being awarded the Vir Chakra and the Sena Medal for gallantry in earlier operations. He earned his first commendation while accompanying Naib Subedar Bana Singh in capturing the 21,000-foot Pakistani post, now renamed Bana Top, on the Siachen Glacier. While Naib Subedar Bana Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, Naib Subedar Chuni Lal was honoured with the Sena Medal. He became an example worthy of emulation when in Poonch he fought off an attempted intrusion, killing 12 intruders. He was awarded Vir Chakra for this act of gallantry.