Shaheedon ki chitaon pe lagenge har baras mele
Watan pe marne walon ka yahi baki nishan hoga
Instituted on 26 Jan 1950, to recognize the most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy, Param Vir Chakra is the highest war-time award for armed forces in India. The award is the second highest by Government of India after Bharat Ratna.
The
medal is circular in shape, made of bronze, one and three eighth inches in
diameter and on obverse, four replicas of "Indra's Vajra" with the
State Emblem (including the motto), embossed in the centre. On its reverse, it has
Param Vir Chakra embossed both in Hindi and English with two lotus flowers
between Hindi and English. It has a plain purple colour ribbon. Indra’s Vajra
is something very interesting in Chakra design. What is the significance of
Vajra on the Chakra? One might think that it denotes power, as Vajra is one of
the most powerful weapons in Hindu Mythology. However, Vajra signifies
sacrifice and not power. The vajra on the chakra denotes the sacrifice of his
bones by Dadhichi to save the world. Param Vir Chakra thus demands for supreme
level of selfless sacrifice.
The Chakra is awarded for most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea, or in the air. The decoration may be awarded posthumously. In fact, of the 21 awardees, 14 received it posthumously!
The award is received by Indian Army 20 times and air force once. Grenadiers Regiment have received the most number of Param Vir Chakras, with 3 awards, one each for the Indo-Pakistan 1965 war, 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and the Kargil War. The Gorkha Rifles have also received three awards, with the 1st Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment), 8th Gorkha Rifles and 11th Gorkha Rifles each receiving one.
Such elusive is the award that our brave navy guarding us on the huge oceans has not yet received it! We can just imagine the supreme level of courage and valour displayed by the recipients. We can just get inspired from their self-sacrifice to keep us safe. And we can just remember them. It was Kargil Vijay Divas on 26th July. We celebrated the day by hoisting tricolour. But the victory had cost us 527 brave men who fought till their last breath to save our peaks. Lt. Manoj Pandey and Captain Vikram Batra were amongst the martyrs of the war. These are the names that we should never forget. Because if our independence was won by supreme sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and others, it’s the supreme sacrifice of these brave hearts that we are able to retain our freedom. They are the Bhagat Singh’s and Sukhdev’s of post-independence.
Naik Jadu Nath Singh didn’t left his post in 1947-48 war even when every other man of his company was dead. Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid single handedly destroyed three tanks using his gun mounted on a Jeep and laid his life in the process in 1965 Indo-Pak War. Naib Subedar Bana Singh had the task to clear Siachen Glacier from intruders in 1987, the highest battlefield in the world at 6500 mtrs. Though the enemy was at height, he closed in on the enemy and moving from trenches to trenches cleared all the intruders. Each of these is a story of highest level of sacrifice for the country. Each is the story of highest courage and selflessness.
I often wonder what goes on a soldier’s mind when he is dying. What do they expect from us for their sacrifice? I got my answer from an unexpected source. A movie, 300. A soldier wants nothing from us. He just wants us to remember them and their sacrifice. So, let’s celebrate this Independence Day by remembering those who laid their lives protecting our borders. Let’s share their stories and learn from them the true meaning of selflessness, valour and courage! Watch out this space for stories of heroes from each of the post-independence war. Jai Hind!