ASHOK CHAKRA

Major Laishram Jyotin Singh, an army doctor who showed exemplary courage and selflessness in the line of duty was posthumously awarded the country's highest peacetime gallantry award, Ashok Chakra, by President Pratibha Patil on Republic Day. On the morning of February 16, 2010, suicide attackers stormed an Indian residential complex in the heart of the Afghan capital, housing mostly army officials.One of the terrorists blew himself up at the gates of the complex, killing three guards, as others made their way inside. The attackers fired indiscriminately and hurled grenades, going from one room to the other. Sixteen people were killed in the two-hour assault. The terrorists lobbed a grenade on a room in which five unarmed officers had taken shelter. The fire on the roof engulfed an adjacent bathroom where five more officers had taken refuge. On hearing their shouts, the 37-year-old major crawled out of the debris and charged at one of the suicide bombers and pinned him to the floor, preventing the attacker from reaching his colleagues. Unable to escape from Major Singh's grip, the attacker panicked and detonated his explosive-laden vest killing himself the officer who had arrived there just three days back. Singh, a native of Manipur, was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in February 2003.

The art of appreciating the brave and gallant is not new. They form one of the most important constituents of a nation’s stability.  The concept of emancipation of the brave is cognizant in our Epics too. In the Mahabharata, the merit of dying as a martyr in the cause of Dharma is all along appreciated as the easiest way to heaven.

Whether being the appointed head of a clan, raising memorials in honour of the martyrs,brave souls, robe of honour, cash awards or medals etc., recognition of bravery has always been a very prestigious affair.Independent India saw the introduction of awards such as Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Ashoka Chakra, Shaurya Chakra etc.

Hence, here on this page we have put all the important facts that you atleast should know about it...

Jaipur:It was girl power that represented Rajasthan at the National Bravery Awards, held in New Delhi where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh felicitated 22 children from across the country. Asu Kanwar from Dechu village in Jodhpur, Kritika Jhanwar from Udaipur and Hina Querishi from Lamba Hari Singh village in Tonk were the proud recipients of the bravery awards. 

In April 2008, Kanwar displayed great courage in standing up against child marriage to which many girls in the state succumb to. It so happened that the villager elders and caste leaders camped outside her dhani (locality) putting undue pressure on her father to fulfill his commitment of marrying her to a 35-year-old man who had some physical disability. Instead of bowing to the pressure of the villagers and her father, the 14-year-old took her mother into confidence and lodged a complaint in the Anganwadi. She stood her ground till the women welfare department came to her rescue. Her brave act not only got her applause from the Prime Minister, but also won her the prestigious Bapu Gaidhani award. 

While Kanwar fought for herself, 15-year-old Hina Querishi didn't even think twice before taking plunge in the river when she spotted three girls from the locality drowning. On June 23, 2008 on the outskirts of village Lamba Hari Singh in Tonk district, sisters Kirti and Preeti while playing with their friend Gulsafa, fell in the river and Hina, who is younger to them, did manage to save them by pulling them out of water. Her act won her instant rewards from district police who felicitated her and later the zila parishad too awarded her on August 15, before suggesting her name for the national bravery awards. 

The third recipient, Kritika, is the youngest of the trio. This 14-year-old student of St Theresa's School didn't lose her composure when three armed burglars entered her room. Instead of panicking, she fought them with a rod, hit one of them, jumped out through the window and raised alarm that led to the arrest of one. Later the police managed to arrest the other two and it was found that the trio had been involved in other thefts. While fighting the burglars, Kritika had sustained head injuries.