Mysuru, KARNATAKA :
Eight families of Army personnel to be felicitated
District administration to do the honours during the official Republic Day function
VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust’s president says it is for the first time war widows will be honoured
Mysore:
On Republic Day, the district administration will honour the family members of the armed forces personnel who laid down their lives while defending the country.
M.N. Subramani, president of the city-based VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust, who first mooted the idea of felicitating ex-servicemen and remember the personnel who were killed in the line of duty by honouring their family members, said that this is for the first time that war widows were being honoured by the district authorities during Republic Day celebrations. “Of those who are being honoured, five are war widows and three are mothers of unmarried soldiers who laid down their lives for the sake of the country”, said Mr. Subramani.
Dakshayani, Nirupa Madappa, Salma Shafeeq, Sarala, Jyothi Bai, Yallammal, Lakshmi and Saroja will receive the felicitation on the occasion.
Dr. Dakshayani, a resident of Vijayanagar II Stage, is the wife of Lt.Col. N.S. Yogesh of 6 Rashtriya Rifles. He was killed in an army operation against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on May 11, 1996. On receiving specific information about the presence of two terrorists, Yogesh immediately led his men and cordoned off the village. When the house in which terrorists had taken shelter was being cordoned off two terrorists rushed out and fired indiscriminately. In the encounter that followed Lt.Col. Yogesh sustained a bullet wound in the abdomen. Disregarding the bleeding injury he followed the second militant and in the firing that followed, the militant was injured but Lt.Col. Yogesh succumbed to his injuries. The Government recognised his contribution by way of conferring him gallantry medal posthumously.
Nirupa Madappa, a resident of Ramakrishna Nagar, is the wife of late Major Ganesh Madappa of 36 Rashtriya Rifles. Maj. Ganesh Madappa was directed to carry out a raid on a suspected militants’ hideout at Bachchru village in Badgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on September, 27, 1995. Major Ganesh Madappa immediately had the house cordoned off and he rushed to block the exit. Shocked militants rushed out and started firing in desperation. Maj. Ganesh Madappa boldly engaged the militants at a close range. As a result, he suffered bullet injuries. Yet, he charged at the militants killing one of them before collapsing. He later succumbed to his injuries and was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.
Salma Shafeeq is the wife of late Major Shafeeq Mahmood Khan Ghori. Maj. Shafeeq Mahmood Khan Ghori (Artillery) died on July 1, 2001 while fighting terrorists in Boban Watsar forests of Jammu and Kashmir. Major Shafeeq Mahmood Khan Ghori was posthumously awarded the Chief of the Army Staff’s Commendation for his meritorious service.
Sarala, wife of late Sepoy Naik Kiran Kumar, will also be honoured on Tuesday by the district authorities. Her husband laid down his life fighting terrorists in Kashmir on January 9, 2008.
Jyothi Bai is the wife of Sepoy Sakriya Naika who was killed by terrorists on May 13, 2003 in Kashmir.
Yallammal is the mother of late Sepoy S. Vasu. Sepoy Vasu laid down his life on July 1, 1990 while fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir during Operation Rakshak.
Lakshmi is the mother of late Sepoy Hema Chandu. Her son died fighting terrorists at Surankot in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on August 26, 2001.
Saroja’s son Sepoy A.P. Prashanth died on December 31, 2003 fighting terrorists in Kashmir during ‘Operation Rakshak II’.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / January 25th, 2010