Kirti Chakra awardee’s kin break down, left speechless

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 25

“I am proud of my father”. These were the only words his son Rajat could utter before he broke into tears on the phone when he got the news today that Jagdish Chand was awarded Kirti Chakra, the country’s second highest peace time gallantry award.

The wife of Jagdish Chand was inconsolable and refused to come on the phone.

Jagdish Chand was off-duty and was working in the mess when terrorists attacked the Pathankot airbase. Jagdish, who was unarmed, attacked a terrorist and snatched his rifle and killed him. However, the other terrorists attacked him and Jagdish Chand attained martyrdom. He was cremated on January 4 in his native Basa village in Chamba district.

There is no road to the village of Jagdish Chand and one has to walk about two kilometres to reach his home.

Jagdish Chand had retired from the Army in 2009 after serving the 7 Dogra regiment for about 26 years. A year later, he had joined the Defence Security Corps (DSC).

He was serving in Leh and was transferred to Pathankot only on November 23. He had come home on December 31. He had assured the villagers that he would come home again for voting in panchayat elections on January 10.

Jagdish Chand had built a pucca house in his village and was planning to shift there. Jagdish was not lucky enough to spend some time in his new house.

Residents of Basa village, most of whom serve in the Army, were proud of the bravery of Jagdish Chand. They said Jagdish Chand is the third martyr from Basa village that has a population of about 250 people.

The other two martyrs were Suja Ram of the 15 Dogra regiment, who attained martyrdom while serving with the IPKF in Sri Lanka, and Khemraj, who was killed in the Kargil war.

Jagdish Chand is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. His paternal uncle Saliram was also dependent on him.

Serving the Army was the tradition in the family of Jagdish Chand as his deceased father was also an ex-serviceman. Two out of three brothers of Jagdish Chand are also in the Army.

The villagers demanded that since Jagdish Chand was the sole bread earner in his house, the Himachal Government should provide government job to one of his children.

The government has already given a grant of Rs 20 lakh to the family of Jagdish Chand. The family is overwhelmed by the respect given to the martyr by the government and the people.