This year 11 brave hearts have been awarded with Ashoka Chakra – The highest Gallantry award in peace time.
Ashoka Chakra: Highest Gallantry award during peace time.
PI salutes these brave men for their exemplary courage and pays tributes for their self less sacrifice.
Ashok Chakra 2009: 11 Brave Hearts
May God Bless their Souls. Amen!
Without ever doubting the individual courage and contribution of these brave hearts, your sincerely has few observations to make.
2009 has seen an unprecedented 11 people for the country’s highest peacetime gallantry award, Ashok Chakra.
All Posthumous awardees have laid their lives fighting Terror and SIX have been awarded for laying their lives during the Mumbai Mayhem. This is the maximum No of personnel awarded Ashoka Chakra in any single operation since 1950.
Since Independence, about 40 Ashok Chakras have been awarded for exemplary acts of bravery during peacetime. Its war time equivalent, Param Vir Chakra, was also awarded sparingly — five for the Kashmir operations of 1947-48, four each for the 1971 war and 1999 Kargil conflict.
These above observations raise few questions in my mind about the awards and the politics of awards. For years; the Awards have been mired in one or another controversy, this year too it is no exception.
This year the unprecedented high no of Ashoka Chakra – Once again I reiterate that this is not to raise any doubt or cast any apprehension on the Bravery of these 11 Brave hearts – might be indicative of few things.
1. Is it an attempt to shroud the ‘Guilt Pangs’ of the Man Mohan Singh’s government’s abject failure to contain terrorism?
Well, very much so. 2008 had been the worst year for India and Indians. Close to 60 Bomb Blasts – avg. 5 a month, 1 ¼ a week – hundreds of innocent men, women, children killed on streets, bazaars, roads, even Hospitals in city after city after city. A shamelessly and dangerously inefficient ‘Walking Zombie’ as Home Minister kept mumbling after every blast; all too impeccably dressed – changing thrice even on the day the Capital of nation was bombed at four places! His head rolled only after Mumbai Massacre was unleashed resulting in 190 lives lost. Only then ‘He’ was thrown in the garbage of History more to distract the public ire from the ruling party Congress (Both in centre and state) than to fix any responsibility. Having had so much of dismal record on the terror front and after the almost uprising and people’s anger against this Ruling Gang, they needed a face saver.
2. Were there ‘really’ no political considerations when this list was finally made?
This is interesting though sad. Here I quote from this report
As reported by DNA (Jan 22), the initial list of nine was revised after controversy surrounding the names. The new list raises doubts on whether political expedience got the better of scientific analysis.
This report here and this report too here gives us the ample proof about the political caluclation and consideration behind finalising the list than genuine intention of honoring the brave hearts. Sic!
It is evident that in the election year UPA government wanted to shroud the abysmal failure of its ‘Love Thy Terrorist fixation’ – all in the name of Secularism. Sic!
After all, two Senior Cabinet Ministers of Her Majesty’s Government Arjun and Antulay have been persistent in Secularizing the Terror! Sic! Has the Government purged these two elements from the Government? What does the Prime Minion think of these two fossil minded dinosaurs? With what credibility the Govt confers the awards to those whom; two senior ministers insult openly and publicly and still keep their seats intact in the Government!
So friends, politicization of Martyrs started at the very highest level of this Government. Sonia ‘Maino’ Gandhi’s intention to ‘Honor Martyrs’ is any thing but noble. Shame indeed.
Now, you can understand my anguish. I know from core of my heart that these brave men deserve all the kudos and respect and honor from each individual Indian. Yet the way this Government has mired this ‘Greatest Civil Honor’ for petty political gains and after shrewd calculations, is shameful.
As for the other awards, Barabar Indian has an interesting take. I am amazed that Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gets a Padma for her acting prowesses if not for being DIL alone of Bade Bhaiye Ji or because of this Con Artist’s art of manipulation!
I wonder that some day I too will get the Padma Shri for being best blog writer! J Really!
If Barkha, Rajdeep and this year even; Shekhar Gupta managed to secure one for their time tested and life long unflinching loyalty to Madame Sonia ‘Maino’ Gandhi! So may be then; I should not loose hope and pray for a communal Government at centre to bestow me one, some day. J
Having said this, I once again salute the Brave hearts and wish you all ‘Happy Republic Day’. As each one of us are proud parts of this Republic.
Regards,
PI.
