5_Major Mukund Varadarajan awarded Ashok Chakra, the highest gallantry award

On the eve of Independence day, came announcements of top military honors for India's brave and the Nation's highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashok Chakra is being awarded posthumously to Major Mukund Varadarajan who died fighting terrorists in Kashmir earlier this year. Ahead of the 15th of August, let's remember those who died protecting our Nation. Major Mukund Varadarajan honored posthumously with the Ashok Chakra the Nation's highest peacetime gallantry award on the eve of India's 68th independence day. A rajput regiment officer Major Vardarajan from Chennai was posted with the 44 Rashtriya Rifles when he and his Sepoy Vikram Singh from Rewari died after killing 3 terrorists in Kashmir this April. Major Vardarajan left behind a widow, a child and his parents. He died at the line of duty I don't regret but his absence you know, that.. that.. that *** actually, what to say, yes, effect on me. To me he is my father. I am proud of my son and love him. But now I miss him. Sepoy Vikram survived by his widow and a small child has been posthumously honored with the Shaurya Chakra. We used to converse about Kashmir, he used to tell me, " During your time the extremism was much more than at this moment in time." But sometimes collisions arises. He used to frequently say that I will enroll my son in army but will make him an officer. Besides Sepoy Vikram, 11 other brave hearts were given the Shaurya Chakra. Among them 2 Navy officers, Lieutenant Commander Manoranjan Kumar and Lieutenant Commander Kapish Muwal they put their lives on the line to save at least a dozen sailors after the fire broke out on the Indian Navy's submarine INS Sindhuratna this February. Army officers and Jawans combating Pakistan's proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir have got the bulk of the gallantry awards as they have been doing for over 2 decades. A NDTV bureau report.