3 GUJ AIR SQN NCC RAJKOT GROUP, GUJARAT DTE. Param Vir Chakra Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is the highest gallantry award for officers and other enlisted personnel of all military branches of India for the highest degree of valour in the presence of the enemy. Introduced on 26th January 1950, this award may be given posthumously. Literally, Param Vir Chakra means 'Wheel of the Ultimate Brave'. In Sanskrit, 'Param means Ultimate, 'Vir (Pronounced veer) means Brave and 'Chakra means Wheel. List of Param Vir Chakra awardees (reference : https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/list-of-paramvir-chakra-awardees) Name Regiment Date Major Somnath 4th Battalion, Kumaon 3 Nov, 1947, Sharma Regiment Posthumous Second Lieutenant Bombay Engineers 8, April, 1948 Rama Raghoba Rane Naik Jadu Nath 1st Battalion, Rajput 6 February, 1948, Singh Regiment Posthumous Company Havildar 6th Battalion, 18 July, 1948, Major Piru Singh Rajputana Rifles Posthumous Shekhawat Lance Naik Karam Sikh Regiment 13 October, 1948 Singh Captain Gurbachan 3/1 Gorkha Rifles 5 December, 1961 Singh Salaria Major Dhan Singh 1st Battalion, 8th 21 October, 1962 Thapa Gorkha Rifles Subedar Joginder 1st Battalion, Sikh 23 October, 1962, Singh Regiment Posthumous Major Shaitan Singh 13th Battalion, Kumaon 18 November, Regiment 1962,Posthumous Company Quarter 4th Battalion, The 10 September, 1965, Master Havildar Grenadiers Posthumous Abdul Hamid Lieutenant-Colonel 17th Poona Horse 11 September, 1965, Ardeshir Burzorji Posthumous Tarapore Lance Naik Albert 14th Battalion, Brigade 4 December, 1971, Ekka of the Guards Posthumous Flying Officer Nirmal No.18 Squadron, 14 December, 1971, Jit Singh Sekhon Indian Air Force Posthumous 2/Lieutenant Arun 17 Poona Horse 16 December, 1971, Khetarpal Posthumous Major Hoshiar Singh 3rd Battalion, The 17 December, 1971 Grenadiers Regiment Naib Subedar Bana Jammu and Kashmir 23 May, 1987 Singh Light Infantry Major Ramaswamy 8th Battalion, Mahar 25 November, 1987, Parameshwaran Regiment Posthumous Captain Manoj 1st Battalion, 11th 3 July, 1999, Kumar Pandey Gorkha Rifles Posthumous Grenadier Yogendra 18th Battalion, The 4 July, 1999 Singh Yadav Grenadiers Rifleman Sanjay 13th Battalion, Jammu 4 July, 1999 Kumar & Kashmir Rifles Captain Vikram 13th Battalion, Jammu 7 July, 1999, Batra & Kashmir Rifles Posthumous Here is the best written story of the Param Vir Chakra (reference : https://pragyata.com/the-story-of-the-param-vir-chakra/) Two women were born in Eastern Europe barely three years apart in the early years of the 20th century. They both made their way to India for two very different reasons, settled there for two very different reasons and produced two very different outcomes! One is fêted and one is forgotten, when it should actually have been the opposite. The first of these ladies is the much idolized Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu who brought her prejudiced mind to harvest the souls of the brown Hindoos of Kolkata. On the other hand, the second lady Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros is a much more fascinating East European that we should be remembering in gratitude. In complete contrast to Agnes, Eve Yvonne came to India attracted by its spiritual wealth and rich culture. Rather than converting the pagans, she herself became a scholarly and devout Hindu. Rather than harvesting Hindoo souls and looting Hindoo wealth, she gave us a treasure that would last for generations to come. To understand Eve Yvonne’s contribution, we will have to begin our journey with the first India-Pakistan war that was precipitated by Pakistan’s incursion into Kashmir. The Gita-inspired warrior Merely weeks after Indian independence, the first Pakistani conflict had commenced. The lashkar (non-state militants – a standard Pak modus operandi to date) were empowered by the Pakistani state to invade and attack Kashmiris. The situation was escalating rapidly. Prime Minister Nehru was convinced to organize our defence by Sardar Patel as well as a young Colonel Sam Manekshaw. Following this, a young promising soldier with significant experience in Burma and the Second World War was sent to guard Srinagar – much to his disappointment as he was eager to fight on the frontlines. He was Major Somnath Sharma of the 4th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment. Growing up, young Som often lived with his maternal grandfather Pandit Daulat Ram in Srinagar, since his father, an army general, was often absent. He loved listening to his grandfather’s commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna’s teaching to Arjuna inspired Major Sharma till the very end. Even though his posting initially seemed uneventful, his wish for a challenge was fulfilled. His 50-man battalion was deployed to Badgam village to stop over 700 lashkars from advancing and taking control of Srinagar airport. Though significantly outnumbered, he showed immense valour motivating his troops and laying out cloth strips for the IAF aircrafts to land. His last message to Brigade HQ was: “The enemies are only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to our last man and our last round.” He and his men bravely halted the lashkars for over 6 hours and bought time for the Indian Air Force to arrive and drive them away. Yet, he and his entire team sacrificed themselves. Three days later, his body was identified by means of the few pages of Bhagavad Gita in his chest pocket. Such great valour and sacrifice could not go unrewarded. Even Nehru wanted to recognize this immediately. But what reward can be given? The British awards such as the Victoria Cross, the Medals of Honor or the Military Cross were no longer applicable for the newly independent country and no replacement award system had been instituted yet. Nehru asked the first Indian Adjutant General Hiralal Atal to quickly institute army awards. General Atal looked around for an expert to help him design the awards. The Param Vir Chakra Designer – Savitribai Khanolkar We Hindus have to thank our collective karma that a deracinated Anglicized brown sepoy or a secular Congress babu was not given this task. Instead, General Atal recruited Savitribai Khanolkar, the wife of an army colleague, Major General Vikram Khanolkar. Who was Savitribhai Khanolkar? What were her credentials? Why was she the right person for this task? Savitribai was not a native Hindu, yet Bharat Mata could not have picked anybody better for the award design project! Savitribai Khanolkar was born Eve Yvonne Maday de Maros in 1913 to a Hungarian professor father and a Russian teacher mother. Her mother passed away and her father raised her in Geneva, where he worked. Right from childhood, she was a learner and nature-lover. Through her reading, she was already fascinated with India and other ancient cultures. During one summer, when she was still a teenager, she met Major Vikram Khanolkar of the British army and fell in love with him. Her father naturally banned this relationship. However, in a few years, she left for India, landed at Vikram’s house and asked to be married! This is not a mere love story with a man, but her love story with Sanatana Dharma. After marriage, she fully immersed herself in India. She took the name Savitri, became a Hindu and vegetarian, studied Marathi, Sanskrit and Hindi, learnt Indian music and dance, and started her immersion in Hindu shastras. She always claimed that she had been “born in Europe by mistake as she was Indian in soul and woe unto him who dared to call her a foreigner”! She was fascinated with Hindu scriptures and had a deep knowledge of India’s ancient history and legends. She has published two books – one on Hindu baby names and another popular one called “Saints of Maharashtra” published by Bhavans (that is still in print). After her husband’s demise in 1952, she joined Ramakrishna Mission, took sannyasa and died in 1990. So, it does seem appropriate she was asked to design the Indian awards of valour. And what a design she created! The Param Vir Chakra design What makes a soldier a superlative soldier? While strength and skills are important, two major traits stand out – power and sacrifice. One without the other will not help but both together can save lives and a country. A powerful soldier is of no use if he isn’t willing to face death for a larger good. On the other hand, a selfless sacrifice may be worthless if it isn’t accompanied by a powerful defence or attack. A good Kshatriya combines these two traits adequately! What award design can adequately represent both power and sacrifice? And how can it also be uniquely drawn from the Indian ethos as well? – These must have been the questions facing Savitribai Khanolkar when she was entrusted with this important task. Savitribari was, by then, deeply well-read in Indian history/Puranas! Hence, her choice was a masterful one – she chose Maharishi Dadhichi’s bones as the symbol to be engraved on the Paramvir Chakra. The medal has 4 repetitions of his bones surrounding the national emblem in the centre, symbolizing how power and sacrifice of the soldier will protect the nation. Rishi Dadhichi – Embodiment of power and sacrifice Rishi Dadhichi was an expert in Madhu Vidya, the secret of gaining immortality. Indra was always insecure that this knowledge would get into the hands of others who may then challenge his position. So, when Rishi Dadhichi taught Madhu Vidya to Ashwini Kumaras, Indra was mad and cut off Rishi Dadhichi’s head. However, the Ashwini Kumaras were able to replace their guru’s head with a horse and revive him, with their newly acquired knowledge. A long time after, there was an asura called Vritra who captured all the waters of the world and created a long, terrifying drought.