A day before the 79th Independence Day on August 15, the list of President’s Gallantry Medals and Service Medals was released in New Delhi by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Once again, the men and women from the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir led, particularly from various branches of Jammu Kashmir Police (JKP).
There were no less than 172 recipients from the UT, among them 152 personnel of JKP alone. The 20 other medals were bagged by the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Fire Services and personnel of other forces posted here. Among all the police forces of India, the JKP stood all as its personnel won the highest number of 127 Gallantry Medals.
This clearly indicates how the manifold challenges posed to the forces in J&K are tackled head on by the UT police. Be it intelligence gathering, keeping secessionist elements under surveillance, or operations aimed against Pakistan-backed terrorists, the JKP has excelled in all these domains. For some gallant men and women, khakhi has brought them glory by way of recognition of their extraordinary services for the second time. It needs to be mentioned here that these men and women had won Gallantry Medals on earlier occasions too. Hence, this becomes the first Bar to their coveted GMs!
Our enemy Pakistan’s interference in J&K has remained a headache for the UT police for as long as one can remember. However, since 1989-90, the interference only increased, leading to dozens of encounters in which the JKP personnel made the supreme sacrifice as many got injured too. This baptism by fire, and under the bullets and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) triggered by terrorists, the UT police has stood tall in repulsing these anti-national acts.
The Uttar Pradesh Police figured at number two in the table for Gallantry Medals, with 17 GMs, incidentally just 110 lesser than those bagged by JKP. At the third place stood Chhattisgarh Police which bagged 14 medals. The fourth placed Odisha Police got nine medals, Maharashtra and Bihar Police got seven medals each, Jharkhand Police won five medals closely followed by the Assam Police with three medals and Telangana Police bagged one Gallantry Medal.
Two J&K Police (JKP) officers were also awarded the President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSMs), while 14 other officers of the force were awarded the Medals for Meritorious Service (MSMs). As per MHA, a total of 1090 personnel of Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence (HG&CD) and Correctional Services have been awarded Gallantry and Service Medals across the country this Independence Day.
Of them, 233 personnel have been awarded Medals for Gallantry (GMs), 99 President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSMs) and 758 Medal for Meritorious Service (MSMs).
Among the Gallantry Medal (GM) awardees from J&K are IGP Crime Branch Sujit Kumar, SSP Kulgam Sahil Sarangal, SSP Srinagar GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, SSP SIA Yougal Kumar Manhas, SSP ACB Mamta Sharma, SSP Kishtwar Naresh Singh, SSP PD Awantipora Sajjad Ahmad Shah, and SSP Iftkhar Talib, who is currently serving as SP Sopore.
The JKP officers who have been awarded the President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSMs) are Sheikh Junaid Mehmood and Rashmi Wazir, both holding the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police.
As far as Medals for Meritorious Service (MSMs) are concerned, out of 758 medals awarded this Independence Day, 635 have been awarded to Police Service, 51 to Fire Service, 41 to Civil Defence & Home Guard Service, and 31 to Correctional Service, with JKP bagging 14 medals.
The officers and officials who have been awarded the MSMs are SSP Ashok Kumar Sharma (Commandant, JKAP, 4th Security Battalion), SSP PCR Jammu Dr Koshal Kumar Sharma, SSP Railways Katra Sanjay Kumar Kotwal, SSP Ramban Arun Gupta and SSP Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Mamta Sharma, besides some other personnel. The Medals for Meritorious Service (MSMs) are awarded for valuable service characterized by resource and devotion to duty.
Double decoration for SSP Mamta Sharma has been a fitting recognition of her services rendered both in the field and as a person planning things sitting behind the desk. She had done stints with Special Operations Group (SOG), the elite personnel who are the frontline warriors in taking on terrorism, besides other sensitive posts.
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