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China's Aggression An Act Of War: Galwan Hero Col Santosh Babu To Be Awarded Wartime Gallantry Award Mahavir Chakra
Swarajya Staff
Jan 25, 2021, 01:47 PM | Updated 01:47 PM IST
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Bihar Regiment's Commanding Officer Colonel Santosh Babu who sacrificed his life during the Galwan Clash with China last year will be posthumously awarded the second highest war time gallantry award the Mahavir Chakra.
An official announcement of the same is expected today evening (25 January) on Republic Day eve.
Colonel Santosh Babu, the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar who was killed in action along with 19 others in the Galwan clash last year, to be decorated with a posthumous Maha Vir Chakra on #RepublicDay. (That's a war-time decoration). pic.twitter.com/dd8rxsJAyl
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) January 25, 2021
This announcement assumes huge significance considering Mahavir Chakra is a wartime gallantry award, which has led senior defence analysts to say that India is treating the current Line of Actual Control (LAC) standoff with China as war.
If Col Santosh Babu, who was killed in action along with 19 other Indian soldiers in the Galwan clash last June is awarded Mahavir Chakra (second highest war time gallantry award) then it is clear, India is treating the current standoff with China in Ladakh as war.
— Nitin A. Gokhale (@nitingokhale) January 25, 2021
This will be the first time since the Kargi War that the wartime gallantry award the Mahavir Chakra will be awarded.
It was earlier reported that India will honour its bravehearts who were killed defending the country while resisting China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) aggression to capture territory in East Ladakh’s Galwan Valley on 15 June 2020.
At least four Indian Army soldiers including Colonel B Santosh Babu of 16 Bihar battalion may get posthumously honored with gallantry medals.
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