Martyr Pawan Kumar Dhangal Posthumously Awarded the Kirti Chakra
Martyr Pawan Kumar Dhangal from Pithvi village in Rampur subdivision, Himachal Pradesh, has been posthumously honored with the Kirti Chakra. In a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, his mother Bhajan Dasi and father Shishupal received the award from President Droupadi Murmu.
On February 27, 2023, during an encounter with terrorists in a village in Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, Pawan Kumar heroically killed a terrorist before being martyred. The army unit had set out to cordon off the village after receiving intelligence about terrorists hiding there. Among the unit was Soldier Pawan Kumar from Pithvi village.
Last year, colleagues who brought Pawan Kumar’s body back home recounted the events. The team conducted a search operation throughout the village but initially found no terrorists. Eventually, they began searching a mosque. Pawan Kumar was the first to enter through the door. Inside, a hidden terrorist opened fire. Pawan pushed a fellow soldier who got hit by bullets to safety and then was shot himself. Despite his injuries, Pawan displayed incredible courage by redirecting the terrorist’s gun upwards from the muzzle. As a result, his hand was burned.
Another terrorist hiding inside the mosque fired multiple rounds at Pawan’s back, causing severe injuries. Despite his condition, Pawan managed to kill one terrorist but succumbed to his injuries due to excessive blood loss. His brave actions and ultimate sacrifice for the country have been recognized with the Kirti Chakra.