the real heroism of Lt Triveni Singh in Jammu.....

'Mission accomplished, Sir' were this real hero's last words…..

Friday 2 January 2004 when the whole India was still coming out of the hang-over of New Year Bash a Young Indian Army officer's heroics went unnoticed. Unlike Screen heroes, army officer Lieutenant Triveni Singh played the "real hero" at the Jammu railway station as he gunned down the militants in a virtual one-to-one battle on Friday night before laying down his life.

Reaching the spot within 10 minutes of the attack, Singh and his quick reaction team of "Ghatak commando's" cordoned off the station and employed "zigzag methodology" to come at a close range of the militants.

  

Risking his life, Lt. Triveni Singh faced indiscriminate firing and lobbing of grenades and succeeded in killing one of the militants to take charge of the "uncontrollable" situation. The second militant, dressed in a combat dress, while trying to escape, threw a grenade at Singh but the seriously injured officer stood up and killed him.

"Mission Accomplished," Singh said and saluted the GOC before he laid down his life.

Mission accomplished but life shattered at Home in Pathankot where his father Capt. Janmej Singh (retd) and his ever loving mother was busyplanning for there only son's marriage due in March 2004. The agony of loosing there Brave son can not be explained or shared with.  

Triveni Singh, the young officer who lost his life while gunning down two terrorists who had entered the Jammu railway station to commit a massacre, was posthumously conferred the Ashok Chakra, the nation's highest peacetime award, by the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on Republic Day. The nation's second highest peacetime award, the Kirti Chakra, will be conferred on Ajay Kothiyal of the Garhwal Rifles and on C. Stanly (posthumous) of the Border Security Force

Just as we read the death of Lt Gen Triveni Singh; here is another valour – purush, in our native land…

Mr K Nagaraj, (Son of Kuppan, Ex-CRPF, hailing  from Morai village, near Avadi),  an army jawan was guarding the Jammu railway station when terrorism was unleashed. He was badly injured in the attack and  breathed his last  on 14th Jan - the Pongal day, succumbing to the injuries.  He was only 24.  His mortal remains were brought to his native vilage – Morai, where thousands paid  tearful homage.

Just as the local residents  bid emotional farewell to their brethren;  know how our Politicians reacted.  The funeral procession was delayed waiting for the TN Whip and the collector of Thiruvallur to come.  The Whip and Dist. Collector  reportedly came belatedly and paid homage at the burial ground.  The  local  MLA (of villivakkam in which Morai forms part)  was perhaps basking in the glory of his own valour in a  recently released film and the MP of the constituency  did not consider it fit  to come and  pay floral tribute; nor were any ministers of the State present.

A message circulated to my friends group on 19^th Jan 2004 and posted here now.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.