I personally feel that this year the ASHOK CHAKRA has been degraded by awarding it to undeserving persons and to persons whose acts are merely routine functions which they should have performed in their normal duties,even such acts if, they are glorified to suite the political and parochial needs of the day,I feel it would be better that the ASHOK CHAKRA is not awarded at all.Thus, demeaning the actual value and the valour of some brave people like Shaheed Capt Arun Singh Jasrotia,Shaheed Maj. Sudhir Walia ,Shaheed Paratrooper Sanjog Chetri,just to name a few amongst the BRAVE. Every soldier or cop who dies for the nation deserves to be saluted. But gallantry awards like Paramvir Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, Ashok Chakra etc are not meant for every brave soul dying for the nation. They are meant for the bravest of the brave. Close to 500 brave men laid down their lives in Kargil and thousands became martyr in 71,65,62 and 47. Each one of them was brave and each life was equally precious. But not all of them can be given gallantry awards.
