New Delhi : Two senior former Army officers have backed the award of a commendation card to Major Leetul Gogoi, who had tied a man to a jeep in Kashmir as a shield against stone-pelters, but a retired general said the move was unbecoming of the forces traditions. Gogoi, a Major in the 53 Rashtriya Rifles, has been honoured with the Army Chiefs commendation card for his "sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations". Major Gen. (retd) Ramesh Chopra came out in support of Gogois action.
"With his innovative thinking, he saved lives of people and that has to be appreciated. I give him full marks for his presence of mind," Chopra said.
However, Lt. Gen. (retd) H S Panag, former GOC-in-C, Northern Command, criticised the move, saying Gogois action was unbecoming of the traditions of the Indian Army. "IA (Indian Army) traditions, ethos, rules & regulations swept away by the mood of the nation! I stand by my views even if I am the last man standing!" Panag tweeted.
Col. Anil Kaul (retd), who had served in the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka, said Gogoi deserved more than a commendation card because of his "out-of-the-box thinking". "He saved lives of people without even firing a bullet despite being attacked by stone-pelters. His act should be applauded and he should be given a Shaurya Chakra," Kaul said. Gogoi, who hails from Assam, had yesterday said that about 1,200 stone-pelters had surrounded a small group of security personnel at a polling booth in Utligam village of Budgam district on April 9. He claimed that if he had ordered firing, there could have been at least 12 casualties. PTI
