Chasen Lowang said the award is a tribute to every soldier who is fighting for the country in harsh conditions
Known as a soft-spoken and God-fearing person to his fellow soldiers, Havildar Hangpan Dada showed exemplary valour and strong will when he took on terrorists in the Naugam sector in Jammu and Kashmir in May 2016, gunning down three of them before succumbing to bullet injuries.
Dada's widow, Chasen Lowang, received Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award, from President Pranab Mukherjee at the 68th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on Thursday.
Lowang stood without displaying much emotion while receiving the award but she could barely hold back tears as she walked past the dais where other dignitaries were seated.
Undeterred by the death of her husband, Lowang wants her 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son to join the army.
"I want my children to be brave like their father. I will ensure they study hard and join the forces," said the proud Lowang.
She said the award is a tribute to every soldier who is fighting for the country in harsh conditions.
Born in Borduria village in Arunachal Pradesh's Tirap district on October 2, 1979, Dada — as he was fondly called — joined the 3rd Battalion of Parachute Regiment on October 28, 1997. Six years later, on January 24, 2008, he was attached with the 4th Battalion of the Assam Regiment where he served till the end.
The soldier showed exemplary courage and presence of mind when he, along with other soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles, confronted terrorists in the Naugam Sector in north Kashmir on May 27, 2016.
The observation sentry of his company spotted four militants moving into the mountain folds near their post situated at an altitude of 12,500 feet on the LoC.
Soon, Dada came face to face with the terrorists and was swift in pulling the trigger, killing one and injuring another. The injured militant took cover behind a huge bolder while two others fled down the nullah.
Not worried about the danger to his life, Dada chased both the militants and gunned them down. Having eliminated three, he started trailing the fourth who was initially injured in the encounter. As he located the fourth terrorist, Dada received a bullet in the stomach but, undeterred, kept fighting before being hit in the neck.
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