A few hours after the news of Satpal Singh, a Kargil war Sepoy who is working as a traffic policeman in Sangrur district of Punjab, started making rounds all over the internet, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced his promotion on Friday, 26 July — coincidentally the 20th anniversary of the war.
A Vir Chakra awardee, wearing the distinctive half blue-half orange medal along with several others, Singh is no ordinary Head Constable.
Singh, who directs traffic at a road intersection in Bhawanigarh, was part of the 8 Sikh team of two officers, four JCOs and 46 ORs tasked to help the 19 Grenadiers capture Tiger Hill.
Twenty years ago, Singh killed Captain Karnal Sher Khan of the Pakistan Army and three others. Khan was later conferred the ‘Nishan-e-Haider,’ Pakistan’s highest gallantry award.
Singh said, “At least the awardees should have been given jobs. I am fortunate enough to be sitting here in front of you but in the war, there were two Subedars with me, Nirmal and Karnail Singh, who lost their lives.”
‘Govt Should Have Thought About Us’
While speaking to ANI, Singh repeatedly said that the government needs to take care of soldiers who fight such wars for them.
"I request the government to look out for us. They should have thought about us and our children. Getting any medal is different and getting the medal that I got is given after losing lives and making sacrifices. So the government should take care of us too.”
“Not many people know about my badge or my contribution in the Kargil War. When I tell this to the other policemen, I feel suffocated sometimes. I got the honour of getting Vir Chakra but was then given a local rank. If the government had helped me, I wouldn’t be doing this today.”Satpal Singh, Vir Chakra Awardee
‘Situation Forced Me to Take This Job’
Singh has a son and two daughters. “My son is preparing for the SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) examination and wants to become an SSB army officer. But if the government wants then they can offer him a good rank, like that of a DSP.”
Expressing disappointment over the lack of help from the government, he also said, "I retired in 2009, and got inducted into police in 2010. Then I got the Constable rank. My circumstances prompted me to take up this job. I had to. There was not any other option, and this was the need of the hour back then.”
Singh Gets Promotion
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered double promotion for Singh after learning that he was managing traffic as a senior police constable in Sangrur.
The chief minister accused the previous SAD-BJP government of ignoring the credentials of Satpal Singh at the time of his recruitment in 2010.
Amarinder has promoted him from a Head Constable to Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI, The Indian Express)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)