RAMANATHAPURAM: P Vanathi Devi, the widow of Havildar K Palani, killed during the Chinese aggression at Galwan Valley in June last year, received Vir Chakra from President Ramnath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday.
After the function, 34-year-old Devi told TNIE she considers the award an honour for her husband who hails from a remote corner of India. “It gives me immense pride that he, after 22 years of service, has left behind citizens of the nation to remind me that I am not alone. I felt my husband, who started from the scratch, was beside me when I received the award,” Devi said.
She said Palani wished his son P Prasanna, now 11 years, joins the army. “He would always say that he wanted to see our son join the armed forces in a higher rank so that he could salute him. Motivated by his father’s words, Prasanna now aspires to live up to his father’s dreams,” the mother shared.
Devi, a resident of Kazhukoorani and a postgraduate in Commerce was given a government job in September last year. She works as Junior Assistant in Revenue department in Ramanathapuram. A native of Kadukkalur village in Ramanathapuram district, Palani who aced in sports, was from a poor family and joined the military after completing Class 12. It was passion and extreme poverty that drove him to join the Armed forces at the age of 18. Later, he graduated in history. He was said to be an expert in the operation of military tanks.
Palani, part of Patrol 16 Bihar, was given the task of establishing an observation post at Galwan Valley near Ladakh when he was slain on June 15 2020. He was 40. “Palani fought valiantly with the enemies despite being outnumbered and encircled,” the Union government had said. Expressing pride over the conferring of Vir Chakra, Chief Minister MK Stalin tweeted, “The courage he showed in the Galwan Valley is a sign of patriotism of the Tamils.”