‘Thank you Papa for this honour’, says son after father awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously

Ten-year-old Kabir lit his father's pyre 19 months ago. On Thursday, he watched his mother receive the Kirti Chakra from President Droupadi Murmu for his father, who died fighting terrorists in Kashmir. And yet, he harbours the hope — one day Col Manpreet Singh will return home.

Oscillating between acceptance and denial, too young perhaps to grasp the reality of his life and too old to completely disregard it, Kabir clutched on to his mother Jagmeet's hand tightly after the ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan and said, “Thank you papa for this honour. Ab papa wapis aayenge, mission khatam hoga ab.” The belief somewhere that the award — the second highest gallantry award after Ashok Chakra — means his father is alive and well somewhere.

Recounting the conversation, his mother Jagmeet Singh told PTI that it has been a difficult time for the family and her children — Kabir (10) and Vaani (5).

"He sacrificed his life for the country and it is indeed a proud moment for us as a family. But it is definitely difficult to explain it to children," she said.

Col Singh was killed along with three other security personnel during a joint operation on September 13, 2023, following a fierce gun battle with terrorists in the forests surrounding Gadool village of Kokernag.