Lajja Ram (Ashoka Chakra)
Shri Lajja Ram was an Indian civilian who was posthumously awarded India's highest peace time gallantry award Ashoka Chakra.[1]
Lajja Ram | |
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| Born | September 1934 |
| Died | September 12, 1964 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Citizenship |  |
| Parent(s) |
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| Awards |  |
Early life
Sri Lajjaram was born in September, 1934 in Churhella village of Morena district,Madhya Pradesh. His father's name was Shri Naunat Ram.
Gallant act
Like other villages of Morena, his village was also terrorized by robbers. Robbers looted the villagers often. On 12 September 1964, some armed robbers entered the village. They started robbing a woman of her jewels. When she screamed for help, robbers shot her and left her wounded. At that time, Shri Lajja Ram, Shri Tej Singh and Shri Purshottam were sleeping in a nearby hut. Upon hearing her screams, they took their wooden sticks and came out, and started fighting with the robbers. Robbers had not imagined that some villagers would be attacking them like this. They believed that because of their guns, everyone would be scared of the, but when three villagers attacked them, they started intense firing on them. Shri Lajja Ram and Shri Purshottam were wounded by 2 bullets each, but Shri Tej Singh got shot by 4 bullets. Robbers also wounded these three men with their swords. Sri Tej Singh died on the spot but Sri Lajja Ram and Sri Purshottam were taken to hospital. But their lives couldn't be saved either Sri Lajja Ram sacrificed his life to save his neighbor woman. This was common at the time when villagers were becoming grieved because of their torture and lashed out Villagers' bravery and courage was more powerful than the terror of the robbers' guns.
Ashoka Chakra awardee
Sri Lajja Ram was posthumously awarded Ashoka Chakra in remembrance of his act of saving a life of rural woman with just a wooden stick and the power to throw robbers out of his village.