https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Tracing A Forgotten Forester, A Shaura Chakra Awardee

Kalachand Sarkar was awarded one of India’s highest gallantry award in 1989 for fighting off a tiger to save his colleague’s life. He was a grass cutter in Manas National Park in Assam.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Just a few days back, Senior Indian Forest Service officer Ramesh Pandey had shared a Manas Tiger Reserve’s post on a Shaurya Chakra Awardee who is lost in history, on Twitter. Mr. Pandey had written while tweeting: “Foresters also have got gallantry awards. Here is a forgotten story of grass cutter from Manas who got Shaurya Chakra in 1989. Before him, M Kamal Naidu was given Shaurya Chakra in 1988. P Srinivas, who was killed by Veerapan, was conferred with Kirti Chakra posthumously in 1992”.

The Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards and comes after Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra.

The grass cutter who received this honour used to work in Manas and had received one of India’s highest gallantry awards in peacetime, for fighting off a tiger to save his colleague’s life. He is Mr. Kalachand Sarkar.

Kalachand Sarkar with his family

Indian Masterminds traced Mr. Sarkar to his home in Barpeta Road in Barpeta District of Assam, where he is leading a peaceful retired life.

While speaking to us, he narrated the tiger incident briefly. “I and my colleague went looking for the elephants. I was walking ahead and he was following behind. After some time, when I turned back, I realised he was not there. On looking around, I saw that he was being dragged inside the forest by a huge tiger. I went running towards them and kept hitting the tiger with my stick but it didn’t let go of my colleague. So this time I took the khukri (curved knife used also for cutting grass) and attacked the tiger on his head. I kept hitting him with the khukri until he released my colleague from his grip and ran away. My colleague escaped with wounds on his back where the tiger had taken hold of him with his teeth.”

When asked if he was not afraid, Mr. Sarkar, who was then in his 20s, said that at that moment he only thought of saving the man’s life. “It could have been me also,” he added.

While saying that Mr. Sarkar is is not in touch with the Manas Tiger Reserve for any work or collaboration, except for the procedural works related to his pension, Manas Tiger Reserve’s present Field Director Vaibhav Mathur said, “He is so simple that he does not even realise the value of his award”.

Mr. Sarkar lives with his wife and son and survives on his pension. His wife is a homemaker and his son is unemployed. He does not want to work any more and prefers to lead a peaceful life at home. However, he has a wish. “We are managing somehow with my pension money. It would be nice if my son gets a job in the forest department,” he said wistfully. Hope the Assam forest department takes note of this wish of the valiant forest hero who had made them all proud one day by receiving the prestigious medal from the President of India, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

His Shaura Chakra medal with its box

Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
IRSSE (Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers) officer
IRSSE Gaurav Govil Debarred from Central Deputation for 5 Years Over Non-Compliance with CVO Appointment
Delhi High Court-resized-DelhiHC
Faith vs Discipline: Delhi HC Backs Army in Termination of Officer, Upholds Dismissal For Refusing Religious Parade Participation
IRS Officer Indian revenue Services
Senior IRS Officer Caught in Bribery Case: ₹25 Lakh Seized at Mohali Residence, ₹45 Lakh Demanded – Know the Full Story
PNB Housing Finanace
PNB Housing Finance Elevates Bhavya Taneja as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) - Know More About Him
Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann
Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann Takes Over as Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command - Know More About Him
Rajgir Sports
Bihar’s Mega Sports Push: Playgrounds, Stadiums & Talent Hunt Transform State; Over 50 Lakh Students Join
Indian Oil IOCL
Indian Oil (IOCL) Finalizes LCOH for India’s Largest Green Hydrogen Plant at Panipat Refinery - Details Inside
RECPDCL Handover WRNES Talegaon Power Transmission Limited SPV to Adani Energy
RECPDCL Hands Over WRNES Talegaon Power Transmission SPV to Adani Energy Solutions - All Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
From Gwalior to the Top 20: What Drove Finance Pro Madhav Agarwal to Crack UPSC CSE 2024 with AIR 16? | Exclusive
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
WhatsApp Image 2025-05-28 at 18.56
Didn’t Clear UPSC But Found Something Greater: A Story That Will Change How You See Success
She left a top finance job for UPSC, did not clear but built a thriving wellness brand instead. Veda's...
Social Media
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
UPSC Latest IAS IPS IFS
UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Tomorrow: ICLS Officer Altap Shaikh Shares Last-Minute Motivation for Aspirants
His five-post thread offers encouragement, practical advice, and emotional support - not just for those...
Anupam Sharma IFS
#BoycottTurkey: IFS Officer Anupam Sharma Sparks Nationalist Call to Action
IFS Sharma urged citizens to avoid Turkish agricultural imports
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Leopard into Well Indore
Wildlife on the Edge: Why Leopards Keep Falling into Wells in MP’s Mhow & How Communities Are Navigating Coexistence
Harry Hobbs of Kolkata and Other Forgotten Lives
Nine Colonial Lives That Shaped Calcutta: Devasis Chattopadhyay’s Fascinating Chronicle | Book Review
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT