‘Extremely dynamic & energetic’: Govt hails Army braveheart from Ayodhya | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Lieutenant Shashank Tiwari, who laid down his life while saving a fellow soldier in Sikkim, was “an extremely dynamic and energetic officer”. This is the description of his heroic sacrifice in the central govt gazette notification which was issued on Oct 4. The Gazette’s citation further states that Lieutenant Shashank’s actions reflected the Indian Army’s highest ideals—camaraderie, selfless service, and the unbreakable bond between officer and soldier.The citations of the gallantry awardees of defence forces from different operations, including Operation Sindoor, were notified in the gazette. Lieutenant Shashank, 23, who hailed from Ayodhya, was awarded the Kirti Chakra posthumously earlier this year. Kirti Chakra is India’s second-highest peacetime gallantry award. Lieutenant Shashank from the Army Service Corps was attached to the 1st Battalion of the Sikkim Scouts. While navigating the Nimuphuichhu river, a tributary of the Teesta, during a high-altitude patrol in north Sikkim on May 22 this year, tragedy struck on a fragile log bridge. Agniveer Stephemn Subba slipped into the raging waters. Without hesitation, Lt Shashank plunged into the churning waters. He reached Subba and pushed him towards safety. Naik Pukar Katel joined and together they hauled Subba to shore, battered but alive, his leg injured but his life spared. However, Shashank suffered grievous injuries and was swept away by the current. His body was found 800 meters downstream. He had volunteered for the critical mission to secure a route from Bichhu to Chungthang Junction.Raised in Majhwan Gaddopur village in Ayodhya Cantt, Shashank was a natural swimmer and a spirited leader. He was commissioned into the Indian Army in Dec 2024, after graduating from the National Defence Academy.
