“It was an honour knowing him. He was such an honourable man and the way he dealt with everyone, especially elders, is something I have never experienced.”

This remark probably sums up everything Major Mukund Varadarajan stood for. The 32-year-old officer from Tambaram died while fighting militants in Shopian, Kashmir, in April.

On Thursday, he was posthumously bestowed with the Ashok Chakra, the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry award. Vitin Clement, who made the observation about the martyred officer was his close friend, having studied with him at Madras Christian College.

For Major Varadarajan’s parents, it was both a proud moment and a sad one at the same time. Speaking to The Hindu from their apartment in Professors Colony, East Tambaram, R. Varadarajan said the award meant his son’s sacrifice had not gone unnoticed.

He said that when his son’s body was taken in a procession to the crematorium at Besant Nagar, 150 school students had come in a procession, holding the tricolour.

Geetha Varadarajan said they accepted the recognition as reward for the toil of those combating terrorism and said it would give them some courage to bear their irreparable loss.

Major Varadarajan of Rastriya Rifles (22 Rajput) was leading an anti-terrorist search operation in Shopian, South Kashmir, when he was killed in an encounter with Hizbul Mujahideen militants in April.

In 2008, Major Dinesh Raghuraman (28) of Chromepet was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, a few months after he was killed.

Lieutenant Natarajan Parthiban (21) of Pammal was bestowed with the Kirthi Chakra after he was martyred in October 2006. They too were gunned down by militants in Kashmir.