Over a year after the Navy officer Commander Kuntal Wadhwa died in a mishap involving the under-construction warship INS Kolkata, was today awarded Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) (Posthumously).
On March 7 last year, Wadhwa, 42, lost his life after he inhaled carbon dioxide that leaked from a malfunctioning unit while undergoing trials in the Mazagon Dockyard Limited (MDL) in south Mumbai.
Wadhwa was awarded for displaying utmost courage during the acceptance tests of the CO2 fire-fighting system on board.
Navy Chief R K Dhowan presented the medal to Wadhwa's wife Sandhya, who has joined the navy after his death. The event was held during the naval investiture ceremony 2015 held on board INS Virat.
While accepting the award, sub-lieutenant Sandhya said, "Navy has done so much for us. So it was my time to give it back by joining the force. It was my way of offering a tribute to my husband by embracing something that he liked the most."
Recollecting the sequence of events that happened on the fateful day, Sandhya said she had got a call from the navy late afternoon, which informed her about her husband's demise.
"It was a freak accident, which could have happened with anybody," she said.
Sandhya added that she decided to join the navy on the third day of her husband's death. "Some rules were relaxed for me. Although the age limit for joining the short service commission is 23, I was already 40 when I joined the force," she said adding that she worked as a teacher in a primary school before joining the naval services.
When asked about how difficult it was to manage things after her husband's death, she said, "Life has to go on."
Sandhya added that she would like her son to join the navy in future.
