List of Saini recipients of military awards and decorations
This is a list of Saini recipients of military awards and decorations.
Sainis have a distinguished record as soldiers in the armies of pre-British princely states, British India and independent India. Sainis fought in both the World Wars and won some of the highest gallantry awards for conspicuous bravery. Subedar Joginder Singh, who won Param Vir Chakra, Indian Army's highest war time gallantry award, in 1962 India-China War was also a Saini of Sahnan sub clan.
The awards list given below is not exhaustive. Not all Sainis use their clan or sub clan names and go by the last names such as 'Chaudhry', 'Singh', 'Kumar', etc. Since these names are shared by many other groups (some of which overlap Sainis) such as Sikhs, Jats, Dogras and Rajputs etc. , it is not possible to isolate Sainis among them just by their last names. The following list pertains only to those decorated soldiers and policemen who are confirmed to be Sainis. The actual list of decorated Saini army and police personnel might be much longer. More quality research is needed in this reference.
The following list only contains only those soldiers and policemen who won have major wartime and peacetime awards. The list of Sainis in Indian Army is very large and needs no inclusion here. Army and police have traditionally been major sources of employment for Sainis. British had classified Sainis as a 'martial race'. Purser recorded even in 1892 land settlement report that Sainis joined the military service quite frequently, especially as cavalrymen.
Another fact that needs to be born in mind is comparison of Sainis with Dogras , Pushtuns, Jats and Rajputs is not an apples to apples comparison. Sainis are merely a sub tribe of Yaduvanshi Kshatriyas (or Jadon Rajputs) who took to agriculture in Punjab and spun off with a distinct identity local predominantly to Punjab and bordering region. Their numbers are relatively very small compared with these groups. For example according to the 1881 census, the entire Saini population in the whole of undivided Punjab- also all of pre-partition India for that matter- was only 132,000 while the population of just a single Jat clan of Sidhus was 208,000. The Saini population was reduced to 106,000 in 1901 census after mistakes of 1881 census were corrected. The best way to gauge proportionate Saini contribution to feats of gallantry in armed forces would be by comparing them individually with other Rajput sub tribes such as Bhati, Chauhan, Sisodia, etc. rather than Rajputs, Jats , or Dogras as integrated groups which are extremely large and heterogeneous when compared to Sainis.
Known Gallantry Awards
During British India (World War I)
- 1 Cross of St. George (Imperial Russia's highest exclusively military award. Equivalent to current Param Vir Chakra and British Victoria Cross)
- 1 Order of British India (recipient decorated with title 'Bahadur')
- 2 Indian Order of Merit (after 1912 equivalent to current Maha Vir Chakra )
- 2 Battle of Neuve Chapelle War Memorial Commemorations
Since Independence
- 2 Param Vir Chakra (Victoria Cross before 1947)
- 1 Vir Chakra
- 4 Shaurya Chakras
- 1 Bronze Star (US Army)
- 19 Sena Medals
- 1 Purple Heart (US Army)
- 1 Roll of Honour
Known Meritorious Service Awards
- 2 Param Vishisht Seva Medals
- 2 Ati Vishist Seva Medal
- 2 Yudh Seva Medals
- 6 Vishisht Seva Medals
Decorated Saini armymen and paramilitary personnel
Order of names given below is as per the rank held at the time of retirement or martyrdom of each soldier.
- ''' Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh Banga (Param Vishisht Seva Medal)Asian Recorder,pp 16492
Published by K. K. Thomas at Recorder Press, 1982, Item notes: 1982, Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized 26 Aug 2008
'''
- Lt Gen Ashok Kumar Saini (Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Visisht Seva Metal, Sena Medal)
- Maj Gen Balbir Singh Pama (Sena Medal)
- Brigadier Ram Prakash Saini (Vishisht Seva Medal)
- Brigadier SK Saini (Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Brigadier Jaspal Singh Pama (Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Brigadier JS Saini (Vishisht Seva Medal)
- Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria (Posthumous Param Vir Chakra,Battles of Congo Crisis)
- Group Captain S S Banga (Vishisht Seva Medal)Indian Air Force VSM List
Award Date 26 Jan 91, Announced 26 Jan 91 4
- Group Captain Girish Saini (Vayu Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Wing Commander Kartar Singh Taunque -First IAF personnel ever to be decorated for gallantry)
- Wing Commander Krishan Kant Saini ( 1962 War Hero, Vir Chakra, Vayu Sena Medal for Gallantry & Ati Vishist Seva Medal)
- Wing Commander Satya Pal Daulay ( Vayu Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Col Satinder Kumar Saini ( Vishisht Seva Medal)
- Col Vikas Saini ( Vishisht Seva Medal)
- Squadron Leader Baljeet Singh Saini ( Vayu Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Squadron Leader Devinder Singh Saini (Shaurya Chakra & Vayu Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Subedar-Major Bahadur Jagindar Singh Saini, OBI (2nd Class Order of Merit and 2nd Class of the Order of British India, Hero of Battle of Loos, Belgium, World War I)
Subedar-Major Jagindar Singh 'Bahadur' , a Saini from Ropar, distinguished himself for conspicuous gallantry and striking leadership in the Battle of Loos in Belgium during World War 1. Lieutinent Governor's citation for his military decoration as 'Bahadur' (or hero) and the twin conferring of Order of British India and Indian Order of Merit reads as follows:
" ..for his conspicuous gallantry in action on the 17th November 1914 when with a party of Sappers under the command of a British Officer he was always to the fore and led his men with great determination into the enemy's trenches. Subedar-Major Jagindar Singh, Saini Sikh of Kheri Salabatpur in Rupar, gained the 2nd Class Order of Merit at the battle of Loos in Belgium for striking leadership and conspicuous bravery in action after most of his company and all but one British Officer in his regiment had been killed or wounded. This officer was also awarded the 2nd Class of the Order of British India for distinguished conduct in the field."
- Major Harminderpal Singh Saini (Posthumous Shaurya Chakra)
''On 13 April 1999, Major Singh fearlessly led his column from upfront, setting a personal example for his command to emulate. He made the supreme sacrifice of his life while fighting the Pakistani ISI sponsored proxy war and safe guarding the integrity of India. His mortal remains, draped in the tri-colour of The INDIAN flag, were sent to his village in (Mundi Kharar) Ropar (the vicinity of which Anandpur Sahib is located) on 14 April 1999 where he was cremated with honours reserved for the bravest.
Major Harminder had been wounded in the left arm but managed to engage three militants armed with Kalashnikovs and grenades in an eyeball-to-eyeball encounter in a remote north Kashmir village on April 13.The 18 Grenadiers Major was shot through the temple by the third militant but not before he had gunned down two of them. Harminder led the commando platoon of his battalion in what has been described as a "dare-devil" operation in a congested locality of Sadurkotbala village in Manasbal.Major Harminder Pal Singh was honoured with the Shaurya Chakra, for his exceptional gallantry and devotion to duty, posthumously''.
- Major S L Saini ( Vishisht Seva Medal)
- Major P.S. Gahoon ( Shaurya Chakra)
- Major Rajinder Kumar Saini ( Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Major Ravi Kant Saini ( Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Captain Jasbir Singh Kaberwal (Shaurya Chakra)
- Sergeant Uday Singh Taunque (Winner of Purple Heart & Bronze Star, US Army)
- Subedar Joginder Singh (Param Vir Chakra, 1962 Indo-China War Hero)
- Jemadar Gurmukh Singh Saini Cr St Geo, IOM (Equivalencies: Cr St Geo - Param Vir Chakra & Victoria Cross)
- Lt. Ravinder Saini (Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Flt. Lt. Somesh Kumar Saini (Vayu Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Flt Lt S C Sandal (IAF Roll of Honour, Martyr , 1971 war)
- Sgt. Hira Singh Saini (Vayu Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Naib Subedar Gopal Singh Saini (Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Naik Janak Raj Saini (Sena Medal for Gallantry)
- Sepoy Banta Singh Saini (Battle of Neuve Chapelle War Memorial Commemoration, World War 1)
- Follower Devi Ditta Saini (Battle of Neuve Chapelle War Memorial Commemoration, World War 1) Date of marytyrdom: 2nd September 1915. Follower, 85. 69th Punjabis. Son of Rura, of Jhika Ladhana, Nawanshahr, Jullundur, Punjab. Panel 10
- NEUVE-CHAPELLE MEMORIAL - Pas de Calais Commonwealth War Dead 1914-1918 Note: Ladhana(district Nawanshahr) is 100% Saini owned village
Decorated Saini policemen
Gallantry medal is the most prestigious award for any police officer in the country. It is awarded for displaying conspicuous gallantry, courage and devotion to duty of very high order. The police officer keeps the duty before self in completing the task. This award is rare in itself as the action should match the risk involved on the occasion. The senior controlling officer assessing the task performed by the subordinate recommends to the head of the police department for award of gallantry medal.
- Director General of Police (DGP-Vigilance) Sumedh Singh Saini, IPS ( Gallantry Award ,1987, Punjab Police )
- Inspector General of Police Sadhu Ram Chaudhari, OBE, First police chief of the state of Himachal Pradesh (then a union territory) and union territories of Delhi and Ajmer in independent India
- Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Dr. Kamal Saini, IPS, (Gallantry Award, Jammu and Kashmir Police)
- Supdt. of Police (SP) Hari Ram Banga, ( Gallantry Award ,1991, Punjab Police) '''
- Dy. Supdt. of Police (DSP) Kashmir Singh Pabla (President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service, 2009)
- Sub Inspector Hans Raj Saini (Police Medal For Meritorious Service, 2003, Border Security Force)
- Sub Inspector Vinod Kumar Saini , (Police Medal For Gallantry, 2008, Border Security Force)
See also
- Saini people
- List of Saini people
- Saini history