Hangpan Dada

Havildar Hangpan Dada AC (2 October 1979 — 27 May 2016) was a soldier in the Assam Regiment of the Indian Army. He was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime military decoration in August 2016.

Dada was born in Borduria village, Tirap district, Arunanchal Pradesh. Dada saved his childhood friend Somhang Lamra from drowning in a river.

Dada joined the 3rd battalion of the Parachute Regiment on 28 October 1997. In 2005, he was transferred to the Assam Regimental Centre, and on 24 January 2008, he joined the 4th battalion, Assam Regiment. He then requested a transfer to a Rashtriya Rifles battalion on operations in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir. He was posted to 35 Rashtriya Rifles in May 2016, the unit with which he was serving when he was killed.

On the night of 26 May 2016, Dada, as Sabu Post Commander of 35 Rashtriya Rifles, while establishing a stop along with his section at 12,500 feet, led a charge on hiding terrorists in the Shamshabari Ranges in Naugam, Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the neutralisation of four heavily armed terrorists. He along with his team spotted the movement of terrorists in the area and engaged them in a fierce encounter that went on for over 24 hours. He charged at the spot where terrorists were and killed two terrorists on the spot and later the third one after a hand-to-hand scuffle as they slid down the hill towards the Line of Control. Dada sustained a sudden burst of automatic fire from the hiding fourth terrorist, receiving a gun shot wound. He continued to pin down the fourth terrorist and later succumbed to his injuries received before wounding the terrorist.

Dada's action of eliminating three terrorists in an engagement at close quarters and injuring a fourth one, in disregard to his personal safety, foiled the infiltration bid and ensured the safety of his men. He was honoured posthumously, with the government announcing the highest gallantry award during peace-time operations, the Ashok Chakra, on the eve of the Republic Day in 2017.

Dada was married to Chasen Lowang and they had two children.

To remember his service, the Assam Regimental Centre (ARC) named its main office block in its headquarters after Hangpan Dada. The plaque was inaugurated by Dada’s wife. Pema Khandu, the then chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh renamed the annual football and volleyball (men and women) tournaments for Chief Minister's Trophy as Hangpan Dada Memorial Trophy.