British gallantry award for Manipuri officer
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 21 2013: A young Manipuri youth serving as Lieutenant in the British Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service (RMAS), Special Forces, is in line for a prestigious gallantry award to be bestowed on June 19 for his bravery during a fierce gunfight with Al Qaeda insurgents in Afghanistan in 2011 .

Lt Khwairakpam Robin Singh will receive the 'Conspicuous Gallantry Cross', a second ranking award with other six other personnel.

He will also get 15,000 pounds for his act of heroism.

"I never expected that such an honourable award will be conferred on me.

I'm proud to be a fighter in the RMAS," the 27-year-old young officer said today.

"My commander, who noted our team's earlier feats, encouraged me with his words 'You are the hero of the Arabian sea,"' said Robin who incidentally is an Indian citizen and a native of Sekmai.

Non-British citizens can be commissioned in the RMAS.

Lt Khwairakpam Robin Singh

Robin said half of his cash reward would go to the fake-encounter victims, orphans and destitutes and the poorest of the poor in Manipur.

Terming it as one of the fiercest gunfights ever since he was commissioned in the RMAS in 2009, Robin said in August 2011 "We were called in as a reinforcement team to fight Al Qaeda at Lungmoor and Chandrima in the Arabian sea.

"We were 47 including 40 commandos on our ship and we fought off and on for seven days during which we also faced shortage of food as the insurgents cut the supply ships.

We finally eliminated many of our enemies and made our mission a success," Robin said.

Born to Khwairakpam Sanajaoba and Kh Memcha Devi, Robin did his schooling in Manipur before completing his graduation from St Philomena's College, Mysore.

A statement issued by the Chief of Naval Staff, United Kingdom on March 11 said , "For the acts of great heroism or conspicuous gallantry in action in circumstances of great Portsmouth while a lead scout in Afghanistan in 2011, Lt Robin will receive the star of gallantry.

"He ensured the safety of his team, neutralized the enemy and achieved the mission successfully," the statement said.

"Lt Robin Singh, as the lead scout of his team, was heavily engaged at close quarters with automatic fire and rocket propelled grenades by a well armed and determined insurgent force," the statement said.

"He displayed complete disregard for his personal safety by moving to an exposed firing position in order to fire and throw grenades to suppress enemy within 30 meters of his position," it said.

"His selfless acts enabled the rest of his team to fire and maneuver to regain the initiative and neutralize the enemy and his efforts are in the first traditions of the Royal Marine and Royal Defence force," the statement added.