Customs Officer gets Kirti Chakra; Tarun Kumar Dutta – pride of Indian Customs
At a sombre and poignant ceremony in the Rashtrapati Bhavan , President Pratibha Patil yesterday presented the Nation's second highest gallantry award posthumously on Customs officer Tarun Kumar Dutta who was gunned down by the drug mafia while working with the DRI in Guwahati. Tarun's wife Mrs Beethi Dutta , who is now working as a tax assistant in the Department, received the award from the President of India. The function was symbolic of pride and sorrow and the Nation's leaders, including the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, had no clue as to how to console the wife of Lance Naik Jyotish Prakash (Shourya Chakra awardee) who was crying inconsolably.
Breaking protocol, the President walked up to the widows of the valiant awardees to present them the awards.
TIOL wanted to interview Mrs Dutta , but after the poignant scenes, did not have the heart to go and ask her questions. Instead we caught up with Mr S Dutt Majumder , the Director General, DRI , who attended the function and with whom Tarun had worked, when the former was ADG , DRI at Kolkata. The DRI Chief shared with us some of his memories of Tarun.
He was grateful for the government's gesture in awarding the Kirti Chakra to Tarun, a unique gesture! Tarun was perhaps the first officer from the Customs and Excise Department to get this honour. He remembered fondly the association he had with Tarun ten years ago as ADG DRI at Kolkata. He remembers that he had gone to personally disburse rewards to informers of Tarun who had a tremendous “human intelligence network”. The Human intelligence network never fails and so Tarun was highly successful in busting drug smuggling. He was also happy that the Department has supported the family and Tarun's wife had been given a job as tax assistant.
Mrs. Beethi Dutta , who was quite composed while receiving the award, broke down, when the DG, DRI met her later, and she told the DG that the guilty must be punished and they have some strong suspects. The DG assured her, “I will do my best”.
The DG was proudly carrying a copy of the citation, which read as,
Shri Tarun Kumar Dutta led a series of operations against the drug cartels in difficult jungles, mountain terrains and insurgent infested areas in the Shillong region fearlessly with the objective of eradicating the scourge of drug smuggling in the area. As a result of his relentless operations against them, he became the target of the mafia and was ruthlessly killed on 12 September, 2006
Shri Tarun Kumar Dutta showed exemplary devotion to duty and courage of the highest order and sacrificed his life in the service of the nation.
Cowards die many times before their deaths: The valiant never taste death but once.