Bravery Award For Punjabi Couple

[BibaKaur]

Indian couple gets bravery award

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 12

Dr Albel Kang, a former Associate Professor at the PAU, and his wife, who are settled in Australia, have been honoured with one of the prestigious bravery awards by the Australian Government for their act of disarming a robber during their evening walk. He is the elder brother of Dr K.N.S. Kang, Director, Punjab College of Technical Education here.

They have been conferred with the award “Commendation for brave conduct”. The award is titled “The Australian Bravery Decorations for 2005”. The other awards included in the title are: Star of Courage, the Bravery Medal and Group Bravery Citation. During the ceremony, held in late February in Australia, 38 brave people were awarded with this honour.

Dr Kang and his wife happen to be the first Indian couple to be honoured with such a grand award by the Australian Government. Dr A.S. Kang shifted to Australia in 1994.

The incident took place in October 2002. After a long process of three years, it was decided to award Dr Kang and his wife with this honour.

Dr Albel Kang and his wife Sarabjeet were on their evening walk in Rooty Hill on October 18, 2002, when a young man approached them, pointed a gun at them and demanded their wallets. After Dr Kang showed his empty pockets, the man pushed past them and said, “Do not tell anyone about this”. When the man had his back turned to-wards the couple, Dr Kang, without wasting time, jumped on him, pinned his arms to his body with a vice-like grip and seized the gun from his hands.

Dr Kang had served as an NSW police officer and now works in the Blacktown Sheriff’s Office.

The couple has made Indian feel proud, particularly Ludhianavis, by this act of bravery. Talking to media, Dr Kang said he was still unsure whether jumping on the offender was the best thing to do at the time. After he pushed past us, I looked back over my shoulder and he turned his back to the road and I jumped on him. I gave him a bear hug and struggled to disarm him and yelled for help.

“I was able to get the gun off him. My wife helped me and I gave the gun to her. She was a bit shaky so I took the gun back. I did not have time to think because it all happened so quickly”, Dr Kang further added.