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{{Short description|Ashoka Chakra recipient (1965–2008)}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]]
| name = Jojan Thomas
| honorific_suffix = [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|AC]]
| image = Jojan Thomas.jpg
| image_upright =
| image_size = 250 px
| caption =
| native_name = ജോജൻ തോമസ്
| native_name_lang = Malayalam
| birth_name = Jojan Thomas
| other_name =
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1965|05|22}}
| birth_place = Kuttoor Village, Thiruvalla District, [[Kerala]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|08|22|1965|05|22}}
| death_place = Kupwara district
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial = Hosur Road Cemetery
| allegiance = India
| branch = [[Indian Army]]
| serviceyears = 1986-2008
| serviceyears_label =
| rank = [[Colonel (India)]]
| rank_label =
| servicenumber = IC-45618
| unit = {{ubl|Jat Regiment|45 Rashtriya Rifles}}
| commands = Commanding Officer of 45 Rashtriya Rifles
| battles_label =
| battles =
| awards = [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashok Chakra]]
| memorials =
| spouse = Beena Jojan Thomas
| children = 2
| relations =
| laterwork =
| module =
}}

[[Colonel]] '''Jojan Thomas''', [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|AC]] (22 May 1965 - 22 August 2008) was an Indian military officer with the [[Jat Regiment]] and later the 45 [[Rashtriya Rifles]] unit.<ref name="TH">{{cite news|title=A determined officer’s ultimate sacrifice in the service of nation|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/a-determined-officers-ultimate-sacrifice-in-the-service-of-nation/article1322745.ece|access-date=1 October 2014|publisher=The Hindu}}</ref> He was a native of Kuttoor in Thiruvalla, [[Kerala]] and lived in [[Bangalore]].<ref name="TH" /> He was commissioned from the [[Officers Training Academy]], [[Chennai]] in March 1986. On 22 August 2008, he led an operation against terrorists in the forests of Macchal sector in the [[Kupwara]] district of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. In the process, he killed three terrorists, but sustained several gunshot wounds and succumbed to injuries. For his bravery, he was posthumously awarded the [[Ashoka Chakra Award|Ashoka Chakra]], the highest peace time military decoration in India.<ref name=TH />

== Early life ==
[[Colonel]] Jojan Thomas was born on 22 May 1965 in Kuttoor village of Thiruvalla in pathanamthitta District of [[Kerala]]. He was the son of an army officer [[Captain]] P.A Thomas and Aleyamma Thomas. He was eldest among his four siblings. His two brothers also serving in the Armed Forces. He came from a family with deep military background.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Colonel Jojan Thomas|url=https://www.thankyouindianarmy.com/colonel-jojan-thomas/|website=Thank You Indian Army}}</ref>

== Military career ==
He was commissioned in [[Jat Regiment|11 Jat Regiment]] from the [[Officers Training Academy]] (OTA), [[Chennai]] on a short-service commission as a second lieutenant on 8 March 1986.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1559 |date=14 November 1987|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1987/O-0673-1987-0046-30045.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> Promoted lieutenant on 8 March 1988,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=640 |date=5 May 1990|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1990/O-0547-1990-0018-23292.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> he received a regular commission as a second lieutenant on 8 March 1991 (seniority for promotion from 6 November 1986) and was promoted lieutenant from the same date (seniority for promotion from 6 November 1988).<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1351 |date=15 August 1992|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1992/O-0469-1992-0033-18768.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref>

He was also a trained pilot and had served with [[Army Aviation Corps (India)|Army Aviation corps]] for six years. Promoted captain on 6 November 1991,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1660 |date=18 September 1993|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1993/O-0409-1993-0038-16529.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> he was selected for the prestigious Staff Course for Officers in the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 August 2020|title=Col. Jojan Thomas- The Brave Son of India|url=https://humansofthiruvalla.com/highly-decorated-army-officer-col-jojan-thomas-from-thiruvalla/|website=Humans of Thiruvalla}}</ref> On 6 November 1997, he was promoted to major,<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=308 |date=7 March 1998|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/1998/O-0154-1998-0010-5109.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> followed by promotion to lieutenant-colonel on 16 December 2004.<ref>{{cite news |title=Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) |page=1363 |date=6 August 2005|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2005/W_32_2012_130.pdf|publisher=The Gazette of India}}</ref> He was sent to 45 [[Rashtriya Rifles]] to undertake anti terrorist operations in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Colonel Jojan Thomas AC|url=https://www.honourpoint.in/profile/colonel-jojan-thomas-ac/|website=Honourpoint}}</ref>

== Ashoka Chakra awardee ==
For his bravery, self sacrifice and leadership in Kupwara Operation in 2008, he was posthumously awarded [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra]], India's highest peacetime gallantry award.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Col Jojan Thomas|url=https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/Awardee/jojan-thomas|website=Gallantry Awards}}</ref>

[[File:Smt. Reena Jojan Thomas receiving Ashoka Chakra awarded to her husband Col. Jojan Thomas (Posthumous) from the President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, during the 60th Republic Day Parade-2009, in New Delhi.jpg|thumb|Jojan Thomas's widow receives the Ashok Chakra from president Pratibha Patil on 26 January 2009.]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Ashoka Chakra award recipients}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Jojan}}
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)]]
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Ashoka Chakra]]

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Jojan Thomas - Revision history

Bot at 05:35, 15 December 2022