Gujjars seek Bharat Ratna for Rukhsana who killed militant

An 18-year-old Muslim woman Rukhsana Kausar, who killed a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist after snatching his gun deserves the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, Gujjar leaders in Jammu and Kashmir say.

The Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, an organisation of nomadic tribes, has urged President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram to honour Rukhsana with Bharat Ratna.

"Rukhsana should be honoured with the highest gallantry award," the letter said. They recalled how she killed LeT terrorist Abu Osama at her house on Saturday night in Thanna Mandi, about 190 km north of Jammu.

They urged the central government to "recognize this rarest, unmatched and extraordinary act of courage and bravery of the fearless young Gujjar girl from a tribal nomadic Muslim family who overpowered a top terrorist of Lashkar, snatched his weapon and, without ever having handled a gun, shot him dead, whereupon the other terrorists ran away".