Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 11: Gen Zorawar Singh Memorial Educational and Charitable Trust, created by family of the great warrior, is going to observe martyrdom day of General Zorawar Singh as Sankalp Divas on December at the Balidan Stambh in collaboration with J&K Ex-Services League and with the support of Army in Jammu.
This was informed by Maj Gen (Retd) Goverdhan Singh Jamwal, president of the J&K Ex-Services League.
The Army is providing all the facilities to observe the day and remember this great soldier, Gen Zorawar Singh who helped Maharaja Gulab Singh to create a Dogra Empire by conquering Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan and finally won the Battle of Mantalai in May 1841.
“The Mantalai Flag of the Chinese is with 4 JAK RIF, then known ‘Fateh Shivji’ under Gen Zorawar Singh with able generals like Ghulam Mohd Khan and Col Basti Ram. Though he was finally martyred in the battle of Toyo on 12 Dec 1841, he was almost winning the battle when a Tibetan attacked him from the rear which proved fatal. Had he won then perhaps he would have solved our present problem with China as Tibet would have been part of the Dogra Empire of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Goverdhan Singh Jamwal.
Nevertheless, he added, whatever is today with us across the Himalayas is all due to the conquests by Gen Zorawar Singh which has given us the right to claim Baltistan, Chitral, Gilgit, the ‘Strategic Heart of Asia’, which is even now considered vital for the Defence and Military strategy in Asia which controls the Silk Route and also the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passing through Chitral which was for the first time annexed to the Dogra Empire which ultimately became part of India in 1947.
Expressing his pleasure over the family of Gen Zorawar Singh creating a Trust in his name after almost 177 years, Goverdhan Singh said that Devinder Singh Kaluria deserves all the credit and his daughter Diksha Kaluria is the spirit behind the Trust.
Informing that the Trust is celebrating the Sankalp Divas at 3 pm at Balidan Stambh, he extended an open invitation to all, particularly the Veterans to join then and pay the homage to one of the greatest soldiers of the country who is also called Napoleon of India.
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