KANGRA, July 2: Resentment prevails among the parents of the martyrs, who had sacrificed their life at the altar of the solidarity and integrity of the nation, now feel cheated, ignored, agonized and hurt by the unbecoming attitude of the civil authorities towards these martyrs.
Brigarder (Retd) Chander Kant Sood a resident of Dehra village of Kangra district had an only son Major Anuj Sood, Shaurya Chakra (posthumous) who sacrificed his life saving civilian hostages from foreign terrorists at Chenjimulla, Handwara, District Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir alongwith his Commanding Officer, two soldiers and a Sub Inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police on May 2, 2020.
Brigarder Chander Kant Sood feeling proud of his son for his great sacrifice along with other martyrs but now feels dejected at the attitude of the civil authorities in Himachal Pradesh for all these great martyrs. He said that Major Anuj Sood, was awarded the country’s third highest peacetime gallantry award ‘Shaurya Chakra’ on November 23, 2021 at Rashterpati Bhawan by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. He said that since we are natives of Himachal Pradesh, the Government asked the family for a memorial for him.
Brigarder (Retd) Sood said, “My humble request to the government was to install National Flags at paternal village Dehra Gopipur and maternal village Pragpur, both under Sub Divisional Magistrate ( SDM ) Dehra and Deputy Commissioner Kangra at Dharamshala.
He said that the Himachal Pradesh cabinet approved my request and the first flag was hoisted on June 27, 2021 at Dehra, in the premises of SDM Office while second one was hoisted on December 1, 2021 at Pragpur in the premisis of the Block development office.
He said that Dhanvir Thakur was SDM Dehra at that time. He said that he was invited at both the flag hoisting cermonies by the local people.
Brigader Sood said that a flag hoisting for martyrs , especially a high mast lighted one is never lowered except if State mourning is declared and then too, it is flown at half mast.
He said that when he visited both the places to pay tributes to the martyrs at the masts along with his spouse Mrs. Suman Dahiya and his adopted daughter Harshita Dahiya , who is serving as a Captain in the Indian Army and is the daughter of another martyr Major M S Dahiya, who was martyred in Action at Anantnag in south Kashmir on January 29, 1995 but to our surprise there was no flag on either of the places hoisting rather both the flags were missing which was not only shocking but was insulting for the martyrs of the nation.
Vetern army officer Brigader CK Sood said that this is an insult to martyrs by the entire administration of Kangra by not keeping the flag flying in terms of the Flag Code 2002.
He said that surprisingly the Protocol of hoisting the Flags was not known to the concerned officers at both places which was evidently dejecting.
He said that such is the ignorance and arrogance of our bureaucracy towards the martyrs. He said that the flags were not on the mast and the concerned Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Block development Officer (BDO) when contacted gave him some lame excuses, which he described was unfortunate.
Father of the martyr asked the State Government that both the officers need to be questioned as to why the national flag approved by the state cabinet is not on the mast .
Giving an example Brigader said that in Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government pays so much respect to the national heroes in general and Himachal Pradesh martyrs in particular which is evident from 500 national flags masting at the entrance of Delhi and all flags are masting as a mark of tribute to the martyrs. (PTI)
He said that Kangra administration from where maximum war widows exist is insulting not only the national Flag but to the memory of more than 27000 soldiers whose lives have been the price paid. He said that these alleged ignorant and arrogant administration officials need to be questioned.
He said that he had funded for the granite stage of the two flags and the railling of the stage but unfortunately the granite stage is damaged and the railling was also under the nose of the SDM Dehra.
He said that it is sad state of affair right in the Mini secretariat building complex at Dehra. No flag is hoisting and the base stage of the flag is damaged. He said that the family had contributed for the stone and railings but fence and granite stage is broken.
He said that the Municipal council Dehra had paid Rs 6 lakhs to develop the park which is also in pathetic condition. CK Sood said that when Shaheed Smarak (national flag) is treated this way then why would any mother or father send Agniveer soldiers to die and come back wrapped in the national flag which should fly always at high mast for martyrs.
When Contacted SDM Dehra Sankalp Ghautam told UNI that he joined here last month and the national flag had started getting torn and that flag was removed and 30’x20′ flag was ordered which will be shortly hoisted. He said that as the size was big so the order was special and it took some time to reach here.
SDM said that so much a big size flag was not available at Karnataka , main flag supplier agency, too so a special order was placed. SDM was mute on the broken railing of the flag base and the broken granite base too.
Brigader Sood alleged that the Public funds were either misused or there was some misappropriation as suspected because SDM told him that each flag cost nearly Rs. 50,000 plus.
He said that this Saheed Samarak is not for his son alone but for all martyrs of the district. He said that he had asked the authorities to provide him with the list of the martyrs so that their names could be inscribed on a stone there but unfortunately the civil authorities failed to provide that list too.
(UNI)
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