Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 3: A wreath-laying ceremony was organised by the Indian Army in the honour of first Param Vir Chakra of Indian Army, Major Somnath Sharma at the War Memorial, located at Srinagar International Airport, a Defence Spokesperson said.
On behalf of Lt Gen DP Pandey, General Officer Commanding of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Brigadier Sumesh Seth, Commandant, the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre, paid homage to Maj Somnath Sharma, PVC (Posthumous) at the ‘Saviours of Kashmir’ War Memorial as a mark of respect to this gallant son of India, who had made the supreme sacrifice defending Kashmir against Pakistan Forces at Budgam, he added
Besides officers and men of the Army, representatives from other security forces, civil administration and airport authorities also laid the wreath and paid tribute to the gallant Soldier.
“Maj Somnath Sharma led the ‘D’ Company of 4 Kumaon and established a base at Budgam against the Pakistani Forces approaching Srinagar from Northern direction on November 3, 1947. Despite facing a numerically superior enemy force supported by small arms, mortars and heavy automatic weapons, Maj Sharma and his company held on to their positions and foiled the enemy’s advance towards the Srinagar airfield for crucial hours. In this decisive battle of 1947, Maj Sharma, along with one Junior Commissioned Officer and 20 Other Ranks made the supreme sacrifice, defending the motherland against all odds,” the Spokesperson said.
Maj Sharma was conferred upon the country’s first and highest war time Gallantry Award, the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously. “His supreme sacrifice played a vital role in India’s victory in the first war fought after Independence,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dogra Brahman Pratinidhi Sabha paid rich tributes to Major Som Nath Sharma.
President of DBPS Ved Parkash Sharma, Mayor Chander Mohan Gupta, Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, Dy Mayor Purnima Sharma, Tawi Andolan President Chander Mohan Sharma, President Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arun Gupta, former bureaucrats K.B Jandail, Soujanya Sharma, S K Sharma, Som Nath Sharma, Subash Sharma and others including Corporators Sanjay Baru, Baldev Singh Baloria, Pawan Singh, Surinder Sharma, Anita Sharma, Sukhdev Singh paid tributes to the war hero at a function held at Major Som Nath Chowk, near 4th Tawi Bridge.
On the occasion speakers recalled the supreme sacrifice of this great soldier. After martyrdom of Major Sharma, his almost entire family joined Indian army thereby setting an example that the supreme sacrifice of one member from family cannot demoralize others, they said.
President Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Parshotam Didichi, Narayan Singh Jamwal senior BJP leader and Advocate P C Sharma said that real tributes to Major Som Nath Sharma is to take a pledge for keeping ourselves always prepared to face challenges posing threat to the unity and integrity of the motherland.
BJP State vice president and former Minister Sham Lal Sharma demanded that the Srinagar Airport should be renamed after the ‘Saviour of Kashmir’ Major Somnath Sharma (Param Vir Chakra).
He was speaking during an event to commemorate 74th death anniversary of Major Somnath Sharma.
Mayor Jammu, Chandra Mohan Gupta, Lieutenant General (retired) Rakesh Sharma, Director Agriculture Jammu, KK Sharma, Director Central Sanskrit University, Professor Madan Mohan Jha, Sarpanch, Rajdev, Gharota Police Station in-charge Khayatimaan Khajuria and others were also present.
Sham Lal said that Kashmir is with India today because of the martyrdom of Major Somnath Sharma.
Mayor Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Chander Mohan Gupta said that we have dedicated the fourth Tawi Bridge to Major Somnath Sharma. He said that Chairman of the Trust, Mahant Rohit Shastri, is working to connect the society and the youth should learn from his contribution.
Lt Gen.Rakesh Sharma (retd) said that the last words of Major Somnath to his soldiers were, “The enemy is only 50 yards away from us. Our count is very less. We are facing a fierce gunfight. Still, I will not give even an inch and will stand till my last bullet and last soldier. Jai Hind”. Mahant Rohit Shastri, chairman of the Trust, said that there was a demand to declare January 31 as a holiday on the birth anniversary of Major Somnath and also put up a statue in the temple city of Jammu.
Retired Army officers were also honored in the programme including Honorary Captain Dalip Singh, Sanjeev Kumar, Parshottam Das, Chuni Lal, Subhash Chandra, Joginder Singh, Brahm Chand, Prakash, Thodo Ram, Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Chuni Lal, Bhima Ram, Som Dutt, Dayaram, Pritam Singh.
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