Uttarakhand News: Tuesday was recorded in golden letters in the pages of history in Banbasa, situated on the international border of India and Nepal. In honor of the brave sons of Devbhoomi, the newly constructed military memorial and high-rise flag park in the border area were inaugurated. State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated this holy place after offering prayers as per the rituals. As soon as he reached the venue, the Chief Minister first laid a wreath at the Martyr Memorial and paid emotional tribute to the immortal martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country. During this, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) soldiers saluted the martyrs by blowing bugles. Amidst the sound of bugle, the Chief Minister and all the people present there observed silence for two minutes and remembered the immortal sacrifice of the brave sons.
During the ceremony, the huge national flag, the tricolor symbol of the country's pride, honor and glory, was hoisted with full pride in the border area. The tricolor fluttering in the open sky was seen giving the message of India's bravery and valor across the border. The crowd present made the entire area echo with the cheers of Bharat Mata.
The sacrifice of the martyrs will always show the country the right path.
Addressing the public meeting, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the inauguration of the grand martyr memorial and the huge tricolor flag in the border area is a moment of great pride and deep respect for all of us. He said that this sacred memorial will always keep alive the memories of the indomitable courage, sacrifice and dedication of the brave soldiers who sacrificed everything to protect the country. Whenever any citizen or youth passes through here, this memorial will make him feel his responsibility towards the country.
Discussing the far-sighted vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister said that earlier the border areas which were earlier considered as the last village or the last edge of the country and were left neglected, today due to the thinking of the Central Government, the same areas are creating a new identity as the first village and the first region of the country. He stressed that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the welfare of the country's soldiers, their families and the work of cherishing the memories of immortal martyrs is being given top priority.
Being a soldier's son, this is a very emotional moment for me.
The Chief Minister appeared extremely emotional during his address. He said that he himself is the son of a soldier, hence he understands the pain and pride of the soldiers and their families very closely. He said that participating in this sacred program related to honoring the soldiers is a very emotional and proud experience for him personally.
The Chief Minister said that this memorial will continue to teach our future generations that under what difficult and adverse conditions our brave soldiers stand firm on the borders amidst snowfall, heat and rugged forests. Recalling the rich military tradition of Devbhoomi, he said that Uttarakhand is the land not only of saints but also of warriors. Almost every family here has some member or the other who is making invaluable contribution in the defense of the country by serving in the army or paramilitary forces.
Brave women and medal winners were honored with grand honours.
In the special session of the programme, the Chief Minister honored the brave women of the border areas, brave mothers and gallantry medal winning ex-servicemen by covering them with shawls on the stage. The Chief Minister said that this country can never repay the debt of a family which has lost its son, husband or father for the country.
The brave women who were honored included Saraswati Devi, wife of late constable Uttam Chand, Lakshmi Devi, wife of late Havildar Kishan Singh, Kamala Devi, wife of late Guardsman Durga Dutt and Kheema Devi, wife of late Naik Hayat Singh. Apart from these, the Chief Minister also honored Maya Chand, wife of late soldier Lalit Mohan, Saraswati Devi, wife of late Lance Naik Jai Bahadur Chand, Lalita Chand, wife of late soldier Prem Chand, Geeta Devi, wife of late soldier Jagdish Singh and Pinky Raiswal, wife of late soldier Rahul Raiswal.
In the ceremony, Veer Mata Smt. Lakshmi Devi, who is the mother of late Naik Khim Singh, was also honored with a special salute. Along with this, Bravery Medal winner Subedar Gopal Dutt Sharma, decorated with Army Medal, was also honored on the stage.
Boosted morale of soldiers and ex-servicemen
At the conclusion of the function, the Chief Minister had an intimate conversation with the brave women and ex-servicemen and listened to their problems. He posed for photographs with the SSB jawans deployed at the border and praised their promptness and encouraged them. He said that the Uttarakhand government is working with full dedication for the welfare of soldiers, ex-servicemen and their families at every step.
In this grand inauguration program, District Magistrate Manish Kumar, District Sainik Welfare Officer Colonel Umed Singh (retired), SSB Commandant Surendra Vikram and senior officials of the administration, a large number of ex-servicemen, local citizens and members of brave families were present.
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