On the occasion of Kargil Victory day, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Harish Rawat offered floral tributes to martyrs at Gandhi Park on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said that Uttarakhand has been in forefront whenever need for sacrificing one’s life for safeguarding the nation was required.
He said that 10 percent of the families of the state have lost their near and dear ones in the endeavor to protect the country and these families have always accorded priority to the national honour than their personal grief. Rawat said that the brave-hearts of the state have set up high standards of valour.
Paying glowing tributes to the martyrs, the Chief Minister said that new dimension of bravery was provided by gallant warriors of the nation in the Kargil war. He added that the Kargil war bears testimony of the valour and extreme courage of the defence forces personnel and the way Indian soldiers crushed the enemy is exemplary. “The nation would always be indebted to the brave hearts who laid down their lives for protecting their motherland,’’ he said.
Rawat felicitated the war widows and armed forces veterans on the occasion. The programme was attended by Mayor of Dehradun Vinod Chamoli, forest Minister Dinesh Agarwal, MlAs, Rajkumar and lalit Farswan. large number of armed forces veterans and their family members also attended the ceremony.
The Kargil victory day was celebrated enthusiastically by many organizations in state capital on Tuesday. At Maharan Pratap Bhawan, Nanoorkheda a programme was organised by the Kshatriya Chetna Manch (KCM). Speaking on the occasion President of KCM Mohan Singh Chauhan said that people of the nation are proud of the Martyrs who laid down their lives for the security of the country. The General Secretary of Manch, Ravi Singh Negi said that the government must give priority to the welfare of ex-servicemen and their families.
The members of the Keshar Jan Kalyan Samiti also organised a programme at Gandhi Park and offered their tributes to the martyrs. The President of the Samiti N K Gusain said that successive governments have made it an annual ritual to announce many schemes for the family members of the martyred soldiers but in actual practice no such activity is taking place on ground. He said that a delegation of the samiti would soon meet the Chief Minister and Governor and apprise them the unfulfilled announcements made for the welfare of the family members of the soldiers who had laid down their lives for the sake of the country.