Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 23: On the occasion of Parakram Diwas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has named the 21 largest unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees on Monday.
During the programme, the PM through video conferencing also announced the model of the National Memorial dedicated to Netaji to be built on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, earlier known as Ross Islands.
The largest unnamed island was named after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee, Major Somnath Sharma, who lost his life in action on November 3, 1947, while repulsing Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport.
सभी 21 परमवीर…सबके लिए एक ही संकल्प था- राष्ट्र सर्वप्रथम! India First! pic.twitter.com/4LarHjMkU1
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 23, 2023
“These islands have been named after the 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees – Major Somnath Sharma, Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik) Karam Singh, MM, 2nd Lt. Rama Raghoba Rane, Nayak Jadunath Singh, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh, Capt GS Salaria, Lieutenant Colonel (then Major) Dhan Singh Thapa, Subedar Joginder Singh, Major Shaitan Singh, CQMH. Abdul Hamid, Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, Lance Naik Albert Ekka, Major Hoshiar Singh, 2nd Lt. Arun Khetrapal, Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran, Naib Subedar Bana Singh, Captain Vikram Batra, Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey, Subedar Major (then Rifleman) Sanjay Kumar; and Subedar Major Retd (Hony Captain) Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav,” stated PMO.
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The Government had also declared January 23 as Parakram Diwas in 2021 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
जिन 21 परमवीर चक्र विजेताओं के नाम पर अंडमान-निकोबार के इन द्वीपों को अब जाना जाएगा, उन्होंने मातृभूमि के कण-कण को अपना सब-कुछ माना था। pic.twitter.com/lrCK2C69qc
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 23, 2023
“Giving due respect to the real-life heroes of the country has always been accorded the highest priority by the Prime Minister. Going ahead with this spirit, it has now been decided to name the 21 largest unnamed islands of the island group after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees,” said PMO.
This step will be an everlasting tribute to our heroes, several of whom made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.
Meanwhile, PM Modi along with others paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary.