On the occasion of “Rajouri Day”, the Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha paid tributes to Indian Army’s and civilian Bravehearts who laid down their lives for liberation of Rajouri on this day in 1948.
Attending a commemoration event at Rajouri, the Lieutenant Governor, along with Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command; Lieutenant General PK Mishra, GOC, White Knight Corps; army veterans, public representatives and senior officials of Security Forces, J&K Police and Civil administrations, honoured the sacrifices of all the valiant soldiers and civilians.
“The supreme courage and gallantry of our soldiers will be remembered forever for their indomitable courage, dedication to duty and undying love for the motherland.
Exemplary devotion to duty and self-sacrifices of soldiers have always protected us in the past and their commitment to the nation's integrity and sovereignty will continue to do so in the future. The nation is grateful to the real heroes for invaluable sacrifices they have made,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor emphasised that the legacy of courage of Lieutenant Ram Raghoba Rane, Brigadier Mohammad Usman, and all those brave civilians and soldiers who stood tall against the enemy etched into the soil of Rajouri will continue to inspire the generations.
“This land of Rajouri is a witness to the resolve of our Bravehearts’ mind and the perfection of their action.
This is also an occasion to imbibe the life values of all those heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect the citizens. Today's occasion is also to inculcate in the minds of the youth of the new generation the values of those brave men who bravely faced the crisis that befell Rajouri,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor highlighted that Rajouri Day is a symbol of the invincible strength of the Indian Army and it reminds us that we will never allow our unity and cultural flow to be fragmented.
“Guru Gobind Singh Ji had established Khalsa Panth on this day. His immortal teachings are constantly guiding our brave soldiers. His philosophy and values shape brave soldiers of the Indian Army and inspire them to renunciation, dedication, valour and sacrifice,” the Lieutenant Governor observed.
The Lieutenant Governor also called upon all the sections of society to identify and isolate the elements trying to disrupt peace and development.
Emphasizing the need for unifying efforts against terrorism, the Lieutenant Governor called upon all sections of society to identify and isolate divisive forces and join the fight against the terror ecosystem.
“Today we need to be more vigilant. The enemy is continuously trying to disturb our peace by sending terrorists. Indian Army, Central Armed Police Forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police along with the public should work together to completely eliminate the terrorists and their sympathisers. Our collective strength will successfully neutralise terrorism and enemy threats and paving the way for peace and development,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
A special postal cover commemorating the 77 glorious years of liberation of Rajouri was released on the occasion. Impressive Motorcycle Acrobatic display and cultural pageantry based on the different themes demonstrated the prowess of the Security forces and the Jammu Kashmir Police.
Ch. Naseem Liaqat, Chairman, District Development Council Rajouri; Shri Iftkhar Ahmed, Thakur Randhir Singh and Ch. Javed Iqbal- Members of Legislative Assembly; Shri Abhishek Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri; family members of the martyrs and people in large number were also present on the occasion and paid homage to the heroes of Rajouri.