Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday felicitated the families of the brave soldiers of the armed forces from Himachal Pradesh, who laid down their lives in the service of the nation. The felicitation ceremony was organised at Badoli in the Kangra district of the state.
Singh paid glowing tributes to the war heroes including the first recipient of Param Vir Chakra Major Somnath Sharma (1947), Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, Maha Vir Chakra (1948), Lt Col Dhan Singh Thapa, PVC (1962), Captain Vikram Batra, PVC (1999) and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar, PVC (1999).
He said that the armed forces will always be a source of inspiration to the people, especially the youth, as they possess the traits of discipline, devotion to duty, patriotism and sacrifice and are a symbol of national pride and trust.
India is the only country that has given the message of peace to the whole world and its military is respected across the globe for its bravery, he asserted.
While maintaining that India has never attacked any country, nor has it captured an inch of a foreign land, he assured the nation that if any attempt is ever made to disturb the harmony in India, a befitting reply will be given.
“India is a peace-loving country but it should not be mistaken for being cowardly or afraid of war. At a time when we were dealing with Covid-19 along with the entire world, we had to face the tension on the northern border with China. The courage of our soldiers during the Galvan incident proved that no matter how big the power is, India will never bow down,” he said.