Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda inaugurated a war memorial near Palam Vihar here on Saturday in memory of 114 martyrs who had laid down their lives safeguarding the 18,000-foot Rezang La post during the India-China war in 1962.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Hooda, inaugurating the Rs.1-crore memorial, said it would inspire the future generations to imbibe the spirit of patriotism and realise the dreams of the martyrs.
“It is a matter of pride for us that though the population of Haryana is less than two per cent of the total population of India, every 10 jawan in the Army is from the State,” said Mr. Hooda.
Referring to the demands of Rezang La Shaheed Samarak Samiti put forth by its president T.C. Rao, Mr. Hooda announced that the school in Dundhahera village would be named after Shaheed Bharat Singh and the road from Rezang La Chowk to the railway station christened as Rezang La Marg.
The Member of Parliament from Gurgaon, Rao Inderjeet Singh, said Rezang La battle was one of the glorious battles in the history of India in which the soldiers fought with the motto of “Last bullet-last man”.
Ninety-six-year-old H. S. Dhingra, who was the commanding officer of 13 Kumaon Regiment whose Charlie Company was posted at Rezang La, recalled how his jawans bravely fought the battle under Major Shaitan Singh and succeeded in pushing back the enemy forces.
