On Vijay Diwas, Dhami pays tribute to armed forces personnel for their sacrifice in 1971 war

Dehradun, Dec 16 (PTI) Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday paid tribute to to the fallen heroes of the 1971 war by laying a wreath at the Shaheed Smarak on the occasion of Vijay Diwas at Gandhi Park. “On this day in 1971, more than 93,000 soldiers of Pakistan had surrendered before our brave soldiers. This was the largest surrender of any army after World War II. This war was a direct example of the unwavering determination and sacrifice of the heroes of India,” Dhami said on the anniversary of the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

Apart from being the land of gods, Uttarakhand is also the land of bravery and sacrifice, he said.

“In the Indo-Pak war of 1971, 255 soldiers of Uttarakhand sacrificed their lives to protect ‘Mother India’. Seventy-four soldiers of the state who showed their indomitable courage and valour in the war were honoured with various gallantry medals,” he said.

Dhami also said the construction work on Sainya Dham in Dehradun is in progress. “It will be a humble tribute from our side to all the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the glory of the tricolour,” he said.

He also honoured ex-servicemen and war widows on the occasion offering them shawls and mementos. Students who secured the top three positions in the essay writing competition held on the occasion were also honoured by the chief minister.