Early Times Report
SUNDERBANI, Oct 6: Family members of Martyr Pritam Singh celebrated Martyr day of Pritam Singh at his Martyr place Rajova Lam block Qila Darhal district Rajouri.
Today a heavy shelling on border so the army officers couldn’t reached in this programme. In 1964, Pritam Singh, a resident of Rajowa in Nowshera tehsil of Rajouri district, had got premature retirement from the Army.
When the war with Pakistan broke out in 1965, Pritam and other ex-servicemen of the area were summoned by the Commandant of the local unit of the Army to cooperate with the unit and help it fight the intruders and Pakistani soldiers.
Pritam Singh joined the B-company (as a volunteer) of the Kumaon Regiment which proceeded towards OP Top Hill on the night of October 5, 1965, which was captured by intruders led by the Pakistani army. On the morning of October 6, the final assault with artillery fire was launched on OP Top Hill and it was recaptured along with the Lukhnow post.
“The Pakistan army had also resorted to artillery fire. Pritam Singh was hit by splinters and sacrificed his life for the integrity of the country,” said Isher Singh, Pritam’s younger brother.
The task to recapture OP Top Hill and the Lukhnow post was given to the Commandant of the 14 Kumaon Regiment manning the area in 1965.
Pritam Singh was martyred on October 6, 1965. A memorial was constructed later at Rajowa, where family members, Army and civil administration officials pay tributes to the martyr every year, said Pritam Singh’s family.
On Thursday, family members with the help of Army and civil officers paid tribute to Pritam Singh at the memorial at Bajowa and remembered his services and sacrifice for the nation.
“The then Commander of the Nowshera-based 80 Brigade, Brigadier UBS Verma, had issued a bravery certificate in favour of S.Pritam Singh and had also given Rs 1,000 to the family as financial help,” said Isher Singh.
He said that on the golden jubilee celebrations of recapturing of OP Top Hill and the Lukhnow post, at Patials on October 6, 2015, the Kumaon Regiment had invited the family members of Pritam Singh.
“During the golden jubilee celebrations, Maj Gen V Pandey had promised us to write to the Union Government either for a petrol station or an LPG gas agency in favour of family members. But nothing has been done in the matter so far,” said Isher Singh.
Major Harvir Singh (retd), Sukhdev Singh, Malwinder Singh, Dara Singh, Bhagwan Singh, Kamaljeet Singh, Tajwinder Singh & Harbaksh Singh social activists, were among the prominent people of the area who paid tributes to martyr Pritam Singh today.
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