Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 16: After almost five decades of the Indo-Pakistan war that led to the creation of Bangladesh, an 80-year-old wife of an Indian soldier, who attained martyrdom during the 1971 war, fondly remembers her husband, saying that she's very proud of him.
India will celebrate 50 years of its victory over Pakistan of the 1971 War on December 15.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday will attend the inaugural event of the Centre's 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh' programme, which celebrates 50 years of India's victory on Pakistan.
The event will be held at the National War Memorial (NWM) in New Delhi.
Going down the memory lane, Swarno Devi, in her mid-80s, remembers the heroics of her martyred husband Naib Subedar Seva Ram.
The 'Veer Naari (brave woman)' still cherishes the moments and narrating the tale of the fateful year, says that it was ending November in 1971, the clouds of war between India and Pakistan were hovering and the soldiers on leave were told to report back to their units.
'My husband did not even wait for the call and went to his unit 21 Punjab,' recalled the proud widow, asserting that at that time, they used to live in Rani Bagh area of Satwari Cantt and she was pregnant.
'As tension escalated along the border and we were constructing a house in Rani Bagh area due to unprovoked firing from across the border, despite that, my husband, chose to report to his unit as his country's call,' reminds the octogenarian, saying that leaving her with two kids, he joined his regiment.
'On December 3, the war started, Pakistan attempted to occupy the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district in Jammu region, where 21 Punjab Regiment was stationed, but our jawans foiled the attempts and Pakistan faced defeat,' she says. The Pakistani soldiers also attacked the Nangi Tekri post in the same sector on the night of December 10, 1971, but the brave soldiers of 21 Punjab made them to run. Pakistan had also suffered heavy damage during the war.
'Our 23 soldiers of 21 Punjab regiment sacrificed lives and India won the battle. My husband, who fought bravely, was among the martyred soldiers,' she recalls with moist eyes.
'The bodies of martyred jawans were not sent to their native places at that time. One of our relatives visited Poonch, where my husband was cremated with full military honours and his ashes were received by us after almost a week,' she expressed.
'My husband was honoured with Sena Medal and Service Medal posthumously and it was presented to me by the then president V V Giri and the then prime minister Indira Gandhi,' she said.
'Almost 50 years have passed but still, 21 Punjab Unit have not forgotten the martyrdom of my husband and they invite me every year on December 11, to attend the ceremony organised to remember the sacrifices of jawans at Wagah in Amritsar,' says Swarno Devi.
'This time, we were also invited to attend an event at the India Gate War Memorial in Delhi but due to illness, I could not visit. However, my family attended it and paid the tributes," she said.
'I am proud of my husband and will always remain so because it is only because of him, we are being remembered and honoured since decades," she said with a smile. |
