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| Governor, Army Chief pay homage to Maj Somnath | | | SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 03 -Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha today paid glowing tributes to Major Som Nath Sharma, the first Param Vir Chakra awardee of Independent India, by placing wreath at his larger than life size statue at Srinagar Airport.
Health Minister, Pt. Mangat Ram Sharma, Army Chief General J J Singh, Army Commander, Lt. Gen Deepak Kapoor, Corps Commander 15 Corps, Lt. General Amarjit Singh Sekhon and senior civil and military officers followed the Governor in paying floral tributes to the great martyr.
The Governor and the senior officers saluted at the memorial as the ceremonial bugles blared and smartly attired contingent of the Army also presented salute to the martyr, who scripted a saga of valour in the chequeered military history of India.
In an informal interaction with the media persons, the Governor recalled this day about 60 years ago, when the young Major Som Nath laid down his life at Budgam and defeated the enemy’s design of advancing towards Srinagar in 1947. He gave a vivid account of 1947 operations in Budgam, saying that the martyr was keen to to advance to Baramulla as the first company of Indian Army to take on raiders, who had created havoc in Baramulla by indulging in plunder and mayhem. He was itching for an action when he landed at Srinagar airport with fractured arm.
The Health Minister also paid tributes to Maj Som Nath Sharma.
Deputy Commissioner, Budgam Mr Ravi Thusso and Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Ashiq Bukhari also laid the wreaths as a large number of people were present at the memorial site.
In recognition to the supreme sacrifice of Maj Sharma, his statue was raised at the entry point of Srinagar Airport in 2004.
This day in 1947, Major Somnath Sharma's company was ordered on a fighting patrol to Badgam village in the Kashmir Valley. He reached his objective at first light on 3rd November where he met yet another young Maj S K Sinha, presently the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
Maj Sharma immediately took up a position south of Badgam at 1100 hours.
The 700 strong enemy attacked his company position with 3-inch mortars, LMGs and rifles. Completely outnumbered and with withering fire being brought to bear on its position from three sides, the company began to sustain heavy casualties.
Fully realizing the gravity of the situation and the direct threat that would result to both Srinagar and the aerodrome if the enemy attack was not held until reinforcements could be rushed to close the gap leading to Srinagar via Humhama Major Sharma urged his company to fight the enemy tenaciously, with extreme bravery, kept rushing across the open ground to his sections exposing himself to heavy and accurate fire to urge them to hold on.
Keeping his nerve, he skillfully directed the fire of his section into the ever-advancing enemy. He repeatedly exposed himself to the full fury of enemy fire and laid out cloth air strips to guide our aircraft onto their targets in full view of the enemy. Realizing that casualties had affected the effectiveness of his light automatics, this officer, whose left hand was in plaster, personally commenced filling magazines and issuing them to light machine gunners.
A mortar shell landing right in the middle of the ammunition resulted in an explosion that killed him. However, Major Sharma's company held onto its position and the remnants withdrew only when almost completely surrounded. His inspiring example had resulted in the enemy being delayed for six hours, thus gaining time for reinforcements to get into position at Humhama to stem the tide of the enemy advance.
His leadership, gallantry and tenacious defence were such that his men were inspired to fight the enemy outnumbering them by seven to one for six hours, one hour which was after this gallant officer had been killed.
Major Sharma set an example of courage and qualities seldom equaled in the history of the Indian Army. |
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