Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday inaugurated a war memorial built to honor the heroes who made the supreme sacrifice while defending the motherland in the 1962 war with China and the Galwan Valley. Today is also the 59th anniversary of the historic Battle of Rezang La, so the opening of the monument on this day is special in many ways. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh pays tribute at the renovated memorial of martyred heroes of war at Rezang La Theater during the 1962 India-China conflict.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh arrived on a one-day visit to Ladakh this morning. Lt Governor RK Mathur, MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal and other senior officials welcomed him at the Leh airport. After this, the Defense Minister left for the inauguration of the new war memorial built in Chushul, the Indian border area in eastern Ladakh. Brigadier (Retd) RV Jatar of 13 Kumaon, who fought bravely in the Indo-China conflict of 1962, was also present in today's ceremony. Rajnath Singh himself reached the memorial with him on a wheel chair. After this, Rajnath Singh paid tribute to the martyr heroes at the renovated memorial.
On 18 November, China attacked Rezang La in southern Ladakh. In this 1962 war, Major Shaitan Singh was leading the Charlie Company of 13 Kumaon troops of the Indian Army. He was reviewing the situation from one platoon to another and encouraging the soldiers. During this, as soon as the Chinese soldiers reached near Rezang La, only then the soldiers of the Indian Army made such an attack that only the bodies of Chinese soldiers were seen there. More than 100 soldiers of the Indian Army were also martyred in this battle. Major Shaitan Singh, leading the battle, was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the highest award for gallantry. That is why on this day the anniversary of the Battle of Rezang La is celebrated.
The earlier monument at Rezang La was small and has now been expanded and given a bigger and newer look. The names of 20 brave soldiers of the army who were martyred in the clash with Chinese soldiers in Galwan Valley in June, 2020 have also been included in this renovated memorial. Chushul Valley is also known for its low temperature. Here the temperature drops to minus 25 ° C or even below. It was here that Major Shaitan Singh along with his 114 men had to dust off the Chinese seven times before making the supreme sacrifice.
Here an auditorium and a photo gallery have been built in honor of the soldiers of Charlie Company. It also mentions the names of 20 soldiers who died during the conflict in Galwan Valley last year. Apart from this, a model of the battle field has also been installed here. The previous governments had forgotten the real heroes of the country, but the Modi government has made policy changes in this direction by building monuments in honor of the war heroes of Rezang La. Technically, even though India lost the 1962 war, the valor stories of the soldiers of India are immortal.
The body of Major Shaitan Singh was taken to his village Banasar in Jodhpur and cremated with full military honours. The 'Veer Ahirs' fought on the snowy peaks of Rezang La till the saying 'Last Man, Last Round'. Of the 123 soldiers of Charlie Company, 114 were martyred, while the rest were captured by the Chinese army. However, later they managed to escape by dodging them. Every soldier who made the supreme sacrifice at Ranjang La was a hero and a grateful nation remembers each one of them.