K.A.Viswanathan
MUMBAI: The Shanmukhananda Sabha celebrated the 73rd Independence Day with the singing of the full five stanzas of the National Anthem by 73 students of its Sangeetha Vidyalaya preceded by a Sarva Dharma prayer by students of the SIES High School.
The highlight of the programme was honouring seven war widows and parents of Squadron Leader Ninad Mandavgane who sacrificed his life while on duty last year. Each of them was given a cash solatium of Rs. 2,50,000/- each and mementoes of daily use worth Rs. 50,000/- Lt. Gen. S. K. Prashar, GoC (Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa) and his wife Mrs. Mamta Prashar presented the awards. Brigadier Praveen Shinde hoisted the national flag.
Major Pradeep Shoury Arya, presently Additional Commissioner of Income Tax in Mumbai who received the Shourya Chakra Award in 2018 from the President of India was conferred the Sabha’s Shourya Ratna Award. He is the only officer who has served the Indian Army in the J& K region and killed terrorists, while in the income tax.
The Indian Army displayed its weaponry at the venue and demonstrated how they are used.
The Sabha has been at the forefront of manifesting its gratitude to armed forces in this manner said Dr. V. Shankar, president of the Sabha. In 2018, the Sabha honoured several wars wounded soldiers and six wives of soldiers who laid down their lives in the year 2017, he said. The honouring of war widows is a small step forward in integrating these families into mainstream society. One human life is heavier than the earth. The civilian society should care for the war heroes family. We are doing our bit, Shankar said.
Addressing the gathering Lt.Gen Prashar said one great thing about Indian armed forces is “ we all tied up as one nation and one family” There is no religion in the defence forces. This is our strength, he said. After seeing the awards being presented to the wives of the martyrs, he said we now fee we are not alone. The entire Society is behind us and we are proud of it. He appealed to one and all to serve the country in any form or the other and if not possible at least follow the discipline. That is very important.
Mrs. Jyoti Jagdale wife of Havaldar Jagdale Somnath who sacrificed his life in the forward areas said she has one son and a daughter both are school going in Satara and she has done a diploma in medical laboratory technology. She has requested the army to give her a job so that she can take care of her family. She said all these awards she got is mainly due to the hard work of her late husband.
