Maharashtra: 75 war veterans from Apshinge ‘military village’ honoured

Dancers perform at the event.

The Sabha conferred the ‘Shanmukha Shaurya Ratna’ award on the village. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a citation, and a memento. Shanmukhananda is planning to set up a state-of-the-art gymnasium for the children of this village to enhance their physical performance and will redevelop the existing school building and build a community hall with office facilities for the Army men. The Sabha also felicitated 25 widows of fallen heroes by presenting them Rs 2 lakh each and mementos.

After presenting the awards to the families of fallen heroes from Apshinge village, Lt. General H S Kahlon, who is the General Officer Commanding, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa, addressed the crowd. Kahlon said, “I want to thank everyone from Apshinge village for coming here. For four generations, the villagers have been making sacrifices for our country. I salute them. I want to thank the entire Shanmukhananda family for supporting the Armed Forces every year on January 26 and August 15. I want to thank all the people who have lost their sons, husbands, brothers, and fathers. The country will always remember your sacrifice.”

Dancers perform at the event.

Dr V Shankar, president of the Sabha, spoke about the contribution of the Sabha to nation-building. “The Shanmukhananda Sabha is not merely a cultural institution. Over the last 70 years, it has redefined culture in its widest import to cover all aspects of human endeavour, community healthcare, and social initiatives. Five years ago, it entered into a meaningful understanding with the general officer commanding Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa to celebrate the national days for the welfare of the men in uniform. While August 15 is devoted to the glory of all those people who have sacrificed their lives for the nation, January 26 is for wounded warriors.”

The gathering of Army men and families of the fallen soldiers were later entertained with cultural events such as patriotic plays, songs, and classical dance performances by Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Vidyalaya and Sri Raja Rajeshwari Bharatha Natya Kala Mandir and a monologue by Meera Jagan on ‘Azadi ke Purva, Kuch Yaadien (Pre-independence, few memories). Umesh Revankar, the vice-chairman and managing director, Shriram Transport Finance Company Ltd, was the chief guest.

Dr V Rangraj, secretary of Sabha, thanked the families of the fallen soldiers who came to attend the function from Maharashtra and Gujarat, and Army officers for helping them to identify the families of the fallen heroes, and the people from Apshinge village who came for the function.