CHANDIGARH, Oct 14: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today expressed himself in favour of compulsory military training to teach young people discipline, a sense of duty and commitment to the national cause. He advocated four-month training to be undergone before the youth embarked upon their working life. Badal released a book, Medal Gallery, Patiala which catalogues the collection of medals and orders at Patiala Sheesh Mehal.Speaking at the function organised by the Western Command here, the Chief Minister said that Army life symbolises devotion to duty and selfless service and such training would improve work culture in civil life and promote a growth-oriented prosperous society.Lauding acts of gallantry during the recent Kargil conflict, Badal announced that the state government would honour families of martyrs hailing from Punjab on October 25 at Chandigarh and the government will present a grant of Rs 5 lakh each to the next kin of the martyrs. He added that appointment letters for jobs would be given to one member of each family, besides various other relief measures.Applauding Western Command's efforts in producing the book, Badal said that it was a unique effort which would go a long way in inspiring future generations and imbuing them with patriotism. He lauded the services of Lt Gen H.B. Kala during his tenure as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, and said that the Army had provided help to the state whenever the need arose.The Chief Minister assured the Army that Punjab government would always come forward to extend all possible help to the Armed Forces.Earlier, Lt Gen H.B. Kala in his address, said that the Patiala Medal Gallery had one of the largest collections of orders, decorations and medals in the world, and described it as unmatched in richness and variety.Referring to the contents of the book, Lt Gen Kala said that the book detailed the origin and evolution of orders, decorations and medals and provided a wealth of information about the collector, lineage of the House of Patiala and the Sheesh Mahal.Containing more than 3,200 orders, decorations and medals, this collection was the singlehanded effort of the late Maharaja Bhupinder Singh. In 1962, his son Maharaja Yadavindra Singh gave the priceless collection to the Punjab government. Spanning seven centuries of warfare and governance across six continents, each object is commemorative of the rich cultural heritage of mankind. Each piece reflects history and is a record of some valourous deed or devoted service.The Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lt Gen B.S. Malik, GOC 2 Corps, Lt Gen G.S. Sihota and GOC, 1 Armoured Division, Maj Gen P.P.S. Bhandari were also present on the occasion.
