Sultanpur (Uttar Pradesh): A programme was organised to mark the martyrdom day of of Param Vir Chakra recipient Abdul Hamid, who died during the 1965 India-Pakistan war. In the programme, Hamid's driver during the war, Mohammed Naseem, was also honoured.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Naseem shared his pain recalling the days of that war. Stating that in this world nobody cares for anyone, he said that he too had a share of the credit for India's victory in the 1965 war.
“But nobody called me to a stage and all my papers were burnt,” Naseem said.
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He recalled that there was a sudden halt to continuous firing from both sides on that fateful day during the war. Hamid then hid behind the leaves of a tree.
“We were given the wrong message that no enemy soldier was there. We became lax and suddenly tracer rounds were fired at us. After an artillery officer advised us to escape, I and Abdul Hamid sat on the car,” Naseem said.
Lamenting that nobody cares for him any more, he said that victory would not have been possible had they not opened fire from their car.
“After victory was achieved, the tanks from Jabalpur moved to Delhi. Hamid's wife was invited to meet the Prime Minister. She was not very educated. Neither was she asked any question nor was I called. We just kept waiting,” Naseem recalled.
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In the programme, everyone was welcomed by the organiser Mohammad Idrishi. Circle Officer, Nagar, Raghavendra Chaturvedi and City Kotwal Sandeep Rai honoured meritorious students during the event. DIG of CRPF Trishundi Prabhakar was also present. Senior citizens were greeted with shawls. As part of the programme, artists re-enacted scenes from the war..
Abdul Hameed was born July 1, 1933, in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. At the age of 20, he joined the army. In the 1965 war with Pakistan, he destroyed eight Pakistani Patton tanks in the Khemkaran sector of Punjab. He was martyred while destroying the eighth Patton tank. The Government of India had posthumously bestowed the Param Vir Chakra, the country's highest military honour, to Abdul Hameed for his indomitable valour and courage.
