Jammu: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday unveiled a statue of General Zorawar Singh at the Jammu University and reiterated his administration's resolve to honour the valour and sacrifice of Jammu and Kashmir's "immortal heroes". He also announced the setting up of a Chair in memory of Dogra Rajput ruler Gulab Singh, who achieved martyrdom on this day in 1842, in the University.
The Lt Governor said the endeavour would inspire students and researchers to build a strong and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir which was dreamt of by the General. Sinha paid tributes to the "great warrior" and "military genius" at a commemorative event organised by General Zorawar Singh Memorial Educational and Charitable Trust, and Jammu and Kashmir Ex-Services League, a statement said.
The history of great personalities like General Zorawar Singh, Brig Rajinder Singh and Maqbool Sherwani will be taught to the students in schools of the Union Territory, Sinha said.
"Their life, courage, conquest is a lesson about patriotism, discipline, self-confidence and it will inspire students to achieve the goal of making India a developed nation, he said. The Lt Governor directed the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages to prepare a monograph on the life of General Singh in Tamil Language.
It is the duty of every citizen to uphold and protect the unity and integrity of the nation. The young generation must strive to become worthy heirs of great leaders who struggled and sacrificed to build a new destiny for the country," he said. "With those ideals, values and civilisational strength, we should focus on building a brighter future, he added.
Brigadier Rajinder Singh, also known as the 'Saviour of Kashmir', made the supreme sacrifice while protecting the state from the enemies' invasion in 1947. Sherwani, a resident of Baramulla, misguided the Pakistani raiders in 1947 when he was asked for directions to the road to the Srinagar Airport. This delayed their march to the airport, giving time to the Indian army to reach the airfield and secure it. He was later killed by the raiders.
