Palampur: The brave soldier returned on Independence Day on the occasion of the unveiling of the new statue

Himachal Pradesh: A new statue of Major Somnath Sharma, India’s first recipient of the country’s highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), has been installed near the Palampur Municipal Corporation office. The memorial will be formally unveiled on August 15 as a tribute to the martyr’s unparalleled valour. The old statue, installed 23 years ago, was in a dilapidated state and on the verge of collapse. The issue was raised repeatedly and even directly with Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu last year. The Chief Minister acted promptly and sanctioned funds for the new statue to ensure that the memory of the braveheart is preserved with dignity. Local MLA Ashish Butail told reporters yesterday that the new statue has been constructed by the Palampur Municipal Corporation at a cost of Rs 8 lakh following the Chief Minister’s directions. The corporation is now finalising preparations for its inauguration on Independence Day. Born on January 31, 1923, in Dadh village, 15 km from Palampur, Major Som Nath Sharma belonged to a distinguished military family—his father and brother also served in the Indian Army.

After studying at Sherwood College, Nainital, he joined the Prince of Wales Royal Military College, Dehradun at the age of 10 and later trained at the Royal Military Academy, where he was commissioned into the Army on February 22, 1942. Major Sharma made the supreme sacrifice during the First Indo-Pak War of 1947. On November 3, he led his company to Badgam village to repulse Pakistani raiders who were storming the Srinagar airport. Despite his left hand being plastered due to an earlier injury, he insisted on joining the mission. Facing a force of 500 raiders advancing from Gulmarg, his company was soon surrounded on three sides. Amidst continuous firing and mortar bombardment, he fought fiercely and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. Major Sharma was martyred at the age of just 24. For his exceptional courage and leadership, he was posthumously awarded the country’s first Param Vir Chakra. Surprisingly, even after 75 years of his sacrifice, no school, college or public institution in his home district has been named in his honour. The Chief Minister has now assured residents that an educational institution in his native village will soon be named after him, so that future generations can remember his valour.