New Delhi: Popular Bollywood actors, who played the roles of Indian armymen, today hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move of naming the 21 largest unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands after Param Vir Chakra awardees in a ceremony on Monday on the occasion of Parakram Diwas.
He also unveiled the model of the National Memorial dedicated today Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Govt will build the museum on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, earlier known as Ross Islands. Modi government has renamed Neil Island and Havelock Island to Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep.
Modi named the largest unnamed island after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee, Major Somnath Sharma. Major Sharma had lost his life in action on November 3, 1947 while fighting Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport.
According to prime minister’s office, these islands have been named after the 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees, viz. Major Somnath Sharma; Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik) Karam Singh, MM; 2nd Lt. Rama Raghoba Rane; Nayak Jadunath Singh; Company Havildar Major Piru Singh; Capt GS Salaria; Lieutenant Colonel (then Major) Dhan Singh Thapa; Subedar Joginder Singh; Major Shaitan Singh; CQMH. Abdul Hamid; Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore; Lance Naik Albert Ekka; Major Hoshiar Singh; 2nd Lt. Arun Khetrapal; Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon; Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran; Naib Subedar Bana Singh; Captain Vikram Batra; Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey; Subedar Major (then Rifleman) Sanjay Kumar; and Subedar Major Retd (Hony Captain) Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav.
Bollywood hails Modi’s move
Ajay Devgn, who had played Capt Manoj Kumar in LoC movie praised the move via twitter. He posted, “The decision to name an island after Capt. Manoj Kumar Pandey (Param Vir Chakra) is assuring that the example of supreme sacrifice for the motherland he left us with will continue to inspire generations to come. Thank you, PM.”
While actor Suniel Shetty, who played the role of PVC awardee Bhairav Singh in Border, said, “PM Narendra Modi ji for renaming 21 islands of Andaman Nicobar in the names of the 21 ParamVirChakra awardees, the true heroes of our Nation, on the 126th Birth Anniversary of the great #NetajiSubhasChandraBose. So proud! #JaiHind.”
Also, young actor Sidharth Malhotra, who essayed the role of PVC awardee Cap. Vikram Batra in Shershah, tweeted, “the very news that an island in Andaman & Nicobar is named after our hero Capt. Vikram Batra leaves me with goosebumps! My heart swells with pride that I was fortunate to live his role on screen. This step taken by PM @narendramodi ensures that Shershaah lives on forever.”
