Chopal residents want road named after martyr

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 25

After a long wait of 52 years, residents of Bhalu, a native village of Lt Hari Singh, (23), a martyr of 1965 war, got road connectivity and a bus service a few months ago. The residents want the road to be named after the martyr as they feel that it would be real tribute to the martyr.

Though the residents of Chopal remember him every year by organising Lt Hari Singh Memorial tournament, they want to pay tribute to the valiant soldier after the completion of 52 years of his martyrdom. War veterans and residents have demanded that the soldiers be remembered.

“We fought for 52 years to get road connectivity to the village. It was recently that an HRTC bus began plying to the martyr’s village for the first time”, said Joginder Singh, a resident of Bhalu village in the Chopal subdivision. “The road or school should be named after him as he laid down his life at the age of 23 years,” he added.

Capt Jagdish Verma, president, Honorary Commissioned Officers’ Welfare Association, said the nation remembered the bravehearts who sacrificed their lives for their motherland. The war veteran said the martyrs deserved more than what the government had offered to their families.

It was a pity that the Bhalu village got road connectivity after 52 years, said Lt BM Dogra, Indian Navy, who participated in 1965 and 1971 wars.