Palampur: The braveheart returns Independence Day to mark new statue unveiling

A new statue of Major Som Nath Sharma, India’s first recipient of the nation’s highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), has been installed near the office of the Palampur Municipal Corporation. The memorial will be formally unveiled on August 15 marking a significant tribute to the martyr’s unparalleled bravery.

The old statue, installed 23 years ago, had fallen into a state of disrepair and was on the verge of collapse. The Tribune had repeatedly highlighted the issue and even raised it directly with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu last year. Acting promptly, the CM sanctioned funds for a new statue, ensuring that the memory of the hero would be preserved with dignity.

Local MLA Ashish Butail informed reporters yesterday that the new statue was built at a cost of Rs 8 lakh by the Palampur Municipal Corporation, following the CM’s directions. The corporation is now giving the final touches in preparation for the Independence Day inauguration.

Born on January 31, 1923, in Dadh village, 15 km from Palampur, Major Som Nath Sharma hailed from a distinguished military family—his father and brothers 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, commissioning into the Army on February 22, 1942.

Major Sharma made the ultimate sacrifice in 1947 during the first Indo-Pak war. On November 3, he led his company to Badgam village to repel Pakistani raiders threatening the Srinagar airport. Despite having his left hand in a plaster cast from 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. Under relentless gunfire and mortar bombardment, they fought fiercely, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy before Major Sharma was martyred at just 24 years of age.

For his extraordinary courage and leadership, he was posthumously awarded the country’s first Param Vir Chakra. Shockingly, in the 75 years since his sacrifice, no school, college, or public institution in his home district has been named in his honour. The CM has now assured residents that an educational institution in his native village will soon bear his name, ensuring that future generations remember his heroism.