Honouring Nation's Heroes! 21 Unnamed Islands In Andaman & Nicobar Gets Named After Param Vir Chakra Awardees

The identity of the Andaman islands was associated with symbols of slavery instead of the memories of the freedom struggle, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Parakram Diwas on January 23. "Even the names of our islands had the imprint of slavery," and this year, the government decided to bring a change in this. On the occasion of Parakram Diwas, the Prime Minister named the 21 largest unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees. During the same programme, he also unveiled the model of the National Memorial that will be built as a dedication to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Toward Nation-Building

Virtually participating at the event, the Prime Minister announced that the unnamed islands would be named after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees. The largest unnamed island has now been named after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee - Major Somnath Sharma. The brave soldier was martyred in the line of duty on November 3, 1947, while repulsing Pakistani infiltrators near the Srinagar Airport.

The step was undertaken as an everlasting tribute to the nation's heroes, several of whom had sacrificed their lives to protect the nation. The other Param Vir Chakra awardees, whose legacy will live through the islands are Major Somnath Sharma; Capt GS Salaria; Subedar and Hony Captain Karam Singh, MM; 2nd Lt. Rama Raghoba Rane; 2nd Lt. Arun Khetrapal; Nayak Jadunath Singh; Company Havildar Major Piru Singh; Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Singh Thapa; CQMH. Abdul Hamid; Subedar Joginder Singh; Major Shaitan Singh; Lance Naik Albert Ekka; Subedar Major Retd Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav; Major Hoshiar Singh; Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon; Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran; Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore; Naib Subedar Bana Singh; Captain Vikram Batra; Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey; and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar.

While honouring the soldiers, Modi also honoured Netaji and emphasized the islands' importance. Modi conveyed that the Andaman is the land where the tricolour was hoisted for the first time, saying that the region should continue to tell stories of the soldiers' bravery. Earlier in 2018, the Ross Islands were renamed Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep by the Prime Minister to honour Netaji's memory and the islands' historical significance. According to a report by the ABP Live, the Neil and Havelock Islands were also renamed as Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep.

A Memorial To Relive Netaji's Legacy

While renaming the islands, the Prime Minister stated that these initiatives should have been taken in "the interest of the nation." Drawing parallels to other countries which connected their imminent personalities and freedom fighters with the public, Modi noted that it is a practice that sends a country far ahead in the race for development and nation-building.

As per a report by The Hindu, the virtual event also saw the model unveiling of the National Memorial dedicated to Netaji to commemorate the freedom fighter's 126th birth anniversary. The memorial, to be built on the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, will consist of a museum, a cable car ropeway, a laser-and-sound show, a heritage trail through historical buildings, a theme-based children's amusement park, and a restro lounge.

Also Read: As A Tribute To Netaji, PM Modi Renames 3 Andaman & Nicobar Islands; Inaugurates Projects