Twenty-one large unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar were named on Monday after Param Vir Chakra awardees by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Parakram Diwas.
The PM also unveiled the model of the National Memorial dedicated to Netaji to be built on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, earlier known as Ross Islands.
The PM noted that many messages are contained in the naming of the 21 islands, including that of 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat'.
Union home minister Amit Shah said the initiative to name islands after Param Vir Chakra awardees will ensure they are remembered forever.
The largest unnamed island was named after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee, Major Somnath Sharma, who was martyred in action on November 3, 1947 while repulsing Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport.
The 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees, after whom the islands have been named are: 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.
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