New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, January 23, named 21 Islands in Andaman and Nicobar after recipients of India’s highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra.
The naming was done on the occasion of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 126th birth anniversary, which is officially observed as Parakram Diwas (Day of Valor). The prime minister also virtually unveiled a model of a proposed memorial dedicated to Bose, which will be constructed in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
“When history is being made, the future generations not just remember, assess and evaluate it, but also find constant inspiration from it,” Modi said while naming the Islands. He said that the Netaji Memorial and the 21 newly named islands will be a source of constant inspiration for the young generations.
The memorial to Netaji will be located on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep, which was called Ross Island before 2018. Facilities available at the site will include a museum, a cable car ropeway, a laser-and-sound show, a guided heritage trail through historical buildings and a theme-based children’s amusement park, next to a resto-lounge.
The largest unnamed island was named after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee, the second largest unnamed island after the second Param Vir Chakra awardee, and so on. The first recipient of the award was Major Somnath Sharma, who lost his life while fighting against Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar airport on November 3, 1947.
Of the 21 people who have received the Param Vir Chakra, 20 served in the Indian Army and one in the Indian Air Force.
The 21 recipients of the Param Vir Chakra. Photo: pmindia.gov.in
Below are all the 21 islands that were named:
- Dhan Singh Island after Lieutenant Colonel (then Major) Dhan Singh Thapa
- Tarapore Island after Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore
- Karam Singh Island after Lance Naik (Hony. Captain) Karam Singh
- Bana Island after Naib Subedar Bana Singh
- Ekka Island after Lance Naik Albert Ekka
- Khetrapal Island after 2nd Lt Arun Khetrapal
- Pandey Island after Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey
- Hoshiar Island after Major Hoshiar Singh
- Shaitan Island after Major Shaitan Singh
- Jadunath Island after Nayak Jadunath Singh
- Yogender Island after Subedar Major (Hony. Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav
- Hamid Island after Company Quartermaster Havildar (CQMH) Abdul Hamid
- Rane Island after 2nd Lt Rama Raghoba Rane
- Ramaswamy Island after Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran
- Batra Island after Captain Vikram Batra
- Joginder Island after Subedar Joginder Singh
- Salaria Island after Captain G S Salaria (then Major)
- Piru Island after Company Havildar Major Piru Singh
- Somnath Island after Major Somnath Sharma
- Sekhon Island after Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon
- Sanjay Island after Subedar Major (then Rifleman) Sanjay Kumar