New Delhi: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday recalled the Rezang La front as an example of courage and valor of the Indian Army in the 1962 war. Inaugurating the revamped War Memorial at Rezang La, the Defense Minister said that the chapter of bravery of the Indian Army at Rezang La is forever recorded in the history as well as in our hearts.
The Defense Minister said that Rezang La is counted among the ten largest and most challenging battle fronts in the history of war in the world.
"The renovation of the memorial is not only a tribute to our valiant Armed Forces but also a symbol of the fact that we are fully prepared to protect the integrity of the nation. This monument symbolises the Government's stand of giving a befitting reply to anyone who threatens our sovereignty and integrity," said Rajnath Singh as per an official statement released by the Ministry of Defence, ANI reported.
The Defence Minister paid tribute to the troops of Charlie Company of 13 Kumaon Regiment as he dedicated to the nation the renovated Rezang La Memorial that was constructed in 1963 in the Chushul plains, at an altitude of over 15,000 feet, right at the India-China border.
On November 18, 1962, troops of Charlie Company of 13 Kumaon Regiment had defended Rezang La in Eastern Ladakh.
"It was a saga of unparalleled bravery as Major Shaitan Singh and 113 soldiers had made the supreme sacrifice, fighting one of the world's rarest 'last man, last bullet' battles. Major Shaitan Singh was bestowed with the Nation's highest gallantry award, the Param Veer Chakra, posthumously. The entire project of Rezang La Memorial was spearheaded by the troops of Chushul Brigade, the very same formation under which the Armed Forces had defended the entire Ladakh sector in 1962," read the statement, as per ANI.