JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today paid tributes to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, on his Punyatithi at a solemn event organised by the Gandhi Global Family, J&K. He also remembered and paid homage to the sacrifice and dedication of all great men and women on Martyrs’ Day.
Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor spoke about Jammu and Kashmir’s unwavering desire for peace and the timeless relevance of Gandhian values that have guided generations.
He observed that grand celebrations of Gandhi Jayanti in J&K over the past six years have had a transformational impact on society, visible in massive public participation in national integration programmes such as Tiranga Yatra, Har Ghar Tiranga and Vande Mataram.
The Lieutenant Governor called upon citizens to take a collective pledge for an “Ujjawal Jammu Kashmir” and an “Ujjawal Bharat.”
He honoured the next of kin of martyrs, family members of late Dr Raj Kumar Thapa, and civilians who lost their lives due to unprovoked firing by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. School students were conferred with the Shanti Doot Puraskar for promoting Gandhian values, while officials from the civil administration, J&K Police and security forces received the Rashtriya Sewa Puraskar.
Earlier, a two-minute silence was observed in memory of Mahatma Gandhi and the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice during India’s freedom struggle.
Padma Shri Dr SP Varma, President, Gandhi Global Family J&K; Yudhvir Sethi and Devyani Rana, Members of the Legislative Assembly; Sanjeev Verma, Chief Electoral Officer J&K; Maj Gen Kaushik Mukherjee, GOC 25 Infantry Division; Major Gen Ajit M. Yeole, GOC 26 Division; Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu; Shiv Kumar Sharma, DIG Jammu–Samba–Kathua Range; Dr Rakesh Minhas, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Lt Gen RK Sharma (Retd.), Senior Vice President, Gandhi Global Family; senior officials, ex-servicemen, family members of martyrs, prominent citizens and a large number of youth attended the commemorative event and paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.