21 Andaman & Nicobar islands named by PM Modi after Param Vir Chakra awardees
by The Canadian Parvasi
In a ceremony to mark Parakaram Diwas, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, on Sunday Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi named 21 of the largest unnamed islands of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees.
The ceremony, which happened in Port Blair, was joined by the Prime Minister via video conferencing.
The ceremony also unveiled the model of a National Memorial dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, set to be erected on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep.
Previously known as the Ross Islands, The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep was one of the three islands renamed back in 2018. Neil Island and Havelock Island were also renamed Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep respectively.
“This land of Andaman is the land where the Tricolour was hoisted for the first time, where the government of independent India was formed for the first time…Unfortunately, the sites of the Independence struggle, Andaman’s identity, they were tied to the reminders of colonisation. Even the names of our islands were imprinted with the past of colonisation,” PM Modi stated while at the naming ceremony.
“These 21 islands will now be known by the names of Param Vir Chakra awardees and the Netaji memorial will be a site for inspiration for the future generation,” the Prime Minister announced.
Speaking of the message behind renaming the islands, PM Modi stated,” The message is the message of ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’; this message is the message of the bravery of our Armed Forces.”
Taking to Twitter to speak about the ceremony, the Prime Minister stated, “Naming of 21 islands of Andaman & Nicobar Islands after Param Vir Chakra awardees fills heart of every Indian with pride.”
“PM Narendra Modi’s initiative to name islands after Param Vir Chakra awardees will ensure they are remembered forever,” stated Union Minister Amit Shah, who was physically present during the naming ceremony.
Dr. S. Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister of India, also tweeted about the ceremony, stating, “Prime Minister @narendramodi’s decision of naming 21 islands in Andaman and Nicobar after our heroes was a much needed initiative. It honours those who made sacrifices to protect the motherland.”
“But it is also another step to fulfill the pledge of an India that overcomes the colonial mindset,” he continued further.
The Param Vir Chakra awardees after whom the islands have been named are:
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Major Somnath Sharma
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Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik) Karam Singh, MM
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2nd Lt Rama Raghoba Rane
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Nayak Jadunath Singh
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Company Havildar Major Piru Singh
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Capt GS Salaria
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Lieutenant Colonel (then Major) Dhan Singh Thapa
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Subedar Joginder Singh
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Major Shaitan Singh
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CQMH Abdul Hamid
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Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore
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Lance Naik Albert Ekka
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Major Hoshiar Singh
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2nd Lt Arun Khetrapal
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Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon
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Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran
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Naib Subedar Bana Singh
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Captain Vikram Batra
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Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey
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Subedar Major (then RifleMan) Sanjay Kumar
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Subedar Major retd (Hony Captain) Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav.