Amarinder pays homage to Capt Kalia

Nangal, Punjab, June 9 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here today unveiled the statue of Kargil hero Captain Amol Kalia who made supreme sacrifice in Batalik-Yaldor sector during ''Operation Vijay''.

Paying rich tributes to Capt Kalia on his 7th martyrdom anniversary, the Chief Minister said that the officer had shown great courage, dynamic leadership and devotion to duty for the protection of motherland. ''We all bow our heads in reverence for the great deed done by him'', he added.

Capt Singh also paid homage to all those officers and soldiers who had laid down their lives during Kargil conflict.

Addressing a mammoth gathering on the occasion, the Chief Minister announced that the place, where statue of Capt Kalia was installed, would be developed into a park which would be named after the officer.

This park would inculcate the spirit of patriotism and nationalism amongst the younger generation, he said, adding that Indian history was replete with the saga of numerous sacrifices made by Punjabis before and after independence.

So it was ''the pious duty of all of us to nurture the feeling of patriotism amongst our youth through the commemoration of such occasions in a befitting manner'', he noted.

On this occasion the Chief Minister honoured the father and mother of Capt Amol Kalia by presenting them a silver plaque . He also presented them a copy of his book 'A Ridge Too Far' (War in the Kargil Hills -1999), in which he had written the stories of brave soldiers of 10 different regiments who had sacrificed their lives in the conflict.

UNI VKJ VD KN2027