Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that nation would never forget sacrifices by the army, police and paramilitary forces personnel in various States while protecting borders and fighting militancy.“Nation’s heart beats for the brave heroes and their families,” said Mr Singh, while addressing a mammoth gathering during Shahidi Diwas organized at Ramleela ground here. “They (martyrs) laid down their lives and sacrificed their present for our better future,” he said, adding “there isn’t a single State whose jawans have not laid down their lives for the nation in Jammu and Kashmir and similarly our jawans from this State too have showed their courage in protecting the nation.”He was accompanied by Minister of State in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh.The Union Home Minister said terrorism is the weapon of cowards and added that India would give a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations from the other side of the border. “Pakistan should understand that terrorism is not the weapon of brave, but of cowards,” he said.
Referring to the surgical strikes by the Indian Army, post Uri terror attack, he said, “I want to assure that this government will never let India to bow its head before anyone and will always give befitting reply to enemies of peace.” The Home Minister said that Union government has already given nod for creating vacancies for 10000 SPOs and also for creating new five Indian Reserve battalions. Minister of state in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh while paying homage to martyrs gave details of the various schemes launched by the government of India for Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment, Choudhary Lal Singh urged public in general and government in particular to remember the sacrifice of soldiers and pay homage to martyrs. “We have a tendency to forget the sacrifices of our real heroes who scarified their lives protecting our nation,” he said. “This is high time we reach out the families of the martyrs,” he said.Singh hailed the people of Kathua for making the Shahidi Diwas a memorable event for the families of police and army personnel.“Events like these would only give a moral support to the martyr’s families and we all should participate to make them realize that we are with them through thick and thin,” he said.Among others, the function was attended by Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Abdul Ghani Kohli, Minister of State for Hajj & Auqaf, PHE and Irrigation & Flood Control, Power Development, Industries & Commerce, Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi, MLA West (Jammu) Sat Sharma, MLA Kathua, Rajiv Jasrotia and others.