Jammu & Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday greeted all ranks of the Army's White Knight Corps on its 50th raising day.A defence ministry statement said, "Lt governor of Jammu & Kashmir Manoj Sinha along with Lt general Upendra Dwivedi, GOC-in-C Northern Command flagged in the Veer Smriti Motor Cycle rally and greeted all ranks of Indian Army's White Knight Corps on its 50th raising day in a traditional ceremony at Nagrota Military Station, today."
"The White Knight Corps was raised on June 1, 1972, as part of the Northern Command and Lt general J.F.R. Jacob was the first Corps Commander. The Corps has a rich history of valour in wars and has also performed commendably in the operations along the Line of Control and in CI/CT Operations in J&K," it said.
"Earlier, in the morning, Lt Gen Manjinder Singh, GOC, White Knight Corps paid floral tributes to the Fallen Heroes in a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the 'Ashwamedh Shaurya Sthal' in Nagrota Military Station," the statement stated.
"The Golden Jubilee celebrations of White Knight Corps commenced with a Motorcycle rally, "Veer Smriti Yatra" which was flagged off from Lam, Rajouri on 8 June 2022 and reached Nagrota today. The riders paid tributes to the bravehearts at all the war memorials in the Corps Zone.
The celebrations in Nagrota commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the LG Manoj Sinha in presence of a huge gathering of all ranks of White Knight Corps," it said."A short film on the glorious history of White Knight Corps and conduct of Veer Smriti Yatra was screened to the audience.
During his address, Lt Gen Manjinder Singh welcomed the Hon'ble LG and other distinguished guests and assured them of the unflinching support by all ranks of White Knight Corps towards the national cause," the defence ministry statement said.
"The Corps Commander also highlighted the major initiatives undertaken by the Indian Army for the Awaam in addition to guarding the active borders. The major initiatives by Indian Army in close coordination with the civil administration include uplifting educational standards, skill development, youth empowerment, women empowerment, encouraging sports activities and infrastructure development in far flung areas by aligning all projects with the existing government schemes for nation building," it stated.
"A special 'First Day Cover' was also released to mark the 50 glorious years of the prestigious White Knight Corps of Indian Army. On the momentous occasion, the Lt Governor congratulated all ranks of the White Knight Corps on their golden jubilee and appreciated their exemplary contribution in maintaining peace and tranquility in the region," the statement said.
The Lt Governor also appreciated the contribution of the corps in all wars fought since its raising and its all-out efforts in ensuring safety and security of the Awaam of J&K by eradicating terrorism from the region.