Dip in J&K violence, working to root out terror from country: Army chief

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande felicitates a ‘Veer Nari’ during the ‘Shaurya Sandhya’ event on the occasion of the 76th Army Day, in Lucknow on Monday.

LUCKNOW A parade of six marching contingents marked the main and final day events as part of the 76th Army Day celebrations organised at the 11 GRRC Parade Grounds here on Monday.

In his address, Army Chief General Manoj Pande spoke of the transformation road map for the Army, among other things. He said the Army was fully prepared and capable of dealing with any challenge.

The objective of this road map was to strengthen the operational preparedness of the military, and that the five pillars of this plan had seen a solid head start. The five pillars were – force restructuring and optimisation; technology infusion; automation, digitisation and networking; human resource management; and jointness and integration between the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, he said.

Pande said, “I want to assure the people of the country that our army is a well-trained, equipped and battle-hardened army, which is always ready to face the crisis and challenges facing the country.”

“In the past, the Indian Army has faced all security challenges with determination and commitment. I am proud that each of our soldiers has fulfilled his responsibility, be it security of borders, deployment in difficult areas and challenging weather. Our army is fully prepared and capable of dealing with any challenge. It has foiled infiltration attempts with full vigilance. As a result of continuous efforts by security forces in the areas of Jammu and Kashmir, there has been a significant reduction in violence. We, together with all the stakeholders, are working determinedly to root out terrorism from the country,” he said.

The Army Day parade saw the felicitation of several brave soldiers and units under the Central Command, as well as the majestic marching parade displayed by 6 contingents under the command of GOC MUPSA (General Commanding Officer of Madhya UP Sub Area).

The marching contingents were from the 15 Jat Regiment, the 19 Sikh Light Infantry Regiment, 9 Garhwal Rifles, The Bengal Engineer Group Regiment, 28 Air Defence Regiment and the 50 Independent Para Special Forces. They were led by Parade Commander Major General Salil Seth, and second commander Navdeep Singh.

The contingents circled the entire parade ground, belting out their respective war cries/marching calls, giving the audience goosebumps as they trotted past.

The parade was followed by a skydiving display and daredevil jumps by the Paratroopers, a daredevil motorcycle display by the Corps of Signals Daredevil team and a fly-past by helicopters of the Army Aviation Corps consisting of the ALH Dhruv and the ALH Rudra Helicopters.

A number of military bands also showcased their discipline and synchronisation at the parade. Brass and pipe bands from Punjab Regiment, Grenadiers Regiment, Jat Regiment, Sikh Regiment, Sikh Light Infantry Regiment, Kumaon Regiment and Bihar Regiment enthralled the audience with their synchronization.

Fourteen Gallantry awards were given out by the Chief of Army Staff, four of which were presented posthumously to family members of brave hearts. Unit citations were also awarded at the parade.

Several senior army officials, including Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Staff, and the GOC-in-C (General Officer Commanding in Chief) were present at the ceremony. Divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob and district magistrate Suryapal Gangwar, among others, also graced the occasion.

In his address, the COAS also said, “Today is for all the brave hearts who sacrifice their lives for the nation. I applaud the military precision, winners of unit citations, and congratulate them for the achievements. This Army Day programme is an ode to their perseverance and sacrifice.”

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