By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 14 Jan: In an unusual gesture of love and respect, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approached former MP and former editor of Panchjanya, Tarun Vijay at the Shaurya Sthal today after laying a wreath at the unknown soldier’s statue, patted him on his shoulders and thanked him for helping build the memorial, the first of its kind in Uttarakhand.
Tarun Vijay said that he was overwhelmed by the gesture which brought tears to his eyes. Later, addressing the Army Veterans’ rally at Jaswant Ground, the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh mentioned Tarun Vijay’s name and thanked him for his contribution to the War Memorial, appreciating his efforts for the armed forces publicly.
Later, the Army invited Tarun Vijay as the first dignitary to lay a wreath at Shaurya Sthal as a mark of respect for his contribution.
Speaking on the occasion, Tarun Vijay asserted that, today, he was feeling fulfilled and it was a great moment of satisfaction and joy for him. With blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and support from the then Raksha Mantri Manohar Parrikar and CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, a great dream for Uttarakhand soldiers’ families had now come true. He was all praise for the wonderful support he received from Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, who accepted his invitation, CDS Gen Anil Chauhan, Uttarakhand GOC Maj Gen Sanjeev Khatri and the excellent work by CEO Abhinav Singh and his untiring Dehradun Cantt board team. Vijay said he would continue working to preserve and refurbish old war memorials scattered at hundreds of places in the state.
It is worth noting that Tarun Vijay, former MP and former Chief Editor of Panchjanya, is India’s first MP to have given as much as Rs 2.5 Cr from his MPLADS fund to build a war memorial, fulfilling a demand of thousands of the state’s soldiers.
