21 uninhabited Andaman and Nicobar islands named after Param Vir Chakra Awardees
   03-Dec-2022

Andaman and Nicobar
 
To honour the valour and sacrifices of our soldiers, the government of India has named 21 uninhabited islands in Andaman-Nicobar after Param Vir Chakra awardees, country’s highest wartime gallantry award.
 
21 uninhabited islands in Andaman-Nicobar were called with numbers like ‘INAN370’, ‘INAN308’. In this case, the name ‘INAN370’ of the late former Major Somnath Sharma, who was the first recipient of the ‘Param Vir Chakra’, the highest military award given for bravery, has been named on the island. Henceforth ‘INAN370’ island will also be known as ‘Somnath Island’.
 
Similarly, the central government has named 21 uninhabited islands after Param Vir Chakra awardees. Most of these islands are protected forest areas. Some of the islands are ideal for water sports and creek tourism.
 
Subedar and Honorary Captain Karam Singh who fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for saving a forward post at Richmar Gali, south of Tithwal (a small border-village in Jammu and Kashmir) was also honoured after the Andaman administration and the Defence Ministry named another uninhabited island numbered ‘INAN308’ after him as ‘Karam Singh Dweep’.
 
Similarly, Major Rama Raghoba Rane, Naik Jadunath Singh, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat, Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Singh Thapa Magar, Subedar Joginder Singh Sahnan, Major Shaitan Singh Bhati, Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid, Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, Lance Naik Albert Ekka, Colonel Hoshiar Singh Dahiya, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran, Captain Bana Singh, Captain Vikram Batra, Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar – all recipients of the Param Vir Chakra- were honoured after the islands were named after them.
 
“Andaman and Nicobar Island is a ‘tirtha sthan’ (pilgrimage) because of sacrifices made by the freedom fighters and now such honour for the Param Vir Chakra recipients is a matter of pride for us,” said MP Andaman Nicobar Islands, Kuldeep Raj Sharma while welcoming the move.