21 uninhabited Andaman and Nicobar islands named after decorated soldiers

Port Blair: The government has named 21 uninhabited islands in the union territory of Andaman & Nicobar after recipients of Param Vir Chakra , the country's highest wartime gallantry award.

Out of the 21 islands, 16 are located in North and Middle Andaman district, while five islands are in South Andaman.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands MP, Kuldeep Rai Sharma, welcomed the move taken by the Centre for naming the 21 islands after decorated soldiers in assistance with the Defence and the local administration.

"I am happy that the Centre has chosen 21 islands from Andaman to honour our brave soldiers. I would also like to request the administration to publish a small handbook for schoolchildren so that they can learn more about their supreme sacrifice for our motherland.

"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," Sharma said.

The first uninhabited island numbered INAN370' in North and Middle Andaman was named after Major Somnath Sharma. Now INAN370' will be known as Somnath Dweep'. He was the first and the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. Sharma lost his life in the line of duty on 3 November 1947 while handling Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar Airport. He was posthumously awarded the highest military award for his gallantry and sacrifice during the Battle of Badgam.

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.