Why in news:

• After running from pillar to post for the past 10 years to set up a statue of martyr Major Som Nath Sharma, residents of Dadh village have decided to raise funds from the public and install it on their own.

Key Points:

• Major Som Nath Sharma was martyred in Kashmir in 1947 while leading his unit to Badgam village for evicting Pakistani raiders from the Srinagar airport. For his exceptional bravery, he was posthumously awarded the country’s first Param Vir Chakra, the highest gallantry award.
• Since no member of the martyr’s family now lives in his native Dadh village, therefore no school, college or any other institute has come up in his memory in the past 75 years. However, his small statue installed in Palampur after the Kargil War in 2001 is also in a bad shape.
• In 2011, the then state government had announced to set up a memorial at his native Dadh village. However, the government changed in 2012 and the new government did not show any interest in setting up the statue of the martyr.
• According to the local residents of Dadh village, who have been fighting for the installation of the martyr’s statute or memorial gate for the past 10 years, despite assurances, no funds have been given for the statue. They had met former Chief Ministers Jai Ram Thakur, Prem Kumar Dhumal and Virbadhra Singh in this regard, but in vain. Now, they have decided to raise funds from the public and set up the martyr’s statue at Dadh village.
• Major Som Nath Sharma was born on January 31, 1923, at Dadh village, 15 km from Palampur. He belonged to a military family wherein his father, brothers and a sister served in the Army. He went to Sherwood College in Nainital and at the age of 10, enrolled in the Prince of Wales Royal Military College, Dehradun, before joining the Royal Military Academy on February 22, 1942.
• On November 3, 1947, Major Somnath Sharma and his company was ordered to reach Badgam village to take charge of the situation there. His left hand was already injured and in a plaster cast. However, he insisted on being with his company in the combat. A group of 500 raiders approached Badgam from Gulmarg and soon surrounded the company from the three sides. Major Sharma’s company was under heavy fire and in mortar bombardment, sustained heavy casualties.
• According to the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Dharamsala, Shilpi Beakta , a proposal for the construction of Major Som Nath Sharma’s memorial in Dadh village was under consideration with the state government. However, the project has been stalled as no funds have been released yet.