Names of 20 soldiers martyred in Galwan Valley clash to be inscribed at National War Memorial

New Delhi, July 31: In a tribute to the soldiers martyred in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15, the officials have decided to inscribe the names of the 20 Indian soldiers on the National War Memorial in Delhi.

 

 

Colonel B Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, was among the 20 soldiers martyred in the seven-hour brutal face-off near Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley, where Indian troops outnumbered the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and caused heavy casualties.

 

Apart from 16 Bihar, soldiers from 3 Punjab, 3 Medium Regiment, and 81 Field Regiment were involved in the first deadly conflict between Indian and Chinese troops along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) in more than five decades. The Chinese troops had attacked Indian soldiers with rods and nail-studded clubs during the prolonged brawl.

 

On the other hand, Beijing has not disclosed the number of fatalities it suffered in the Galwan Valley clash but according to India’s assessment, the PLA suffered twice as many casualties.

 

During a recent visit to Ladakh, defence minister Rajnath Singh met and acknowledged the bravery of the soldiers from 16 Bihar in the presence of the military’s top brass. Before his visit, PM Narendra Modi also visited Leh to review the situation along the LAC. He said that "the whole country has faith in you and does not worry as long as you are here" adding, "Age of expansionism is over, this is the age of development".