The 20 soldiers, including a commanding officer, who were killed in action in Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh, hailed from almost all parts of India — from Punjab in the west to West Bengal and Bihar in the east. And the commanding officer, Colonel Santosh Babu, was from Telangana.
Expressing condolences, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the loss of soldiers in Galwan valley is “deeply disturbing and painful”. He said Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. “The nation will never forget their bravery and sacrifice. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen soldiers,” he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah too expressed grief over the killing of 20 Indian soldiers, saying “their bravery reflects India’s commitment towards her land”. He added, “The pain of losing our brave soldiers while protecting our motherland at Ladakh’s Galwan cannot be put in words. Nation salutes our immortal heroes who sacrificed their lives to keep Indian territory safe and secure.”
Speaking about the bravery of their officers, the Indian Army said, “Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of our valiant soldiers at Galwan. We offer deepest condolences to the families and stand strong in our resolve towards protecting the sovereignty and integrity of our country. Their sacrifices will not go in vain.”
The 20 Indian soldiers include a Colonel, three Naib Subedars, three Havaldars, one Naik and 12 sepoys. The names of the officers are as follows: Colonel Santosh Babu, from Hyderabad, who was the commanding officer of the company that was brutally attacked. Three Naib Subedars are Nuduram Soren from Mayurbhanj district in Odisha, Mandeep Singh from Patiala in Punjab and Satnam Singh from Gurdaspur in Punjab.
The three Havaldars are K. Palani from Madurai in Tamil Nadu, Sunil Kumar from Patna in Bihar and Bipul Roy from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. One Naik is Deepak Kumar from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh.
The 12 sepoys are Rajesh Orang from Birbhum in West Bengal, Kundan Kumar Ojha from Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Ganesh from Kanker in Chhattisgarh, Chandrakanta Pradhan from Kandhamal in Odisha, Ankush from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, Gurbinder from Sangrur in Punjab, Gurtej from Mansa in Punjab, Chandan Kumar from Bhojpur in Bihar, Kundan Kumar from Saharsa n Bihar, Aman Kumar from Samastipur in Bihar, Jai Kishore from Vaishali in Bihar and Ganesh Hansada from East Singhbhum in Jharkhand.
With agency inputs