ITANAGAR, Sept 29 - The �Parakram Parv� to commemorate the second anniversary of the surgical strikes carried out on September 29, 2016 by the Indian Army on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) was organised in the sensitive border town of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh with a two-day programme on Friday and Saturday.
The celebrations were aimed at creating awareness among the local populace about the courage, valour and sacrifice of the Indian Army as well as to enhance the civil-military bonhomie.
The Army�s Tawang Brigade organised the two-day programme for general awareness of the local residents of Tawang. The programme comprised back-to-back screening of short films on the special operations conducted by the Indian Army, military band display and the exhibition of Army weapons and equipment.
The event was inaugurated by Major General RK Jha, General Officer Commanding, Ball of Fire Division, in the presence of Brigadier Zubin Bhatnagar, Commander, Tawang Brigade and other senior Army officers.
The �Parakram Parv� was attended by over 1,000 people, including local MLA Tashi Tsering, the Deputy Commissioner and other senior government officials of Tawang, in the special arena put by the local Army unit.
Different media units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also joined the celebrations to create awareness among the public about the great valour of the country�s armed forces.
A PTI report from Imphal adds: Armed forces have always come to the rescue of people during emergency situations � be it insurgency or natural calamities, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said on Saturday.
The Chief Minister appreciated the paramilitary forces for their relief work during the recent floods in the State.
�The military men have tackled insurgency and calamities in Manipur, time and again. Several people trapped during the floods in July were rescued by the armed forces,� Singh said in Imphal at a programme organised to mark the second anniversary of the �surgical strikes�.
Singh asserted that India has always advocated for discussions and dialogue before resorting to force. �If the country�s patience is tested, it would be forced to show its power and capacity to the world,� he said, referring to the Uri attacks on September 18, 2016.
Major General KP Singh, head of the Assam Rifles in the State, recounted the events that led to the surgical strikes in 2016. He acknowledged the contributions made by Manipuri soldiers in �nation building�.
�Pakistan has been continuously trying to engage in proxy wars against the country, but we will not allow them to have their way,� he added.
India carried out �surgical strikes� on September 29, 2016, on multiple terror launch pads across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
