Noida: Shaheed Smarak Sanstha pays floral tribute to martyrs

The 75th Independence Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm in a private ceremony at Noida Shaheed Smarak, sector 29. Like every year, a floral tribute was paid to 39 martyrs from Gautam Buddha Nagar. The memorial was decked up with national flags and flags of Defence forces. Chairman, Executive Director and members of the executive committee and members of Sanstha, next of kin of martyrs, heads of institutes of Arun Vihar and Jalvayu Vihar, Principal of Army Public School and residents of Noida came together for the ceremony.

Lt Gen GL Bakshi, Chairman of Sanstha laid the first wreath on the base of the cenotaph. Thereafter, the families of next of kin of martyrs - Dr Manjri Tewari, S/o Flt Lt Mayank Mayur, Savita Singh, w/o Brig BP Singh, Mrs Kiran Sharma, m/o Capt Sahill Sharma, daughter-in-law of Nargis Naqvi; Nargis Naqvi, w/o Sqn Ldr IH Naqvi, Mrs Tripta Thapar, m/o Capt Vijyant Thapar, Uma Nauriyal, w/o Maj A Nauriyal, KC, VP Sardana, f/o Captain Arjun Sardana, JP Sharma, m/o Capt Shashi Kant Sharma, SM Flt Lt JP Sharma, f/o Capt Shashi Kant Sharma and Dr Naresh Sharma paid floral tributes.

Thereafter, Jyoti Rana, Principal and staff of Army Public School, Lt Gen SK Singh, Executive director of Shaheed Smarak, Lt Gen Jagdish, Lt Gen Khurana, Maj Gen DK Sen, Commander Narinder Mahajan, Brigadiers Shashi Vaid, Cols Venish Rai, Mahendra Kumar, JP Singh, OP Mehta, IP Singh, Sanjay Kharbanda, CK Sharma, Shardul Singh, R Vasudev and GS Salkalan, Captain OP Kohli and citizens of Gautam Budh Nagar paid floral tribute. The children of Nitin Mukharya from sector 26 and Kochar from Sector 25 also gave a performance.

The ceremony became an emotional moment for the families of martyrs. Nargis Naqvi, w/o Sqn Ldr IH Naqvi says, "This is no ordinary day. Today, it's been 75 years since we got independence. I feel proud that my husband gave his life to the country. His service was his duty. I pray for the afterlife of martyrs and the strength of their families."