Blocks named after war heroes at Eden

Kolkata, April 28 

In a special gesture to the armed forces, the Cricket Association of Bengal named four blocks of the Eden Gardens after four war heroes. The name plates of Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Singh Thapa, Colonel NJ Nair, Havildar Hangpan Dada and Subedar Joginder Singh were unveiled at a ceremony here today.

Colonel Thapa had led an offensive against the Chinese in Ladakh in 1962 and was awarded Param Vir Chakra, the highest wartime gallantry medal. His name was unveiled by General Officer Commanding Bengal Area, Lieutenant General Giriraj Singh and CAB joint-secretary Avishek Dalmiya.

Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi, Eastern Army Commander, unveiled the name plate of Colonel NJ Nair, who was ambushed by 100 armed insurgents while negotiating a series of road bends on the Mokokchung-Mariani road in Nagaland. He was awarded Ashok Chakra and Kirti Chakra posthumously.

CAB president Sourav Ganguly unveiled the name plate of Havildar Hangpan Dada, who encountered terrorists in Naugam in J&K and was awarded Ashok Chakra posthumously.

Subedar Joginder Singh, who refused to withdraw despite being injured and held on a defensive position in NEFA during the Indo-China war, was awarded Param Vir Chakra posthumously. His name was unveiled by Chief of Staff, headquarters Eastern Army command, Lieutenant General Dushyant Singh and CAB joint-secretary Subir Ganguly. —PTI