Two memorials of 1962 war heroes figure in 27 places formally named in Arunachal

NEW DELHI: Sher-e-Thapa Memorial, set up in memory of 1962 China war hero Havildar Shere Thapa, is one of the 27 places in Arunachal that the Union government on Friday formally named by their standard names on the official Indian map.Havildar Shere Thapa of the 2nd Battalion, Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, was credited with saving the Subansiri Valley during the 1962 Chinese aggression. He was part of a team to delay the advance of the enemy. On Nov 18, 1962, undaunted by the advance of the Chinese troops, he continued to engage the enemy from his position despite his buddy succumbing to enemy action. The Chinese suffered heavy losses, and their advance was delayed by 72 hours. The Indian Army installed a memorial in his name.Another name, Jaswant Garh, which houses the memorial of Indian martyr Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat on Tawang Road, also figured in the list. Located at 10,000 feet on the highway to Tawang, it marks the site where he single-handedly fought Chinese forces for 72 hours during the 1962 war. The memorial has been built in honour of his extraordinary bravery at the Battle of Nuranang.Jairampur, an important logistics hub in Changlang district which is known as the gateway to the eastern border region supporting movements of security forces towards eastern Arunachal and the Myanmar frontier, also figures in the list. One of the most strategically important high-altitude passes, Thag La, where one of the opening battles between Indian and Chinese forces took place in 1962, has also been formally identified. The list also includes Bisa village and strategically important high-altitude mountain passes in the region: Dzo La, Riza La and Pukur La.By formally naming some of the places, famous for the memorials of the Army war heroes, the government is paying homage to bravehearts who laid down their lives fighting for India in the northeastern state.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.