Port Blair, Jan 16: On the occasion of 67th Army Day, a special Sainik Sammelan was organised by the Army Component of Andaman & Nicobar Command at Likhabali Auditorium in Brichgunj Military Station, Port Blair.  Maj Gen PK Siwach, Chief of Staff, Andaman & Nicobar Command, the senior most serving Army Officer in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, addressed a gathering of all Army personnel, wherein he thanked Lt Gen (Retd) AK Singh PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, the Hon’ble Lt Governor Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Vice Admiral Pradeep K Chatterjee PVSM, AVSM, NM, Commander-in-Chief Andaman & Nicobar Command for their messages of felicitation on this auspicious day.  The General paid rich tributes to late Field Marshal KM Cariappa, OBE whose assumption of appointment as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (now designated as Chief of the Army Staff) of the Indian Army on 15 Jan 1949, from Gen Sir Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief, is commemorated on 15 January every year as the Army Day. During his inspiring address, the General paid homage to the martyrs and valiant soldiers who had sacrificed their lives while safeguarding the frontiers of the nation down the ages.

The General acknowledged the singular contribution of the Indian Army, which met its acid test right after Independence, when the nation was confronted with Pakistan backed marauders in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, down to the 1962 and 1965 conflicts. He highlighted the Indian Army’s contribution in the 1971 war, which led to the birth of a new nation, as well as the restoration of the sanctity of the Line of Control in the Kargil Conflict of 1999.  He stated that while he was addressing the Army personnel stationed here, our brothers in arms were deployed in the harshest of conditions along our borders and Line of Control, battling adverse weather conditions and braving the constant shelling,   ceasefire violations and conducting anti-militant operations.

Maj Gen PK Siwach urged all personnel to continue to strive in line with the rich traditions of the Indian Army and to continue to work with selfless dedication and to uphold the excellent standards set by our forefathers.  He also acknowledged the contribution of the officers, troops and defence civilians who play a sterling role in this Unique Joint Command. The General also announced the award of twenty five Commander-in-Chief Andaman & Nicobar Command Commendation Cards to Army personnel on the Army Day, in recognition of their dedication, commitment and professional excellence.

The General Officer extended warm greetings and good wishes to all personnel of the Indian Army and their family members, and urged them to continue in the pursuit of excellence and to rededicate themselves to the nation and the responsibilities entrusted.