Durg (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 21 (ANI): A village 50 km from Raipur, Chhattisgarh’s capital, is a strong example of patriotism, showing a deep commitment to serving in the armed forces. In the village of Pahanda (Jha) in Durg district, nearly every household sends someone to serve in the armed forces, prioritising service to the nation above all else. Consequently, the village is referred to as a ‘Sainik Gaon’.
While news channels and social media were buzzing with updates on ‘Operation Sindoor’, the youth of Pahanda (Jha) were working hard to join the armed forces. Even regular villagers expressed their intent to head to the border if needed during the recent India-Pakistan tensions.
When an ANI team arrived in the village, they saw several youths working in the fields for army recruitments, while retired army and paramilitary personnel were seen guiding the candidates.
“I joined the Indian Army in 1994 and was the first person from the village to be selected for the army. Though many from our village had joined paramilitary forces earlier, no one had been selected into the Indian Army,” said ex-serviceman Ishwari Prasad Verma.
Reflecting on his struggle, Verma noted that there were no proper roads or ground for training purposes, but he had a deep passion for serving in the Indian Army, which resulted in his selection. “I consider myself fortunate to be the first person from Pahanda (Jha) to get selected in the Indian Army. Thereafter, several others from the village started working hard and got selected in paramilitary forces. I also trained many of them. Today, our village is known as a ‘Sainik Gaon’ because large numbers of people are working in security forces,” said Verma.
“It’s a matter of great pride for me as well as the village that so many people from here are serving the motherland,” Verma said, adding that after retiring in 2020, he trains the village’s youths so that they can serve the country.
Tikendra Singh Thakur, headmaster of the Government Primary School in Pahanda (Jha), said the youth in the village are very eager to serve the nation. “Youths in the village are very eager to serve the nation by joining the Indian Army. Whenever asked about their goal, the youths express their desire to join the Indian Army,” he told ANI.
“I have been preparing for Agniveer recruitment for the last year and wanted to serve the country by joining the Indian Army,” said young Gajendra Kumar, who aspires to serve in the armed forces. (ANI)
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