Congress launches 'Dhanyawaad Jawan' campaign in Uttarakhand

Dehradun, Dec 16: On the 50th anniversary of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the Uttarkhand Congress on Wednesday launched a 'Dhanyawaad Jawaan' campaign to express the party's gratitude towards the armed forces personnel of the state. Uttarakhand Congress chief Pritam Singh launched the 'Dhanyawaad Jawaan' campaign and he is also scheduled to visit the families of serving and retired soldiers across all the districts of the state over the next two months. "I salute the valour and courage of our armed forces personnel and assure them that I will take care of their families, kids and parents like a brother," Singh said. He added that he will make sure that he visits every soldier's house in the next two months and take appropriate steps to solve the issues and problems being faced by them. The Congress leader further said that he has also launched a WhatsApp number - 7669643999 - to reach out to the families and know about their grievances. "The families of the soldiers can share their issues and suggestions with us through WhatsApp," Singh said, while insisting that he is aggressively using social media and modern techniques to reach out to every soldier's family in Uttarakhand. The Congress leader also felicitated 30 families of the armed forces personnel. Singh said that Uttarakhand has played a vital role in strengthening India's security as 1,343 soldiers from the state have been awarded gallantry medals, including 1 Paramvir Chakra, 6 Ashoka Chakra, 13 Mahavir Chakra and 32 Kirti Chakra. In December 1971, the Indian armed forces secured a decisive and historic victory over the Pakistan Army, which led to the creation of Bangladesh and also resulted in the largest military surrender since World War II. (IANS)