Honoring Soldiers and Their Families is Our Duty: Jairam

Mandi: Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur attended the “Kargil Vijay Diwas” organized by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in Mandi. During the event, he honored ex-servicemen and families of martyrs. Before this, he paid tribute to the martyrs of the Kargil War at the Shaheed Memorial in Indira Market. Local MLA Anil Sharma, MLA from Balh Inder Singh Gandhi, and Mayor Virender Bhatt were also present.

He expressed pride in the dedication and sacrifice of the Indian Army. He recalled the valor and courage of the brave soldiers who upheld India’s dignity during the Kargil War. Remembering those days, he mentioned how emotional it was when he was a first-time MLA and the party had directed them to visit the homes of martyrs. He highlighted the massive turnout and the patriotic fervor that was unparalleled. Himachal lost 52 soldiers in this war, including 12 from Mandi district.

Thakur criticized the current government’s approach to organizing such events, stating that all local representatives should be invited to ensure unity and collective respect. He emphasized that honoring a soldier and his family is a collective duty and such events should convey a message of unity.

District Sainik League President Captain Hetram and other dignitaries including Balh MLA Inder Singh Gandhi, Darang MLA Purn Chand, Sadar BJP President Munish Kapoor, and District Council President Pal Verma were also present.

During the event, Thakur criticized the state Congress government for increasing the fees for Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and other entrance exams. He stated that the fee for TET for the general category has been doubled from ₹800 to ₹1600, and for OBC, SC, and ST candidates, it has increased from ₹500 to ₹1000. Similarly, the fee for D.El.Ed. Common Entrance Test has been increased from ₹600 to ₹1200 for the general category and from ₹400 to ₹800 for OBC, SC/ST, and PH candidates. Thakur condemned this move, stating that burdening unemployed students with additional fees is unjust and BJP opposes it. He asserted that the opposition’s role is to raise concerns over the government’s wrong decisions, but it seems the Congress government is now objecting to the opposition’s questions.