Bengaluru: Army veteran organises food plantation in memory of fallen heroes

Bengaluru: Army veteran Captain Santhosh Kumar has found an innovative way to honour the fallen soldiers. In the memory of Brigadier Mohammad Usman and Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Kumar organised a food forest plantation at the fourth food forest in Muthanallur village, Anekal taluk. Incidentally, Brig Usman was killed in action on July 3 in 1948.

"This is the fourth food forest in the vicinity. With this food plantation we are honouring fallen soldiers. In this we will honour seven fallen soldiers. Next we will honour Major MC Muthanna (Shaurya Chakra), Major Murali Reddy, Captain Jiteesh Bhutani," Kumar stated.

In January-February 1948 Brig Usman repulsed attacks of the Pakistani irregulars in Nowshera and Jhangar. His defence of Nowshera earned him the title of Lion of Nowshera. In May 1948, Pakistan brought its regular forces and Jhangar was subjected to heavy artillery firing. Brig Usman frustrated all the attempts of the enemy soldiers. On July 3, 1948, he fell to bullets. His last words were: "I am dying, but let not the territory we were fighting for fall for the enemy". He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously.

Colonel Sharma, Sena Medal and two bars was killed in action in the Kupwara district of the Jammu and Kashmir on May 2, 2020. He was the commanding officer of the 21 battalion, Rashtriya Rifles. On 2 May 2020, he was killed in action in an encounter in Handwara in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.