Anurag Thakur mourns passing of former Army Chief Gen Vishwanath Sharma
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur paid tribute to General Vishwanath Sharma, former Chief of the Army Staff from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, who passed away on 31 July 2026. The General's elder brother, Major Somnath Sharma, was India's first Param Vir Chakra recipient, making the Sharma family one of the most decorated military families in Indian history.
Key Takeaways
General Vishwanath Sharma , former Chief of the Army Staff of India, passed away, as mourned by BJP MP Anurag Thakur on 31 July 2026 .
General Sharma hailed from Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh — the same state Thakur represents in the Lok Sabha.
His elder brother, Major Somnath Sharma , was India's first Param Vir Chakra recipient , awarded posthumously in 1950 for gallantry in the 1947–48 Kashmir operations .
The Sharma family is among the most decorated military families in Indian history, producing both the nation's first PVC winner and a future Army Chief.
Thakur's tribute highlighted the family's 'outstanding military leadership, unparalleled sense of duty, and unwavering dedication' to the Indian Army.
Formal tributes from the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Army are anticipated in the hours following the announcement.
A soldier's family that gave India its first Param Vir Chakra has lost another of its own. BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Friday, 31 July 2026, expressed deep grief over the passing of General Vishwanath Sharma, former Chief of the Army Staff and a native of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh — the same hill state Thakur represents in Parliament.
In his post, Thakur wrote: 'Veer Bhoomi Himachal Pradesh ke Kangra jila nivaasi evam Bharat ke poorv Thal Senadhyaksh General Vishwanath Sharma ji ke nidhan ka samachar atyant dukkhad evam kashtakari hai' — 'The news of the passing of General Vishwanath Sharma, resident of Kangra district of brave-land Himachal Pradesh and former Chief of the Indian Army, is deeply sorrowful and painful.' He prayed for peace for the departed soul and strength for the bereaved family.
The Sharma family's unmatched military legacy
The tribute carried a weight beyond the loss of one man. Thakur specifically recalled that General Sharma's elder brother, Major Somnath Sharma, laid down his life defending the nation and became India's first-ever Param Vir Chakra recipient — the country's highest military honour, awarded posthumously in 1950 for his extraordinary gallantry during the 1947–48 Jammu and Kashmir operations. That one family produced both the nation's first PVC winner and a future Army Chief is, by any measure, extraordinary.
General Vishwanath Sharma served as Chief of the Army Staff, the highest uniformed position in the Indian Army, carrying forward a tradition of service that his family had written in blood a generation earlier. Thakur noted that the General and his entire family had 'taken the glorious traditions of the Indian Army to new heights through outstanding military leadership, unparalleled sense of duty, and unwavering dedication.'
Kangra's grief, India's loss
Leaders across the political spectrum routinely honour the passing of former service chiefs — these are men who shaped the institution that guards the republic. But this condolence carries an added dimension: Kangra, a district that has sent generations of soldiers to the Indian Army, mourns one of its most distinguished sons. Thakur, whose own constituency of Hamirpur sits in the same hill state, framed the loss as one felt across Himachal Pradesh — a region with one of India's highest per-capita rates of military service.
Thakur closed with a prayer — 'Om Shanti' — and the quiet dignity that a moment like this demands. The Ministry of Defence and the Indian Army are expected to issue formal tributes and announce funeral arrangements in the hours ahead.
India has lost a soldier whose family's sacrifice began with the very first Param Vir Chakra. That legacy does not end with a passing — it endures in every uniform it inspired.
Point of View
Rooted in regional pride for Kangra and Himachal Pradesh's military culture, reflects a broader political consensus that transcends party lines when honouring the armed forces. The condolence also implicitly underscores the BJP's consistent emphasis on military heritage as a pillar of national identity. Formal state tributes from the Ministry of Defence will signal how the government calibrates the honour due to a former COAS in the days ahead.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was General Vishwanath Sharma?
General Vishwanath Sharma was a former Chief of the Army Staff of India, hailing from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. He was the younger brother of Major Somnath Sharma, India's first Param Vir Chakra recipient.
Who was Major Somnath Sharma and why is he famous?
Major Somnath Sharma was the elder brother of General Vishwanath Sharma. He was awarded India's first Param Vir Chakra posthumously in 1950 for extraordinary gallantry during the 1947–48 Jammu and Kashmir operations, laying down his life in defence of the nation.
What is the Param Vir Chakra?
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration, awarded for the most conspicuous acts of bravery or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It was instituted in 1950, and Major Somnath Sharma was its first-ever recipient.
Why did Anurag Thakur pay tribute to General Vishwanath Sharma?
Anurag Thakur is the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh — the same state General Vishwanath Sharma belonged to. He expressed condolences on the General's passing, highlighting the Sharma family's extraordinary multi-generational military legacy.
Where was General Vishwanath Sharma from?
General Vishwanath Sharma was from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, a region known for its long tradition of military service to India.
