Giriraj Singh pays tribute to Maj Somnath Sharma on death anniversary
Synopsis
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on 3 November 2026 paid homage to Major Somnath Sharma — the first and posthumous recipient of the Param Vir Chakra — on the 79th anniversary of his supreme sacrifice at the Battle of Badgam during the first Indo-Pakistani War.
Key Takeaways
Major Somnath Sharma was India's first Param Vir Chakra recipient, the award given posthumously for his actions at the Battle of Badgam on 3 November 1947 .
He held his position against a numerically superior raider force near Srinagar's Badgam airfield despite fighting with a fractured arm, buying critical time for Indian forces.
The Param Vir Chakra was instituted on 26 January 1950 and remains India's highest wartime gallantry decoration.
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh offered the tribute on 3 November 2026 , the 79th anniversary of Sharma's death.
Indian political leaders routinely mark the anniversaries of Param Vir Chakra recipients to honour military sacrifice and reinforce national service narratives.
On the death anniversary of Major Somnath Sharma — the first recipient of India's highest wartime gallantry honour — Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh offered his respects on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, honouring a soldier whose final stand helped shape the Kashmir Valley's fate in the republic's very first war.
Posting in Hindi, Minister Singh wrote: 'देश की रक्षा के लिए अदम्य साहस और सर्वोच्च बलिदान देने वाले प्रथम परमवीर चक्र विजेता मेजर सोमनाथ शर्मा जी की पुण्यतिथि पर उन्हें विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि।' — 'Humble tribute to Major Somnath Sharma ji, the first Param Vir Chakra recipient, who gave indomitable courage and the supreme sacrifice for the defence of the nation.' He added that Sharma's 'valour, sense of duty, and unbreakable dedication to the motherland will forever remain a source of inspiration for generations to come.'The soldier who held Badgam so the valley could be saved
Major Somnath Sharma commanded a company of the 4 Kumaon Regiment during the Battle of Badgam in the first Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. Outnumbered and with one arm in a cast from an earlier injury, he held his position against a far larger tribal raider force at Badgam airfield near Srinagar, buying critical time for Indian reinforcements to secure the valley. He was killed in action that day — 3 November 1947 — and was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the decoration instituted on 26 January 1950 as independent India's highest honour for extraordinary gallantry in the face of the enemy.India's highest military honour and its first name
The Param Vir Chakra stands above all other Indian military decorations, awarded exclusively for the most conspicuous acts of bravery or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. That Sharma's name is permanently the first on that roll of honour — awarded posthumously — gives the anniversary a particular weight. Indian leaders across parties mark 3 November each year as a moment to reaffirm the armed forces' foundational sacrifices in the republic's earliest, most uncertain hours. Seventy-nine years on, the image of a junior officer refusing to abandon his post — cast arm and all — remains one of independent India's most vivid portraits of duty. That image, Minister Singh's tribute suggests, belongs as much to the present as to the past.Point of View
Tying the party's patriotism narrative to the very founding moment of Indian sovereignty over Kashmir. Marking the anniversary publicly — especially on a high-visibility platform — keeps that foundational story in civic circulation, reminding younger audiences of the human cost behind territorial integrity.
NationPress
3 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Major Somnath Sharma?
Major Somnath Sharma was an Indian Army officer of the 4 Kumaon Regiment who became the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, awarded posthumously for his extraordinary bravery at the Battle of Badgam on 3 November 1947 during the first Indo-Pakistani War.
What is the Param Vir Chakra?
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military decoration, awarded for the most exceptional acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy. It was instituted on 26 January 1950, the day India became a republic.
What happened at the Battle of Badgam?
At the Battle of Badgam on 3 November 1947, Major Somnath Sharma held his company's position near Srinagar's Badgam airfield against a far larger force of tribal raiders, despite having a fractured arm. He was killed in action but his stand bought time for Indian reinforcements to secure the Kashmir Valley.
Why did Giriraj Singh pay tribute to Major Somnath Sharma?
3 November marks the death anniversary of Major Somnath Sharma, who was killed at Badgam in 1947. Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh posted the tribute on X to honour Sharma's valour and sacrifice on the 79th anniversary of his death.
When was the Param Vir Chakra first awarded?
The Param Vir Chakra was instituted on 26 January 1950. Its first award — posthumous — went to Major Somnath Sharma for his actions on 3 November 1947 at Badgam, making him permanently the first name on India's highest gallantry roll.
