HP CM Office Pays Tribute to Maj Somnath Sharma on Martyrdom Day
Synopsis
The Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh honoured Major Somnath Sharma on his martyrdom day, November 3, saluting the Kangra-born soldier who became the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra for his sacrifice during the 1947 Battle of Badgam.
Key Takeaways
Major Somnath Sharma was the first-ever recipient of the Param Vir Chakra , India's highest wartime gallantry award, conferred posthumously in 1950 .
He was born in Kangra district , Himachal Pradesh, and died in action on November 3, 1947 , aged 25.
At the Battle of Badgam , his company held off Pakistani raiders near Srinagar airport , enabling Indian reinforcements to land and secure it.
The Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh paid an official tribute on the 79th martyrdom anniversary , calling Kangra a 'veerboomi' — land of the brave.
Himachal Pradesh annually commemorates Sharma, underlining the hill state's historic contribution to national defence.
On the martyrdom anniversary of Major Somnath Sharma — the first-ever recipient of India's highest wartime gallantry honour — the Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh rendered a solemn tribute on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, honouring the soldier whose final stand in 1947 helped shape the fate of Kashmir.
The official post, shared in Hindi, paid homage to Sharma as a son of Veerboomi Kangra ('the brave land of Kangra'), saluting his sacrifice with the phrase shat-shat naman — a hundred-hundred salutations. It recalled how, amid a Pakistani raider assault in 1947, he displayed 'indomitable courage and valour, protecting the motherland without regard for his own life.'
The Battle of Badgam and a Legacy Cast in Bronze
Major Somnath Sharma, born in Kangra district of present-day Himachal Pradesh, commanded a company of the 4th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment at the Battle of Badgam on November 3, 1947. Pakistani tribal raiders, supported by irregular forces, had poured into Jammu and Kashmir just days after Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to India. Sharma's company held their ground against overwhelming numbers near Srinagar airport — buying the time that allowed Indian reinforcements to land and secure the airfield.
He was killed in action that day. His last message to his commanding officer, relayed by field wireless, became one of the most cited lines in Indian military history: 'The enemy is only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round.' He was 25 years old.
The Param Vir Chakra was instituted in 1950 and conferred on Sharma posthumously — making him the award's first-ever recipient. The medal's circular numbering began with him, a deliberate symbol of where independent India's story of martial honour starts.
Kangra's Claim on National Military Memory
Kangra district has a long tradition of military service, with generations of men from the region enlisting in the Indian Army. For Himachal Pradesh, the connection to Major Sharma is a point of deep regional pride — a reminder that the hill state's contribution to national defence predates its own formation as a full state in 1971.
State governments across India routinely mark the death anniversaries of Param Vir Chakra recipients linked to their regions, and Himachal Pradesh has consistently placed Sharma at the centre of its official commemorative calendar. November 3 sees wreath-laying ceremonies at military memorials and tributes from district administration offices in Kangra each year.
Seventy-nine years on, the name Somnath Sharma still anchors India's understanding of what the chaos of Partition's aftermath demanded of its soldiers. The Himachal government's tribute today is a reminder that some debts are never fully repaid — only faithfully remembered.
Point of View
Linking a relatively young state to a foundational moment in India's post-Independence military history. By foregrounding Kangra's connection to the first Param Vir Chakra, the state embeds itself firmly in the national security narrative at a time when hill-state contributions to the armed forces are a source of significant local pride. This pattern of official remembrance also reinforces public trust in state institutions by honouring sacrifice that transcends political cycles. The consistency of such tributes across administrations signals that Major Sharma's legacy occupies rare bipartisan sacred ground in Indian public life.
NationPress
3 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Major Somnath Sharma?
Major Somnath Sharma was an Indian Army officer from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, and the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest wartime gallantry award, given posthumously for his actions during the Battle of Badgam on November 3, 1947.
What is the Param Vir Chakra?
The Param Vir Chakra is India's highest military honour for wartime gallantry in the presence of the enemy. It was instituted in 1950, and Major Somnath Sharma was its first-ever recipient.
What happened at the Battle of Badgam in 1947?
On November 3, 1947, Major Somnath Sharma's company of the Kumaon Regiment held off a large force of Pakistani tribal raiders near Srinagar airport, buying time for Indian reinforcements to land. Sharma was killed in the battle but his stand helped secure the airfield.
Why is November 3 significant in Indian military history?
November 3 marks the martyrdom day of Major Somnath Sharma, who died in the Battle of Badgam in 1947. It is commemorated annually with wreath-laying ceremonies and official tributes, especially in Himachal Pradesh and at military memorials.
What is Kangra's connection to Major Somnath Sharma?
Major Somnath Sharma was born in Kangra district in present-day Himachal Pradesh, making the region a point of deep military pride. The state government frequently highlights this connection in its official commemorations of national defence history.
