Homage paid to Late Sepoy Pandurang Salunke by residents in Kondhwa
Residents of Salunke Vihar society in Kondhwa paid tribute to late Sepoy Pandurang Salunke PVC for lighting candles at his memorial in the society’s premises on December 6. Every year on this day the society holds a program to pay respect to the hero who laid his life for the country.
Sepoy Pandurang Salunke, belonging to the 15th battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry, had laid his life for the nation while fighting the Pakistani forces in the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
Salunkhe was awarded with Mahaveer Chakra posthumously for his exceptional bravery in the war. Salunke, who hailed from village Mane-Rajuri in Sangli District of Maharashtra, was just 22 years of age when he lost his life. Deployed in Punjab’s Amritsar Sector, his battalion was tasked to liberate areas captured by the Pakistan Army.
On the night of December 5 and 6, 1971, his unit advanced to attack the Pakistani troops, holding on to our area, and destroyed some anti-tank weapons used by the Pakistani’s to stop the Indian advance. Salunke, who was hit by a Pakistani snipper’s fire, laid his life for the nation. For this brave act, Salunke was posthumously honoured with the Mahaveer Chakra. This day is commemorated every year at the Army Welfare Co-operative Housing Society, Salunke Vihar.
