In a heartfelt ceremony in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar, a war memorial dedicated to Major Bhupender Singh and 12 other martyrs was inaugurated today, commemorating the legacy of the brave soldiers who lost their lives in service.
Major Singh’s daughter, Bollywood actor Nimrat Kaur, along with her mother Avinash Kaur and sister Rubina Singh, were present for the occasion.
The memorial, unveiled on what would have been Major Singh’s 72nd birthday, features a bronze bust of the late officer and stands at a newly named public square, Major Bhupender Singh Chowk, in central Sri Ganganagar.
Family members of the other soldiers honored, senior officials from the Indian Army, local representatives, and villagers gathered to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Nimrat Kaur shared images from the event on her social media, expressing gratitude to the military and civil authorities for helping make this long-held dream of her family a reality. “May the supreme sacrifice of these soldiers be remembered forever and inspire generations,” she wrote, dedicating the memorial to the memory of the soldiers’ bravery.
Major Bhupender Singh’s story of courage dates back to January 1994, when he was serving as the Officer Commanding (OC) of the 99 Road Construction Company under ‘Project Beacon’ in Jammu and Kashmir. His team, responsible for constructing bailey bridges along the Khannabal-Pahalgam road, faced a tragic ambush. When attacked by terrorists, Major Singh managed to position his men effectively, enabling a successful counterattack. However, he was later kidnapped by the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen group, who demanded the release of other terrorists. He stood firm in his refusal and was killed by his captors on January 23, 1994.
Lt Col (Retd) Agyapal Singh Sidhu, the father of Major Navpal Singh Sidhu, another martyr honored in the memorial, expressed his pride in seeing the community come together to honor these brave soldiers.