Universities and colleges across Delhi celebrate ‘surgical strike’ day

Even though the colleges across the Delhi University (DU) organised their individual programmes, the university administration also held a talk session by retired army officers and defence experts on the strike..

Universities and colleges in Delhi celebrated “surgical strike” day on Saturday to mark the second anniversary of the Indian Army’s strike at terror pods across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The educational institutions were advised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to observe the day.

An NCC cadet looks at portraits of fallen soldiers during an event to celebrate the second anniversary of the surgical strike at Jawaharlal Nehru University on Saturday.(Burhaan Kinu/HT File Photo)

While the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) organised a series of day-long events, Jamia Millia Islamia had a two-day “gala” to celebrate the “surgical strike” day. Even though the colleges across the Delhi University (DU) organised their individual programmes, the university administration also held a talk session by retired army officers and defence experts on the strike.

At JNU, amid cheers of “bharat mata ki jai”, Major General (retd.) Gagandeep Bakshi said, “The surgical strike was just a glimpse of what we can do. It was just to give them an idea that they (Pakistan) cannot kill our soldiers and get away with it… I wish more such strikes should take place in the future and it should not stop with one… The blood of over 80,000 Indian soldiers who died in the ‘asymmetric wars’ that Pakistan raged against us from time to time should not go in vain.”

Bakshi said that no other educational institution in the country has as “intimate” relationship with the security forces as JNU. “JNU gives degrees to six defence institutions and in this way all of us are alumni to JNU,” he said.

JNU Rector-III RP Singh said that the day gave the university an opportunity to pay tribute to their security forces. ‘It’s not just to about the surgical strike day. It is an opportunity to recognise the valour and sacrifices of our soldiers,” he said.

In Delhi University’s colleges, including SGTB Khalsa college, Ramjas college, Lady Shri Ram college, Hansraj college and Aryabhatta college, parades and demonstrations were conducted by the NCC cadets. “We organised a talk session wherein students got opportunity to discuss the surgical strike incident with the retired army officers. We also paid tribute to the Kargil martyrs,” said Manoj Khanna, principal at Ramjas College.

While the students at Lady Shri Ram college took a pledge in the support for the armed forces, a demonstration of how to “defend the borders” was organised at SGTB Khalsa college.

In Jamia Millia Islamia, around 500 students scribbled messages on postcards and letters and sent that to Indian army personnel. The students were also shown a short film on “surgical strike”. Retried Colonel Gopal Singh, who was invited to deliver a lecture to students said, “I am so overwhelmed by seeing the strength of students and their enthusiasm here. I would urge the youth to join army and keep nation as the prime concern of their lives.” The NCC (National Cadet Corps) unit of the university also took out a parade.