‘Defence village' moms hope for peace
1
2
Berhampur: Brave mothers of
Kamalapur village
in Odisha's
Ganjam district
are are hoping the hostilities end soon.Currently, over 500 youths from this village in Rangeilunda block are serving in the
Indian Army
. Popular as the '
defence village
', Kamalapur is small village of 3,500 people located near the Army Air Defence College."As
a mother, I worry about my son when he is away at his place of posting, especially when there is a conflict situation," says A Bhanumati, whose son Sanjay Kumar is posted in Srinagar. Bhanumati, 60, lost her husband Havildar A Govind Rao during Operation Rakshak in Jammu and Kashmir."I feel proud that my husband laid down his life defending the country.
I feel proud that my son serves to defend the country," she said.Sabitriamma, 59, mother of two army personnel, shares similar sentiments. "Both my sons are posted in vulnerable areas — one in Amritsar and another in Udhampur. The decision to strike against the terror camps in Pakistan was good," she says, her voice filled with emotion. Her husband B Somaya, 65, is an ex-serviceman.The village entrance features a statue of M.Krishna Rao, a local, who was martyred in the Kargil War, serving as a constant reminder of the village's sacrifices for the nation. "We are very proud of youths of our village who are in the military and working to protect the country," said N.Lalita Kumari, sarpanch of Kamalapur. She said mothers in the village encourage their sons to join the Army though many have lost their husbands during the previous wars.Secretary, Odisha State Ex-Services League, Kamalapur branch, Balaram Swamy said the village has records of around 420 ex-servicemen. The village regularly holds meetings to address concerns of ex-servicemen families and
war widows
.
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