16-05-2025
Deputy chief whip Kewal Singh Pathania demands creation of Himalayan Regiment in Army for hill states
Shimla:
legislator
has renewed calls for the formation of a dedicated
, alleging that the central govt continues to ignore the state's exceptional
and legacy of sacrifice.
Pathania, who is the deputy chief whip and represents Shahpur in the state assembly, said on Friday that despite the state's proud record — from Major Somnath Sharma, India's first Param Vir Chakra recipient, to Kargil hero Captain Vikram Batra — the Centre had yet to recognise the need for a regiment representing the hill states.
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"Himachal Pradesh is Veer Bhoomi," Pathania said. "Our soldiers have led from the front in every war — 1962, 1971, Kargil, and in counter-insurgency operations. But bravery should not be measured by population size."
He criticised the reduction of
quotas based on population, calling it unfair to states such as HP, which produce a high proportion of Army soldiers consistently despite being small in numbers. Pathania said he had also met with chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and requested him to take up the matter with the Centre.
A dedicated regiment, he argued, would open new opportunities for youth in the region and harness their natural readiness for mountain warfare. Calling it a "humble but firm" appeal, the MLA also urged the Prime Minister and the defence minister to consider the "long-pending" demand for a Himalayan regiment seriously as a tribute to the state's unmatched military heritage.
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