Indian Army’s Western Command Celebrates 78th Raising Day

New Delhi: Western Command of the Indian Army celebrated its 78th Raising Day on Sunday. Lt Gen Katiyar, GOC-in-C Western Command on the occasion stressed the need to uphold the virtues of ‘Naam, Namak, and Nishan’. 

"To commemorate the Raising Day, Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, and former Army Commanders, paid tribute to the brave soldiers of the Command, who made the supreme sacrifice by laying a wreath at the Veer Smriti War Memorial, Chandimandir, an official statement from the Indian Army.

Lt Gen Katiyar said that Western Command remains unwavering in its resolve to safeguard the Western Front and achieve a decisive victory in any future conflict.

Western Command Raised on September 15, 1947

The Command was raised on September 15, 1947, amid the severe challenges and upheavals of the partition that led to the creation of India and Pakistan . The Headquarters of Delhi and East Punjab Command was set up in Delhi to oversee the defense of the Delhi and East Punjab regions.

Given the context of the partition, a decision was made to operate a mobile HQ on a train, which is now preserved as a museum exhibit in Chandimandir. On January 20, 1948, the Command was renamed Western Command and took on the responsibility of managing operations in Jammu & Kashmir. Prior to the establishment of Northern Command, Western Command was responsible not only for the Western borders but also for the entire Northern border region, including Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh .