Galwan Valley FaceOff: Bhupesh Baghel commemorates martyrs; announces Rs 20 Lakh ex-gratia

In a bid to commemorate the martyrs of the Galway Valley clash, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday said that a school will be named after Ganesh Ram Kunjam, who lost his life in the violent clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galway Valley. The wreath-laying ceremony of Kunjam was performed in Raipur today, which was also attended by Baghel and former Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Furthermore, Baghel also announced that an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh and a government job to a member of Kunjam's family will be given by the state government.

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PM Modi reiterates 'no compromise' 

Speaking at the meeting with chief ministers earlier in the day, PM Modi issued a strong statement on the martyrdom of 20 Indian Army personnel. Stressing that bravery was a part of Indian tradition, the PM assured the people of the country that the sacrifices of the soldiers would not go in vain. He maintained that sovereignty and territorial integrity was most important for the country. While saying that India wants peace, he stressed that no one should doubt the country's ability to give a befitting response on being provoked. The PM also emphasised that the soldiers were killed in action after valiantly killing their Chinese counterparts. Subsequently, he and the Chief Ministers observed two minutes of silence to pay tribute to the martyred soldiers. 

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The violent faceoff

20 Indian Army soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred when a violent faceoff took place on Monday night while the de-escalation process was underway in the Galwan Valley. As per the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese mouthpiece Global Times, the Chinese side also suffered casualties during the physical clash. Sources revealed that an Indian Colonel was attacked by Chinese Army personnel with iron rods without any provocation leading to a strong retaliation from the Indian side.

This physical hand-to-hand combat went on for many hours on Monday, sources revealed. Speaking at the meeting with Chief Ministers on Wednesday, PM Modi issued a strong statement on the martyrdom of 20 Indian Army personnel. Stressing that bravery was a part of Indian tradition, the PM assured the people of the country that the sacrifices of the soldiers would not go in vain. The PM has convened an all-party meeting on June 19 to discuss the present situation at the LAC. In a heartening development, the Indian Army announced that all 4 injured personnel in the faceoff with China are now stable. 

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(Image credits: @bhupeshbaghel Twitter)