Yunus & Anjum’s Exemplary Gesture

Himachal This Week Team (cover story)

It is difficult to assuage the pain of the martyr’s family, but there are certain persons in the society who, at least, try to share their grief by extending a helping hand on humanitarian grounds. And one such examplary gesture has been taken by Himachal based IAS-IPS couple by adopting the 12 years old daughter of a martyr from Tarn Taran in Punjab. It is also being viewed as a trend setting initiative for the welfare of martyr families. In their endeavour to ensure a good future for martyr’s daughter, they have offered to bear her expenses from school till marriage. Kullu Deputy Commissioner Yunus and his wife Anjum Ara, Superintendent of Police, Solan have decided to take care of 12 years old Khusdeep Kaur, daughter of Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh who was beheaded by Pakistan in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir on May 1. It is a tribute to the martyr’s sacrifice for the country.

Working for Social Causes

Kullu Deputy Commissioner Yunus has always been working for social causes ever since he had joined administrative services. Always ready to extend a helping hand to the needy persons, Yunus is also a recipient of many awards. Divya Himachal had also conferred Himachal Excellence Award 2013 on him for his commendable work done to curb mining mafia while he was posted as Nalagarh SDM.

To Honour Martyr Families

Kullu district administration will honour families of martyrs during national level programme here shortly. It plans to invite martyr families from 12 districts of Himachal and every state of the country in the programme. Kullu Deputy Commissioner Yunus has envisaged this programme so as to boost the morale of soldiers safeguarding borders of the country. He is sending the proposal to the state government for a final approval.

IAS-IPS couple also visited martyr Paramjit Singh’s family at his native village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. The police and administrative officials of the area were also present on the occasion to complete the formalities of adoption. Martyr’s family also described this step as a good humanitarian gesture.  As unique initiative of IAS-IPS couple is being hailed across the country, Himachal This Week talked to the couple to know their sentiments towards martyr families.

1. What is the objective behind adoption of a martyr’s daughter?

2. How long you have been thinking about this initiative

3. How did you select a youngest daughter of a martyr from Punjab?

4. Your message for the society?

5. Other initiatives taken for the welfare of the society?

‘To Ensure A Good Future For Martyr’s Daughter’

Yunus Kullu DC

1. All soldiers safeguarding territorial sanctity are part of our family. We should take humanitarian responsibility to ensure a good future for martyr’s daughter.

2. I discussed it with my wife Anjum Ara and decided to adopt martyr’s daughter. Everybody would come forward to adopt a son but it is not the same for daughters. It is our effort to send a good signal to the society by adopting the daughter.

3. Paramajit, hailing from Punjab, was one of the two martyrs. It would be easy to meet the daughter as Punjab is neighbouring Himachal.

4. All people should come forward to extend a helping hand to martyr families who are like our families. It is our duty to take care of families of martyrs who sacrifice their lives for the country.

5. It is important to change the mindset of people for bringing a change in the society. I try my level best to achieve it as only a civilised citizen can bring changes in the society.

-By Sandeep Sharma/Kullu

‘It Was A Spontaneous Thought’

Anjum Aara Solan SP

1. We had only one thought in mind that martyr families should feel that common people and officers are supporting them in difficult times. We are only safe due to our army.

2. It was a spontaneous thought. I talked to Yunus and we both agreed on the issue.

3. We decided to adopt younger daughter of the martyr Paramjit Singh because her career can be shaped in any direction. And parents must have thought something about the career of elder daughter.

4. It is a message for the society that all should come forward in one way or the other to help families of martyrs who have laid down their lives for the country. Such incidents should be associated with national thinking and we should extend out support.

5. We both work for the welfare of the society silently and it would not be right to mention such initiatives.

-By Mukesh Kumar/Solan

All Assistance To Soldier Families

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister

Dr. Dhani Ram Shandil says that there are many schemes for the welfare of families of soldiers and their children and Sainik Welfare Board is working in Hamirpur. Special assistance is provided to children of martyrs from army headquarter. The government takes care of expenses of education of martyrs’ children. All facilities are provided for their higher education also on merit.

* Special assistance is provided to children of martyrs from army headquarter

-Dr. Dhani Ram Shandil, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister

* Soldiers are important section of the society.  It is a commendable step to adopt daughter of a martyr. The society should also help such initiatives

-Dr. NK Kalia, Father of Kargil martyr Capt Saurabh Kalia

Doing A Yeoman’s Service

Shani Sewa Sadan is doing a yeoman’s service in Palampur where is has adopted about 700 needy children in the area. The NGO is taking care of all needs of children, including their meals, educational expenses and even extending financial to some of the very poor ones. These children are aged between 4 and 18 years. The NGO convenor Pavinder Bhatia says that they are helping needy and orphan children for the past many years by starting new initiatives to support them. This has been achieved due to financial help extended by Dr. Ram Kumar and other donors who are always ready to extend all sorts of assistance. Recently a programme was organised to distribute educational material to all the adopted children. Not only the schooling but Shani Sewa Sadan is also taking care expenses of higher education of some of the adopted children.

-By Rakesh Sood/Palampur

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