1971 Indo-Pak war hero: Lt Col Nagulapalli Narsing Rao(rtd) receives Victory Flame

Hyderabad: Vir Chakra awardee and a veteran of the 1971 war Lieutenant Colonel Nagulapalli Narsing Rao (Retd) was felicitated on 13 February at Patel's Green Front in Yapral, Secunderabad.

The Victory Flame was handed over to Lt. Col. Rao by Lieutenant General TSA Narayanan, AVSM, commandant, Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, and Major General R.K Singh, general officer commanding, Telangana and Andhra sub-area, in the presence of other war veterans and dignitaries.

Lt. Col. Rao is an alumnus of AFMC, Pune, and was commissioned in Army Medical Corps in January 1970. He was posted as a regimental medical officer, 8th Grenadiers, during the 1971 war operations against Pakistan in the western sector. On the night of 10-11 December 1971, his battalion launched an attack and captured an enemy stronghold. Undeterred by the heavy enemy shelling, Lt. Col. Rao provided medical aid to the wounded. For his gallantry and devotion, he was awarded the Vir Chakra.

Earlier, the Victory Flame arrived at 1 EME Centre and was received by Brigadier Sarbjit Singh, commandant at the Centre in Bolarum, Secunderabad. The Victory Flame was accorded a grand reception and a wreath-laying ceremony was organized at EME War Memorial.

This year, India is celebrating the 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh' to commemorate the 50th anniversary of India's victory over Pakistan in December 1971.