Vijay Diwas: A Hyderabadi’s inspiring tale from 1971
Hyderabad: As the country celebrates the 50th anniversary of its victory in the Indo-Pak war of December 1971, there is one man, all of 80 years now, here in Hyderabad, who with one single act in that winter of 1971 inspired several more to come out and show their support to the armed forces. Sriramamurthy […]
Hyderabad: As the country celebrates the 50th anniversary of its victory in the Indo-Pak war of December 1971, there is one man, all of 80 years now, here in Hyderabad, who with one single act in that winter of 1971 inspired several more to come out and show their support to the armed forces.
Sriramamurthy Suri, an ex-Air Force leading aircraftsman, says he is still proud of what he did and remembers all that happened vividly from December 3, 1971, after the announcement of war. Ignoring the winter that was setting in, Suri straightaway headed to the Secunderabad Railway Station, from where soldiers were boarding trains to the then East Bengal.
There, along with his wife Ramatripura Sundari, he set up a ‘Jawan’s Stall’, offering fresh snacks, steaming hot tea and gifts for the soldiers, apart from praising them with slogans to boost their morale. The effort, which continued even after the war was won on December 16, saw thousands from the city, including HAL employees, joining under Suri’s leadership to encourage the country’s armed forces.
“The Films Division made a film on my efforts and screened it in many cinema halls across the country,” says Suri, who feels the youth of today should be encouraged to take up such activities to boost the morale of the forces.
The stall was not the only activity he initiated. He convinced the HAL management and the workers to work on an immediate holiday so that the wages of that day could be given to the National Defence Fund. He remembers how he met the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to present the cheque and also a photo album on the Jai Jawan stall in February 1972. Recalling how Mrs Gandhi told him his efforts would soon be remembered by the Government of India, he says that when the HAL Hyderabad won the Padmashree in August 1972 for his activities, his name, sadly, was not mentioned.
Suri, who lives in Masab Tank here with his family, went on to become one of the most known HAM radio operators from the country, and also founded the National Institute of Amateur Radio.
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