By Quaid Najmi Satara (Maharashtra) Aug.14 : Satara’s small Apshinge which is also referred to as the ‘army town’is famous for its significant contribution to the nation’s army establishments in the more than four decades of existence.however, it was stemming from the need to overcome hunger and to withstand local economic difficulties.
Through the ages, Apshinge gained national fame for committing at least one person to serving in the army, with many sacrificing their lives in the service of the “Matrubhoomi” (Motherland).
In front of the entrance, there is an War Memorial, which bears the names of the people who were killed in various wars sequentially, with the grateful British rulers engraving a proclamation that reads “The only village of military in the country It is the only military village in the country!’ A permanent and historical mark on its credentials to serve.
However, this unique honor and sacrifice was born out of various compulsions, as Apshinge and its surroundings were poor soil, rocky land, with little or no irrigation facilities for agriculture, making the young people go into the sole occupation of military service in the past, Nationalist Congress Party Satara Lok Sabha MP Shriniwas D.Patil told IANS.
“There was also a gender disparity, with a higher male population in this region, and with the lack of opportunities for farming, many went to the military to earn an income, they were well compensated and the whole tradition began,” said Patil, who’s wife’s 16 relatives are in the military.
So, armed with an alternative that is professional, Apshinge folks have served the Maratha army as well as the British Indian Army, Azad Hind Sena and, most recently, the Indian Army with distinction, taking part in World War I and World War II, the India-Pakistan and India-China wars.
In World War I, 46 brave souls from Apshinge paid the ultimate sacrifice, four in the war between China and India in 1962 two in the war between India and Pakistan in 1965, and one in the 1971 war which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Many of their relatives still reside in Apshinge village.
Prior to that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Azad Hind Fauj had four warriors from Apshinge and, further in the past in the past, many of them were defending Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s kingdom with his army in different locations.
“Almost every household has donated an officer or soldier or an individual who died for the nation.The children here are raised in an atmosphere of uniforms, military ranks and medals or honors, photographs of heroes and martyrs hung in their rooms and are in a state of mind with the army’s traditions, discipline, and rigours.This will inspire other children,” said a forest official from Satara, Rohan Bhate-Shah.
Bhate-Shah’s freedom-fighting grandfather, Kalyanji J.Shah alias Babubhai Masurkar was honored with the Copper Plate (Tamra Patra) on behalf of the then PM Indira Gandhi to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of I-Day in 1972, in Satara.
Apshinge attracted and hosted a number of celebrities including the Governor of Bombay Province John Colville Viceroy of India Lord A.P.Wavell and the former Governor-General of India Lord Louis Mountbatten, India’s first Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal (Gen.) K.M.Cariappa, and more.
located around 17 kilometers away from Satara town, Apshinge is populated by approximately 3,000 people.
there are more than 1,600 people serving in the army.Around 90% of the youngsters were recruited to defend Great Britain during World War I.
While there isn’t any formal military academy in the area The armed forces appear to serve as a magnet for the young people here with generations of families serving in the army and nation even today, said Bhate-Shah.
On Independence Day on Monday, Mumbai’s Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeeta Sabha (SSFASS) will pay tribute to 75 veterans of war from Apshinge at the at the hands of Lieutenant.Gen.H.S.Kahlon the GOC, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa.
“Apshinge children are trained in military in school, so we’ll build a state-of-the art gymnasium to improve the body and performance of those who dream of joining the military,” SSFASS President Dr.V.Shankar told IANS.
The SSFASS will also revamp the existing school and construct an open-air communal hall with facilities for army men and other facilities, he added.
“On I-Day, the SSFASS will confer the Shanmukha Shaurya Ratna Award on Apshinge village with an award of cash of Rs.500 000, a certificate and souvenirs, 25 War Widows of Martyrs will be rewarded with the sum of Rs.200k and 75 students will sing the entire (five lyrics) of the National Anthem,” SSFASS Spokesperson K.A.Viswanathan added.
Today, prosperity is abounds in Apshinge The village is equipped with modern facilities as well as the feeling of “army camaraderie” and an ethos of kindness among the inhabitants even the cultivation has been improved in the area with modern techniques, however, the centuries-old practice of providing for the Motherland continues.
(Quaid Najmi can be contacted via [email protected])
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