On the 78th Martyrdom Day of Major Durga Malla of the Indian National Army, the Veer Jawan was commemorated by Darjeeling MP Raju Bista along with MoS for Defence and MoS Tourism Ajay Bhat, MP (Rajya Sabha) and BJP Chief Spokesperson Anil Baluni, representatives of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh led by National President Munish Tamang, Sandeep Rana and other Gorkhas from Delhi-NCR region, today.
Major Malla was born on 1st July 1913 at Doiwala village in Dehradun district of Uttaranchal. He played an important role in the formation of the Indian National Army and inspired many to join the INA. He was responsible for all Intelligence gathering for the Azad Hind Fauz. He was promoted to the rank of Major by Netaji himself.
Tragically, during one of his spying missions on enemy camps, he was captured on the 27th of March 1944, by the British soldiers at Ukhrul in Manipur.
After his arrest, Major Malla was kept in the prison at Red Fort, New Delhi as a prisoner of war. The British tried to get him to speak against the Freedom Movement, they even offered to rescind his death sentence if he did so. But he declined. Instead, he is recorded to have told his wife, “Sharda, I am sacrificing my life for the freedom of my motherland. You need not be worried and distressed. Crores of Hindustanis will be with you after my death. The Sacrifice I am offering, shall not go in vain. India shall be free. I am confident, this is only a matter of time.”
On the 25th August 1944, he was hanged to death, where today sits the Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi. He was only 31 years old, and yet he became immortal. Today, the Gorkhas across India stand together as a proud community and commemorate this day as “Balidan Diwas” to remember this great Freedom Fighter.
Remembering the martyred soldiers, MP Bista said that generations of Gorkha warriors have sacrificed their lives for protecting our motherland. “There has not been a single year since Independence, when a Gorkha soldier was not awarded with a bravery award for protecting our motherland. They all walk in the footsteps of this great patriot. I request all, especially our youths to work hard with same patriotic fervour and aim to attain excellence, so that we can honour his legacy,” he added.