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03/13/2006

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Tribune News Service


Honorary Flt Lieut, Pritam Singh Minhas, after receiving the Veterans Badge from The Royal British Legion. — A file photo

Chandigarh, March 12
At the age of 90, Honorary Flight Lieutenant, Pritam Singh Minhas is rewriting history. A member of Branch 10 of the Royal Canadian Legion with 38 years of continuous service in The Royal Air Force, The Royal Indian Air Force and The Indian Air Force, he joined the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires in 1976 and later became the first Indian to receive a medal for long service.

He attended the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II recently, where the Royal British Legion, in association with the Ministry of Defence, honoured him as a World War II veteran.

Pritam Singh has been campaigning for greater public recognition of India’s role. “Its about time that we put information into our text books and children’s history books so that our contribution is also recognised and rewarded,’’ he added.

Fighting a feeling of nostalgia, Pritam Singh, who has visited several schools in Canada and has shared his experiences with students there, so that they grow up to acknowledge their sacrifice , now wants to take up a similar initiative in Chandigarh as well. “In India we fail to acquaint our children about such issues and take the freedom for granted,’’ said Pritam Singh.

Proudly sporting the Veterans Badge awarded to him by The Royal British Legion, which is UK’s leading charity, providing financial, social and emotional support to millions who have served and are currently serving, Pritam Singh said that the Second World War consumed the best of a generation and hence people like him should take the ownership of the history and make it more widely available.

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