Girls tie rakhis to unforgotten heroes in Pune

The physically handicapped jawans of the country staying at the Paraplegic Centre in Khadki had a reason to smile once more, when a group of college and school girls tied rakhis to them to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, which is on Saturday.

Subedar Surinder Bhopale Singh Choudhary recited a poem as a gift to all the girls. He praised by saying how daughters are better than sons and that they spread love.

"We as sainiks will always be available for all our sisters and brothers in the country. We are ready to fight for our country at all times. This is one of the most touching moments of our lives, as so many girls visited us on this special day," remarked Choudhary.

Choudhary's poems moved the students to such an extent that many of them were in tears.

Talking about their visit to the centre, Purvaja Joshi said, "This is the first time I have participated in this programme but it has touched my heart and I would continue doing this all my life, even after stepping out of college."

Anand Saraf, the president of Sainik Mitra Parivar and the organiser of this programme said, "We have been doing this since 1998. We come here to gain the kind of confidence and bravery displayed by these sainiks, who are a great source of inspiration."

The students of Modern College of Commerce came to visit the sainiks, followed by children from All Saints High School, Khadki. On Thursday, students from Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Girls School, Chinchwad visited the centre.