With colourful illustrations and detailed explanations, these books make reading engaging. The Grade 8 English textbook reads almost like a thriller, vividly depicting the Badgam war and the heroism of Major Somnath Sharma, India’s first Param Vir Chakra awardee.Leading 90 soldiers on November 3, 1947, he faced a brutal attack by 500 invaders from Pakistan in the Kashmir Valley and saved Srinagar, sacrificing his life. His famous words, “I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round”, are highlighted.Another hero featured is Captain Vikram Batra, the D Company commander and ‘Shershah of Kargil’, who captured Point 5140 on June 20, 1999, before succumbing to his injuries.The Grade 7 English book has a full unit titled ‘Bravehearts’, presented as a Bengaluru student visiting the memorial in Delhi and describing the experience in a letter. Heroes like Lance Naik Albert Ekka and Major Padmapani Acharya of the Kargil War are featured.The textbooks also showcase the bravery of Rani Abbakka Devi, who drove the Portuguese out of Ullal in Karnataka, and Padma Bhushan awardee Rani Gaidinlu, a Naga leader who led uprisings against the British in Manipur, Nagaland, and Assam.
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