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| Red Shield Division under Spear Corps conducted an Ex-Servicemen Rally 2026 at Karong Ground |
In the rolling hills of Senapati, where the sacrifices of soldiers are woven into the very fabric of community life, the Indian Army reaffirmed its enduring promise to those who once wore the uniform — and to the families who stood beside them through it all.
The Red Shield Division, operating under Spear Corps, organized the Ex-Servicemen Rally 2026 at Karong Ground, Senapati, Manipur, on March 6, as part of its sustained commitment to the welfare and well-being of veterans. The event was far more than a ceremonial gathering—it was the Army's way of saying, plainly and publicly, that service is never forgotten.
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Lieutenant General Abhijit S. Pendharkar, General Officer Commanding of Spear Corps, attended as Chief Guest, while Major General Shubhankar Basu, General Officer Commanding of the Red Shield Division, also graced the occasion—their presence a powerful symbol of the Army's unbroken bond with its former soldiers and their dependents.
The rally drew a total of 850 attendees, including 325 ex-Army servicemen and 230 Assam Rifles veterans, each arriving with their own stories of decades spent guarding India's borders and keeping peace in its most challenging terrains.
Held under the theme "Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future," the rally functioned as a single-window platform—consolidating grievance redressal, welfare briefings, health services, financial assistance, and felicitation of distinguished veterans and Veer Naris all under one roof.
Cultural performances by local Manipuri artists added warmth to the occasion, while service counters from SPARSH, ECHS, leading banks, and Sainik Boards ensured that practical needs were met alongside the emotional ones.
For the Veer Naris—widows and brave women who carried the weight of a soldier's absence—the day carried special significance. To be seen, honored, and heard by the very institution their families served is, in itself, a form of homecoming.
