Armed Forces Flag Day (December 07) was organised at the District Sainik Board office on Saturday. The members of the board pinned symbolic flags and received donations from retired military personnel and civilians. District Sainik Welfare Officer Colonel Yashwant K Singh went to various offices and pinned the symbolic flags and received donations from the office heads and government servants for the Flag Fund.

It may be noted that from the time of the British Empire, there is a tradition to celebrate December 7 as Flag Day. The funds collected in the flag fund are used in welfare programmes conducted for military personnel and their families. Voluntary donations given by the general public in the flag fund shows gratitude towards their Army and shows that the entire nation is with them.

Nirmala Sharma, mother of Captain Devashish Sharma, who was martyred on December 10, 1994 in the Kargil war, has put up an exhibition of ceramic artifacts created by her in the District Sainik Board auditorium in his memory. It will remain open till December 10. These artifacts can be purchased by citizens. Smt. Sharma has been depositing the amount received from the sale of her ceramic artifacts in the Armed Forces Flag Fund for the past several years.

Bhopal District Sainik Board has collected an amount of Rs 12 lakh 19 thousand 265 for the Flag Fund this year which is 109 per cent of the target and is about Rs one and half lakh more than last year.

Brigadier R Vinayak, Colonel S Kumar, Colonel SC Dixit, former ex-servicemen, their families and general public were present on the occasion.