City forgets, but their Alma Mater remembers its Goa Liberation War heroes at SCD Govt. College

Ludhiana,December 19, 2025: The alumni martyrs Major Shivdev Singh Sidhu and Captain Vijay Sehgal, the  Goa Liberation War heroes in the “Operation Vijay” in December,1961 were paid rich tributes remembering their heroic sacrifice 64 years before. The city forgot, but the heroes' alma mater did not.

The college principal Professor Dr Gursharanjit Sandhu, staff, students and some alumni of the college marked the occasion. Present on the occasion were Brij Bhushan Goyal, the organising secretary of the alumni association, Prof. Narinder Singh Masson, Dr G S Grewal ,Prof. Parmjit Pam, Prof Dr Sourab, Prof Nidhi, Prof Jaspreet kaur, Prof Geetika, Bharpoor Singh, the college librarian and a number of students.

While, Principal appreciated gesture of alumni, Goyal gave historical details about the stellar role of these martyrs. 1926 born in Sidhwan Khurd Major Sidhu was student of this college in early 1940s decade and was prominent one to be selected in the college grounds then for training by Army Selection Board amongst 6 boys. Captain Sehgal studied in the early 1950s here in this college after matriculation from Arya School. But destiny united these heroes of the college when Goa Liberation Operation Vijay was announced in December 1961.  Major Sidhu along with his unit left Varanasi on 3 December, 1961, to participate in the military action of Goa. He was squadron commander of Captain Vijay Kumar Seghal. Both these officers were in the forefront to get some Indians taken hostage by the Portuguese even after the surrender announcement. Indians were liberated, but these officers had to lay down their lives when some Portuguese fired on them by deceit. A saintly temperament, Major Sidhu was often called a Sadhu Officer in his regiment, informed Goyal, quoting history.

Dr Grewal who is nephew of Major Sidhu informed that he visited that place in Goa where a spacious Hall is built in memory of these heroes. Unfortunately, the city has forgotten them, though college remembers them invariably, Grewal said. Both Goyal and Grewal promised all help to any student of the college in their education if parents lost lives in any war scenario in future. Lt. General G S Sahota ( Major Sidhu’s son in law) in his message has appreciated the alumni and their alma mater’s gesture.