Ludhiana: The family of a fallen Army officer has appealed to the Punjab govt to restore his name to a local school, alleging his legacy was erased during a recent state-sponsored rebranding project.Lieutenant Manprit Singh Goldi, who died in 2001 during counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir, was previously the namesake of Jagraon’s Govt Senior Secondary School. However, after the institute was upgraded to a “School of Eminence”, the martyr’s name was removed from the main gate — “painted over” during transition — and replaced with generic signage.The officer’s brother, Harjit Singh, sent an official petition on Tuesday to chief minister Bhagwant Mann on behalf of their elderly parents, Karamjit Singh and Amarjit Kaur. The family seeks the immediate restoration of the school’s official title: Shaheed Lt Manprit Singh Memorial Senior Secondary School.A legacy ‘omitted’Karamjit Singh, 80, a retired Master Warrant Officer with 40 years of service in the Air Force, expressed deep distress over the administrative change. “For our family, this omission is deeply painful,” he said. “It is difficult to accept that the name of a soldier who sacrificed his life for the nation has been removed from an institute named specifically to honour his memory.”The family noted that the name was lost when the school administration repainted the main gate. The new signage displays only the “School of Eminence” branding, omitting the tribute to the lieutenant. Karamjit Singh argued that such naming conventions are vital for ensuring future generations remain aware of the sacrifices made to safeguard the nation.‘Army in our blood’Lt Goldi was only 22 when he laid down his life. A graduate of the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai, he was posted with the 6 Mahar Regiment. In July 2001, just six months into his service, he was wounded during an encounter with terrorists in the Tangdhar sector. He, later, died at a military hospital in Udhampur.The loss resonated throughout the region. Karamjit Singh recalled receiving the news while in transit to his own posting at the Adampur Air Force station. “I remember his funeral procession was more than 2-km long,” he said. “We have the Army in our blood. My father served before independence. We are proud of his sacrifice, but the govt must respect its own decision to memorialise him.”Final memoriesThe lieutenant’s brother, Harjit Singh, a researcher at IIT Ropar, recalled their final meeting in Chandigarh shortly after Goldi’s training. He described his brother as a selfless individual who once walked 8 km to college for a month rather than worry his parents about a lost bus pass. The family’s letter requests that the CM’s office intervene to ensure the school’s signage reflects the official govt record, which includes the braveheart’s name.The Punjab govt’s “Schools of Eminence” initiative aims to provide world-class education through upgraded infrastructure, but the Goldi family maintains that modernisation should not come at the cost of the state’s military history.
