“Pune has not only educated students from Ladakh, Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir, but has also embraced and nurtured them as its own,” said Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta on Sunday at the Ladakh Festival organised by Sarhad organisation in Pune.
Sarhad, a Pune-based organisation working with people from border areas, organised the Ladakh Festival. As part of the festival, Gupta presented the Kargil Gaurav National Awards 2025 to distinguished individuals from various fields.
The dignitaries present on the dais included Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Ladakh’s First Lady Bindu Gupta, Sarhad Founder President Sanjay Nahar, Sushma Nahar, Arham Institute Director Shailesh Pagaria, and Samvad Foundation’s Sanjeev Shah, among others.
Awards were conferred on Cosmos Bank Chairman Dr Pralhad Kokare, Major General Shashikant Pitre (Retd), Kesari Tours Director Jhelum Chaubal, senior journalist Rajiv Sabade, senior architect Dilip Kale, social worker Raj Deshmukh, Tarun Uppal of Nirbhay Bharat Foundation, and Mangesh Chivate, Head of the Chief Minister’s Medical Cell of the state government, in recognition of their contributions.
Gupta said the relationship between Pune and Ladakh has transcended geography to become one rooted in emotion and humanity.
“It is a matter of great pride for me to be associated with the Kargil Gaurav National Award as part of the Ladakh Festival. This occasion reaffirms the deep and enduring bond that Indians share with their borders,” Gupta said, speaking at the event.
“Pune is not merely a hub of culture and education; it has also served as a crucible of nation-building. For decades, Pune has not only educated students from Ladakh, Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir, but has also embraced and nurtured them as its own. For this, I express my heartfelt gratitude to Pune, which has instilled confidence and self-belief in these students, and that is why the relationship between Pune and Ladakh has transcended geography to become one rooted in emotion and humanity,” Gupta explained.
Gupta further added, “We often confine the idea of national security to armed forces and weapon systems. While it is true that our Armed Forces safeguard the nation’s physical borders, organisations like Sarhad remind us that the emotional frontiers of the nation are protected by its society. Lasting peace and national integration are possible only when citizens living in border areas feel deeply connected to the national mainstream.”
