On the 30th anniversary of Kannalan Kennedy's death at Naickanpalayam village near Coimbatore, soldiers from the 25 Madras Regiment in Wellington laid a wreath and paid floral tributes.
Coimbatore: Soldiers paid tribute to veteran Kannalan Kennedy, who died serving his nation, on the 30th anniversary of his death.
Kannalan Kennedy was born in Naickanpalayam, Coimbatore. He was a member of the Indian Army. When eight terrorists tried to infiltrate into India with RDX explosives in the snow-capped mountainous region of Sambari in Kashmir in 1993, he fought them and killed three of them.
In commemoration of his martyrdom, the then-President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, awarded him the Kirti Chakra, the army's second-highest civilian medal, in 1996.
In Kennedy's honor, a manimandapam has been built in Naickanpalayam. Every year on the anniversary of his death, troops pay their respects to him.
At the 30th anniversary festivities at his memorial, 25 army troops paid their respects to Kennedy by placing a wreath on his image, led by Major Jayakumar, subedar of the Madras Regimental Army Division of the Wellington Military Training College.