Ghazipur – The removal of war hero Abdul Hamid’s name from the entrance of a primary school in Ghazipur’s Dhamupur village has sparked outrage among his family and local residents. Hamid, a Param Vir Chakra recipient who played a crucial role in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, was honored with the school being named after him. However, recent repainting efforts replaced “Shaheed Hamid Vidyalaya” with “PM Shri Composite School,” leaving his family deeply hurt.
According to school authorities, the renaming was part of the government’s PM Shri initiative, under which select schools across the country are being rebranded. The family of Abdul Hamid, however, has strongly objected to the change, arguing that the removal of his name from the entrance diminishes his legacy.
Hamid’s grandson, Jameel Ahmed, stated that upon noticing the change, the family immediately raised concerns with the school’s headmaster, Ajay Kushwaha. They were directed to Basic Education Officer Hemant Rao, who assured them that Hamid’s name had been preserved on one of the school’s exterior walls. However, the family insists that the primary recognition should be at the school’s entrance.
Dissatisfied with the response, they filed a formal protest on Saturday, demanding that the original name be reinstated. “We were assured that the name would be restored immediately, but as of Monday, it remains absent from the entrance,” Ahmed said, calling the act “deeply disrespectful to a national hero.”
The controversy has gained traction, with local residents and social organizations rallying behind the family’s demand. Many believe that while renaming schools under national schemes is an administrative decision, it should not come at the cost of erasing the legacy of war heroes.
Abdul Hamid is revered for his extraordinary bravery during the 1965 war, where he single-handedly destroyed multiple Patton tanks supplied to Pakistan by the United States. His heroic actions forced the enemy to retreat, earning him India’s highest wartime gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra, posthumously.
The district administration has yet to issue an official statement on whether the school’s entrance will be restored to its previous name. As pressure mounts, all eyes are now on the authorities to see if they will honor the family’s demand and reinstate the tribute to one of India’s greatest war heroes.
